Monday, November 9, 2009

10 Nouns-
5 adjectives-
3 adverbs
2 conjunctions
3 verbs-
2 prepositions
1 interjection
2 pronouns



Here I am, at the Conference call on a chilly Sunday morning. 3 out of 5 track supervisors show up for this conference call. We have our safety briefing about what needs to be done on the Red River Valley Subdivision today. Our Roadmaster tells all of us to be on our guard for broke rails, and look for any broke rails as we inspect our track. After the briefing, I print out my TIMS (Track Inspector Management System) to see how much train traffic there will be, and what time to expect all of them. I get to where I normally start my track inspection. I called the dispatcher to get my track warrant, but he didn't answer right away, I had to sit and wait for him to reply.....30 minutes has passed. The dispatcher answers me..finally. As I was getting my track warrant I hear something break. After I got my track warrant. I get my safety vest, and hard hat, and set my hi-rail wheels on the track and began my inspection. And then...that break I heard earlier I just ran over it. "This isn't good" I said to myself. I got out of truck, and yes a broke rail, but in a rare place. I called the dispatcher and had him stop all train traffic, and called my boss, so he can get someone on the way to fix this. I inspected on into Memphis, and put the boards up. By at the time I was putting the red boards up, the welders call me, and tell me about a broke rail at milepost 284.7 just outside of Clarendon. "Okay, what to do?" I said to myself. The Section truck gets into Memphis, and I point out the broken rail. Afterwards, I continued with my inspection. "Uh oh","This is not good." One of my switches will not move, or can't the thrown, that's what us railroaders say. I knew what do, but I didn't have the equipment, nor the time to fix it. So I called the dispatcher back...again. And called the Section to come unfreeze this switch...and there is another broke rail I have to see about to, and it's 20 miles away. My boss drives up, unexpectedly. He said "I'll stay here with it go ahead and inspect to Clarendon, and then go get the Ford Dooley and do the rest, make sure you have the switch heater fuel with you." I continued my way into Clarendon, and right when I get in sight of the Clarendon siding, the dispatcher has me wait on 2 stack trains. 6 long hours later, I am doing my paper work about today's cold weather inspection. As I was leaving the office, the Maintenance Desk calls me, and they tell me there is a broke rail at Claude,"here we go again."

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