I understand the RR world from the point of view of T&E employee. I know about the operations, and paperwork involved as I used to execute it on a daily basis. My question is about what happens when the paperwork is entered in the computer...
Scenario #1. XYZ distributor needs a boxcar. They call railroad A, and have a boxcar delivered, said boxcar is loaded and ready to ship.
Question 1. Does RR A provide a home road car, a car from the terminating road, or any available appropriate boxcar from any road?
Railroad A picks up said shipment and places it into a freight headed for a classification yard, where it is switched out into a transfer freight to railroad B.
Question #2. Is railroad B now paying the car's home road a per diem?
Railroad B delivers the car to railroad C, who spots the car at XY Industries. The car is unloaded and the RR is notified. The car sits there for 17 weeks before a local picks it up.
Question #3. Are there charges involved, and if so are they to XY Industries or to Railroad C who was supposed to have picked up the car. Who gets the money, the home road?
When I worked for CSXT back in 1999 after the CR merger, it got real ugly. We had trains parked everywhere, and were severely power short. The next two questions pertain to that time.
CSXT actually "lost" a cut of hoppers for several weeks. It was like 35 cars. They were missing so long that the railroad actually placed ads in newspapers and employee newsletters with a reward to find those cars.
Question #4. What are the implications to the RR in that situation? I assume the RR would be paying a per diem, and have to reimburse the home road if they were never found. What would happen if they were located in, say, North Platte, Nebraska, far away from home. Who is responsible then?
We also had at least one instant when NS brought a train load of coal to our yard for delivery. The train was delivered, and the power seperated and used for a period of a week or so, when NS sent a road forman down to find them. When he did find them 2 of them were out of fuel.
last question (for now) how are locomotives rented/charged for? Is there a per diem or HP based calculation? Is it customary to return the power as soon as possible or if you are power hungry is it permissable to keep it around and use it?
Sorry for the long post, I am fascinated by the way the RRs do business and am curious as to the $$ side of things.
Incidentally, I don't know if it is true or not, I heard a story when I was on the job of an old boxcar on the PRR that was shopped en route to the customer for a bearing, set out on the RIP track, and got "lost" in the computer. It was shuffled around the yard for something like 12 or 15 years and finally shoved onto an unused track wayyy in the back of the yard. When NS took over they did a yard clean up and it went to auction after being officially scrapped. The new owner found 3 new Fords in there, with flat tires.
Dave
Scenario #1. XYZ distributor needs a boxcar. They call railroad A, and have a boxcar delivered, said boxcar is loaded and ready to ship.
Question 1. Does RR A provide a home road car, a car from the terminating road, or any available appropriate boxcar from any road?
Railroad A picks up said shipment and places it into a freight headed for a classification yard, where it is switched out into a transfer freight to railroad B.
Question #2. Is railroad B now paying the car's home road a per diem?
Railroad B delivers the car to railroad C, who spots the car at XY Industries. The car is unloaded and the RR is notified. The car sits there for 17 weeks before a local picks it up.
Question #3. Are there charges involved, and if so are they to XY Industries or to Railroad C who was supposed to have picked up the car. Who gets the money, the home road?
When I worked for CSXT back in 1999 after the CR merger, it got real ugly. We had trains parked everywhere, and were severely power short. The next two questions pertain to that time.
CSXT actually "lost" a cut of hoppers for several weeks. It was like 35 cars. They were missing so long that the railroad actually placed ads in newspapers and employee newsletters with a reward to find those cars.
Question #4. What are the implications to the RR in that situation? I assume the RR would be paying a per diem, and have to reimburse the home road if they were never found. What would happen if they were located in, say, North Platte, Nebraska, far away from home. Who is responsible then?
We also had at least one instant when NS brought a train load of coal to our yard for delivery. The train was delivered, and the power seperated and used for a period of a week or so, when NS sent a road forman down to find them. When he did find them 2 of them were out of fuel.
last question (for now) how are locomotives rented/charged for? Is there a per diem or HP based calculation? Is it customary to return the power as soon as possible or if you are power hungry is it permissable to keep it around and use it?
Sorry for the long post, I am fascinated by the way the RRs do business and am curious as to the $$ side of things.
Incidentally, I don't know if it is true or not, I heard a story when I was on the job of an old boxcar on the PRR that was shopped en route to the customer for a bearing, set out on the RIP track, and got "lost" in the computer. It was shuffled around the yard for something like 12 or 15 years and finally shoved onto an unused track wayyy in the back of the yard. When NS took over they did a yard clean up and it went to auction after being officially scrapped. The new owner found 3 new Fords in there, with flat tires.
Dave
