Re: PTC not solely dependent upon GPS?
Author: OPRRMS
Date: 12-20-2009 - 20:12
John West Wrote:
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> Whatever the
> rules were/are after cell phones became common,
> any prohibition apparently was not enforced since
> their personal use among train crews seems have
> been to be common.
Indeed so. It was real common for dispatchers, yardmasters or managers on many parts of the UP to tell someone on an operating crew over the radio to "Call me on your cell phone." As an example, after the San Jose yardmaster's position was moved to Roseville, dispatchers would often tell crews of terminating trains to "Call the San Jose Yardmaster for a track" when they were leaving Newark.
I myself used to use the PBX religously before they took it away. After it suddenly disappeared in mid-2007 and I brought up the fact with an MTO, he said, "Just use your cell phone." He seemed stunned when I told him, "Don't have one," and said I should get one and that they were real cheap now. Told him, "Naw, 'cause then people would be calling me or expect me to call them." As it turned out, Mr. Sanchez solved the problem for me.