MarkGuy

1 hour ago, Jchambers2120 said:

That and being one day closer to finishing probation.

I see that pt 

6 hours ago, Late Clear said:

Honestly as long as you're on the payroll, all this is to your benefit.  

Think of it as a enhanced training.  I know it may not seem like it. 

I don't really see it as "enhanced training" at all, especially given I've done these moves more times than I can count already and they don't prep me for the road-which is where the real training begins, according to what some have posted here.

Extra training, yea tho. But not the training i really need when we go into passenger service solo.

4 hours ago, Jay-Oh said:

Enjoy it while it lasts, and be careful.

Also, take this time to really play with the trains. I guarantee that you'll end up doing a couple of transfers; these are the BEST times to really get a feel for the SMEE's, (I personally think New Techs are like playing a video game).

I know the rules say that you shouldn't stop in stations while running light, but now's the perfect time. There's barely anyone out, you're alone on that train, you're not in revenue service, and if you over run a station - so what? Just don't go hitting signals.

Check the aspect of the leaving signal in a station, if it's green - try blasting into the station and stopping at the 10 w/ a single brake pull - pay attention to the duplex air gauge. It'll build your confidence, and it's fun. You'll be surprised how late you can pull that brake and still stop where you need to.
 

Personally, I see this as a huge detriment for us, because while you do get some types of transfers, they are very few and far in between (least that was my experience my first time as yx.)

That's going to be a huge detriment because we're spending time away from regular operation at higher speeds, and the worse it'll get the longer this drags out. I feel that this should be on a case by case basis (those who only have a day or so of road posting to finish) to put us on the road incrementally. The days a lot of us are missing are utterly pointless, because they're days on lines we already posted repeatedly.

I do also wonder if they'll make us do schoolcar again if this lasts long enough as well.

48 minutes ago, Jchambers2120 said:

Well the pick got postponed due to this ongoing pandemic so it looks like I’m stuck in the B for the time being. I miss my “toy trains” but hey it is what it is. 

48 minutes ago, Jchambers2120 said:

Well the pick got postponed due to this ongoing pandemic so it looks like I’m stuck in the B for the time being. I miss my “toy trains” but hey it is what it is. 

Almost the entire August induction has been sent back to the yard after we finished the road practical bc of it too

1 hour ago, Jchambers2120 said:

Believe it or not some of the old timers actually enjoyed working the CC, at least the ones I’ve spoke/interacted with. The job itself wasn’t bad.

Me personally I prefer to work on longer lines like the  because I don’t like to ping pong back and forth all day. 
 

 

 

Hey there bro. U still going back to the A on the 26th? 

2 hours ago, Jchambers2120 said:

"Quite a few" is a bit of a stretch. Most of the 160's left at CI are used on the on  The other day on the  line my partner asked the dispatcher if we would get 'lucky' and he laughed right in our faces. There was nothing but 46's on the road. 

 

@MarkGuy Thanks! I'm just as confused as you are it still hasn't sunk in fully haha. 

I bet you love the commute now!

1 minute ago, R68OnBroadway said:

Which cars were the absolute worst to work on (including now-retired ones)?

I initially hated operating the 32s because they were hard to stop properly. But recently i posted on the a out of far rock and i operated it like i would a 68/68a and im in love with them now.

2 hours ago, YungMarxian said:

From the operator/conductor perspective, is the 46 less enjoyable to operate than the 160?

From a train operator's perspective, i love the handle on the r 46. The power positions are also clearly marked/etched into the master controller setup. 

I slightly prefer operating the 46s because they feel like a real train. The 160s feel like operating a video game. Conversely, it's harder to accidentlaly put a 160 than a 46 into emergency.

2 hours ago, Jchambers2120 said:

"Quite a few" is a bit of a stretch. Most of the 160's left at CI are used on the on  The other day on the  line my partner asked the dispatcher if we would get 'lucky' and he laughed right in our faces. There was nothing but 46's on the road. 

 

@MarkGuy Thanks! I'm just as confused as you are it still hasn't sunk in fully haha. 

Glad to see you're liking them.

On 2/20/2020 at 2:18 PM, Jchambers2120 said:

I’ve heard the  line referred to Alpha along with  Apple on the radio. And the  line is referred to as George not Gulf. 
 

Random: I was so happy to snag a Siemens 160 on my last half on the Nancy today. I don’t mind the 46 equipment, but it’s nice to get a break on a tech train and they’re so much more comfortable.

Well all tech trains except for the 179’s, I’d rather a SMEE

I read this like, "Aren't you in the A div?" Then I remembered you were in a transfer class. Congrats!

40 minutes ago, DaPr03 said:

The operation hurts operators the most, brake a little and your body will jump a bit. You have to swing the long handle & it's a real pain in the ass doing it back and forth.

As a student train operator almost finished with training-gotta disagree here. I LOVE the R46's. Easy to stop-just mostly need min brake, and I prefer that long handle to others. They're also in mostly good condition--and they're not falling apart like the r179s are.

15 hours ago, nipaaaa said:

Yes lol, that little notch in the brake, do not let it go if you feel momentum still pushing the train. This is especially true on down grade stations. Once you feel that the train is really coasting without the momentum (with still some brake), then it's ok to release all the air for the final full service brake to fully stop.

Sometimes if you grab just the right amount of brake, you won't even need to release all the air and you'll be able to come to a stop while still holding like 10-15 psi. With time, you'll know if the train is still being pushed by momentum. You really gotta focus and feel the train, once you can do that, then 68A is nothing.

I'm not saying I'm an expert but that's how I need operate in order to control them.

 

Will try this advice as well. Thank you!

21 minutes ago, mediccjh said:

The issue people have with R68As is not trusting the train. They take a brake, and since it's not instant, take more brake. The more brake you take, the longer it takes to kick in. Now you have too much brake, release it all, and poof, you're out.

If you have at least 15 lbs in the tank, the train will stop where you want it to. You just have to be patient and let the brake kick in. When releasing, never go beyond the snowbrake notch. This ensures you have air in the tank.

The R68As have good brakes. You just have to be a little patient and wait for them to kick in.

R62s are a little easier than the R68As. But it's only going to be mastered with practice, practice, and practice.
 

True-admittedly the delay did freak me out. But yesterday, I came in my stations braking just before the conductor's board and my stops were better. You do have to trust the brakes will kick in and don't fully release to the marker because the delay in grabbing back brake will cause you to slingshot and overshoot a bit. 

57 minutes ago, Late Clear said:

When you wind up road posting, let the trainer do the first trip.  Watch them take brake.  See how they release, observe the station, ask them what they look for when they operate these trains.  

Thank you for that advice, which I will take. Do a lot of people down here struggle with the 68a's?

1 hour ago, Late Clear said:

Nah man relax this is a very difficult piece of equipment to operate.  

People 20+ years aren't comfortable on those trains.  

Same goes with the R62 in the A Division on the 3 Line.

Rough trains.

Thx that helped. Im sure ill eventually get it.

5 hours ago, beanz said:

It will come together. I had a hard time with the smees as well and now they are my favorite, even the r62s on the 3 line. They are actually extremely fun to operate once u learn to feel it. 

 

U will be fine. 

I hope so, thx! Just that it was my third straight day of screwing up, and I've been trying like hell to improve because we only get a few more days with this equipment before we move to other ones and road posting begins very soon. 

But I'm not quitting. Also, gd luck on your practical!

Today was not a great day with the r68a's kicking my ass with braking. I'm having a bit of a hard time "feeling" the train. My TSS had me locate the notch just below the snowbrake and I took advice from a classmate to not fully release brake when stopping, but I still came up long on many of my stops or short. 

Tried experimenting with braking later, and I overshot. Tried doing it a bit earlier, TSS said I was going too slow. I'm kinda frustrated but will keep at it.

3 hours ago, Schecter said:

Yeah it's been really quiet I know the June class is already on the road I'm so proud of them! I'm 7 months in as c/r and can't wait to put my name back on the list after my probabtion is over.

I heard. Last day of yx for the august induction today. We'll be out on the road with the July class by March, if things keep going well.

On 12/5/2019 at 5:58 PM, Schecter said:

Oh and random but the crew office is asking if anybody in the A division as a conductor wants me to move into the B division. They'll have to write a G2 to the crew office. So I believe they're short on conductors just food for thought and for anybody who's in the A division and wants to switch to the B division they have until December 11th to write a G2 to the crew office.

For what it’s worth I ran into conductors doing a to b div training today at Jamaica yard. So it seems there might be a shortage but idk 

Just now, Schecter said:

And then they'll start hating train operators and then want the trains to be autonomous next.

Oh yeah most def.

4 minutes ago, Schecter said:

Yeah that's why I honestly can't wait to move up to the the front once my one year is up. The public blames us for everything. It's like we're in control of the whole transit system for some reason.

and its because the ny news media hates conductors (and transit workers in general) and thinks your position should be eliminated-which is crazy talk considering how complex this system truly is.

1 minute ago, Schecter said:

Yeah that's why I honestly can't wait to move up to the the front once my one year is up. The public blames us for everything. It's like we're in control of the whole transit system for some reason.

I'm about to enter yx and honestly, being upfront isn't as scary as they make it sound. You can def do it.

7 hours ago, Schecter said:

I closed the window he started saying f**k you to and all the curse words you can think of... I was like okay and then on the TOD the shit popped up and then the PEI was ringing and then RCC was calling me and the train operator at the same time...

Sorry to hear that, bro. You conductors gotta deal with the public in such unfortunate ways. It's just endemic of mental health issues in our society.

3 minutes ago, acabral136 said:

Nice congrats. The learning don't stop man keep studying. Something I personally do, make copies of the schematics for whatever location u will be in during posting. Once u do the move a few times, look at the schematic and it'll make sense for you and sort of glue itself to your brain. 

Oh most def I studied today after taking a small break yesterday. Job isn’t mine yet 

On 9/20/2019 at 4:15 AM, acabral136 said:

Passed my signal test, midterm, and first yard practical. Got my final yard practical coming up tomorrow and then the stressful stretch is over. We actually lost 2 people in my class so far. 1 guy was having a hard time balancing the material and his personal life so he took himself out and plans to put his name back on the list later on. The other guy failed his retake of the practical. Some aspects of this job can be really easy (midterm, 1st signal test) but some of it can take u right out if u aren't on your game. 

 

Anyway, already got my yard posting papers. This is all moving so fast but I'm loving it. 

We all finished the final yard practical and sig exam this week.

On to road posting. @Schecter all ima tell u bro is that train operator training isn’t overtly easy but it’s nowhere near beast mode difficult in terms of subject matter. It’s intense because of the amount of things you gotta learn in a short time but doable.