mook Wrote:
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> Yeah, overreaction. In practice, the remote
> control thing in freight is probably only in
> UP/BNSF yards and locals (and you think THEY won't
> go visit their corporate Congresscritters?), and I
> suspect that most short lines need two people
> anyway for other things. I don't see where
> single-person crews should be out of the question,
> though, on through runs where there's ample time
> to complete the run within a normal (8-10 hour)
> shift; Amtrak and most commute lines do that, for
> engine crew. The bill just looks like good old
> fashioned featherbedding rather than a reaction to
> a real problem.
Using passenger trains as examples of one crewmember on the head end isn't really valid. The crewmember(s) in the body of the train have operational responsibilities along with the engineer. On a freight train, where else would they be besides in the cab?