LIRR Crew Scheduling

[nostalgia]

I have a very o-l-d train LIRR assignment list (1986) that lists every engineer and collector job. It's used for picking jobs. The most suprising element is that there are very few overtime and no swing shift jobs. Just about everybody works a straight 8 hours day, including a 35 minute meal period. Start times are staggered, like Midnight to 8, 8-4, 12-8, and 4-midnight.

 

However, crews don't necessarily stay on the same branch for the whole day. The first and last trips are on the same branch. During the day, somebody working from Bablyon to New York might make a trip to Port Washington and return, Long Beach and return, and then the last trip back to Bablyon.

 

Is this same pattern maintained for the current schedule?

[LIengineerBob]

I have a very o-l-d train LIRR assignment list (1986) that lists every engineer and collector job. It's used for picking jobs. The most suprising element is that there are very few overtime and no swing shift jobs. Just about everybody works a straight 8 hours day, including a 35 minute meal period. Start times are staggered, like Midnight to 8, 8-4, 12-8, and 4-midnight.

 

However, crews don't necessarily stay on the same branch for the whole day. The first and last trips are on the same branch. During the day, somebody working from Bablyon to New York might make a trip to Port Washington and return, Long Beach and return, and then the last trip back to Bablyon.

 

Is this same pattern maintained for the current schedule?

 

Pretty much the same routine today. There are overtime jobs, short jobs and everything in between. The home terminal rule is why the last train of nearly every run returns to it's starting location. If the job doesn't operate a train back to the originating terminal, the crew is paid to deadhead back to the originating terminal.

[nostalgia]

Pretty much the same routine today. There are overtime jobs, short jobs and everything in between. The home terminal rule is why the last train of nearly every run returns to it's starting location. If the job doesn't operate a train back to the originating terminal, the crew is paid to deadhead back to the originating terminal.

 

Are LIRR employees subject to the federal Hours of Service Act?

 

The old assignment book shows the number of jobs at each home terminal. I was surprised to find a number of New York jobs that deadhead equipment to Far Rockaway or Massapequa Park. The most incredible job took a mid night train from Jamaica to Oyster Bay, 6 hour layover, and then return to Jamaica and put the train away.

 

I wonder if there would be cost savings on the Montauk line. The current timetable shows a 1:10 AM departure from Jamaica to Montauk, arriving around 4 AM. The equipment leaves at 5:39 AM for Jamaica. The only reason I can see for the trip is to position the equipment. Wouldn't it make sense for the crew of the last trip to Montauk, arriving around midnight, to go to a hotel for a few hours and run the 5:39 trip? Right now, the crew leaves Montauk at 1:00 AM.

 

The index of assignments shows an engineer for every trip but some trips don't show collector assignments. This seems odd.

 

Now for a question about the extra board. The old assignment book shows the extra board with Initial Period of Mandatory Availability (IPMA). On Amtrak, extra board employees get a 2 hour call to report to work. How much time do LIRR extra board employees get to report to work? An employee must live in a strategic location to be able to get anywhere (Jamaica or Speonk).

 

Thanks for your assistance.

[LIengineerBob]

Are LIRR employees subject to the federal Hours of Service Act?

 

Yes, all LIRR train and engine service employees are subject to the Hours of Service Act.

 

The old assignment book shows the number of jobs at each home terminal. I was surprised to find a number of New York jobs that deadhead equipment to Far Rockaway or Massapequa Park. The most incredible job took a mid night train from Jamaica to Oyster Bay, 6 hour layover, and then return to Jamaica and put the train away.

 

The reason for that is there is simply no room to lay-up sufficient equipment to provide the necessary service requirements, and the required crews to operate the trains. Keep in mind at Massepequa Park, there is no place to store equiptment....you just change ends in the interlocking on the main track. The job that goes to Oyster Bay was one of the BEST jobs to own at the time (all old-timers back then).....sadly, it is no longer like that during the week.....only on weekends now!!

 

I wonder if there would be cost savings on the Montauk line. The current timetable shows a 1:10 AM departure from Jamaica to Montauk, arriving around 4 AM. The equipment leaves at 5:39 AM for Jamaica. The only reason I can see for the trip is to position the equipment. Wouldn't it make sense for the crew of the last trip to Montauk, arriving around midnight, to go to a hotel for a few hours and run the 5:39 trip? Right now, the crew leaves Montauk at 1:00 AM.

 

The LIRR hasn't used bed checks since the 1960's at least. There hasn't been "double ended" jobs since then also. Nearly all of the "double ended" jobs where you got a bed check were freight jobs.

 

Surprisingly, that train out of Jamaica gets quite a few passengers, especially on the weekends after the partiers decide to go home. It's the last eastbound train out that way until around 8 in the morning. The HOS law has a big part to do with how the crews are scheduled, and that home terminal rule comes into play too. Plus, you would have to be paid for the time you were resting.......so there would be no savings.....just additional overtime costs.

 

The index of assignments shows an engineer for every trip but some trips don't show collector assignments. This seems odd.

 

You would need to look in the collectors assignment portion of the crew book to find them. Not all trains operate with collectors....don't confuse them with conductors and assistant conductors (brakemen).

 

Now for a question about the extra board. The old assignment book shows the extra board with Initial Period of Mandatory Availability (IPMA). On Amtrak, extra board employees get a 2 hour call to report to work. How much time do LIRR extra board employees get to report to work? An employee must live in a strategic location to be able to get anywhere (Jamaica or Speonk).

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

An IPMA is when you must be available for work and are subject to call up to 8 hours after that time. So if your IPMA is 1201am, you could theoretically be called as late as 801am for work. At 802am you could refuse the work (or not answer the phone!)and get paid for 8 hours. That's called a guarantee. It rarely happens anymore. On the LIRR, your call time is 3 hours before the report time of the job, unless it is east of Speonk, then it is 4 hours. The LIRR does not specify where you can or cannot live. If you decide to live in Florida, that's your choice, you are still subject to the prescribed call times.

[Amtrak7]

On the LIRR, your call time is 3 hours before the report time of the job, unless it is east of Speonk, then it is 4 hours.

 

Wait...I thought the only crew reporting locations were WSY, VD, Jamaica, HSF, KO, Babylon, and Speonk?

 

Any other really long layover (> 3hr at once) jobs?

[nostalgia]

Wait...I thought the only crew reporting locations were WSY, VD, Jamaica, HSF, KO, Babylon, and Speonk?

 

Any other really long layover (> 3hr at once) jobs?

 

Home terminals include Long Beach, Hempstead, West Hempstead, Far Rock, Oyster Bay, Port Jeff, Huntington, and Freeport. What is HSF?

 

The engineer job I reference signed up at Morris Park 12:05 AM, left Jamaica at 1:05 arriving Oyster Bay at 1:59. The crew left Oyster Bay at 6:31 after a 4:30 layover, arriving Jamaica at 7:26. The train was put away in the yard and everybody went home.

[nostalgia]

Yes, all LIRR train and engine service employees are subject to the Hours of Service Act.

 

 

The LIRR hasn't used bed checks since the 1960's at least. There hasn't been "double ended" jobs since then also. Nearly all of the "double ended" jobs where you got a bed check were freight jobs.

 

Surprisingly, that train out of Jamaica gets quite a few passengers, especially on the weekends after the partiers decide to go home. It's the last eastbound train out that way until around 8 in the morning. The HOS law has a big part to do with how the crews are scheduled, and that home terminal rule comes into play too. Plus, you would have to be paid for the time you were resting.......so there would be no savings.....just additional overtime costs.

 

You would need to look in the collectors assignment portion of the crew book to find them. Not all trains operate with collectors....don't confuse them with conductors and assistant conductors (brakemen).

 

 

An IPMA is when you must be available for work and are subject to call up to 8 hours after that time. So if your IPMA is 1201am, you could theoretically be called as late as 801am for work. At 802am you could refuse the work (or not answer the phone!)and get paid for 8 hours. That's called a guarantee. It rarely happens anymore. On the LIRR, your call time is 3 hours before the report time of the job, unless it is east of Speonk, then it is 4 hours. The LIRR does not specify where you can or cannot live. If you decide to live in Florida, that's your choice, you are still subject to the prescribed call times.

 

I understand you would pay overtime but you wouldn't need a second crew and equipment. As long as the crew has a place to sleep for at least 4 hours, the HOS clock stops ticking.

 

What is the difference between collectors and (assistant conductors)?

[Joe]

HSF = Hillside Support Facility

[nostalgia]

HSF = Hillside Support Facility

 

Thank you. I thought HSF was for maintenance and not storing cars for service.

[Joe]

Hillside is a rather enormous maintenance shop...