? about hazardous & dangerous cars

[TRNBUF]

I just heard on the scanner coming across the NS Illinois Division
frequency about 15 cars that went over the Albers, IL detector saying
it had hazardous and dangerous cars on NS train #167. A different
dispatcher, than the normal NS dispatcher, came over the scanner with
a call name "CYO Dispatcher" relaying the message to train #167 and
read all the car numbers that were involved. My question is, doesn't
the train crew know what they are hauling before they find out later
by a detector or dispatcher? And what was the reason for this? And
what does CYO mean?

Just wondering, Thanks.

~Mike

[Michael Knight]

CYO is an acronym for Centralized Yard Operations, and this office is located in Atlanta. Many times, a train's wheel report may be backwards, or otherwise incorrect. Sometimes, a car will have already been set-out of the train-- because of a defect, for example, but the paperwork does not get updated. Thus, if there are any irregularities noted in a train's consist, CYO will often notify the train, and this usually occurs after the train has passed the first wayside scanner beyond its departure point. It is important that train crewmen know the placement of all cars containing hazardous material to ensure proper placement and in case there is an accident.

[J-man]

CYO = Central Yard Office (Operations).  Basically, they're supposed to keep track of pretty much every car on the NS system.  For example, if a train sets off a set of cars, the conductor needs to call CYO and tell give them info on the set off.  Info includes train ID, how many cars set off and where they were set off, head and rear car numbers, and time in and out.  Locals fax papers to CYO after they're done working to inform CYO of the location of cars in the yard and on customers' property.  If you're picking up cars and need to adjust your numbers for length and tonnage, you can usually call CYO and they'll give you the length and tonnage of the track(s) you're picking up.

Does the train crew know what they are hauling before they find out later by a detector or dispatcher?
Crews do have a consist with them that does tell them what the train is hauling.  On a slop freight, you're not supposed to have any "dangerous" car closer than the sixth head car, but there are variations on that depending on the type of train.  I don't know the specifics concerning that 167, but  my guesstimation is that the crews paperwork may have been a little iffy and they wanted CYO to confirm that certain cars were or were not hazardous.

[GAandFLA-RR]

I worked at CYO for several years before becoming a carman.  Whenever a train leaves a yard and goes by the first AEI scanner, usually at or near a wayside defect detector, any extra or out of place hazardous material cars that differ from the conductor's consist must be relayed to the crew ASAP, along with the waybill information pertaining to any "stranger" hazmat cars, all via the radio.  If possible, a new wheel report/consist must be sent to a printer at the next depot down the line for the crew to pickup.  After the crew is straightened out, then we had to fill out forms, e-mail them to the proper parties, then notify our management.  Not only is it important for the crew to know where their cars stand, the FRA has been known to ask a conductor to see his paperwork and check the train against it............if the consist is wrong, a hefty fine against the RR follows, and someone (usually a poor clerk) goes home for a while.

I've had some scary nights in CYO involving this.  There have been trains to leave a yard and scan with ALL kinds of EXTRA hazmat cars, and some of them had no current waybill info!!  Makes for an "interesting" night indeed........

Anytime you have a yard with no yardmaster, clerk, or even a trainmaster stationed to keep the inventory of the tracks correct, this will happen more often than not.  Very seldom does it happen with a person stationed........

[TB4JY]

Very seldom does it happen with a person stationed........

Except at Macon GA.

[Michael Knight]

Anytime you have a yard with no yardmaster, clerk, or even a trainmaster stationed to keep the inventory of the tracks correct, this will happen more often than not.  Very seldom does it happen with a person stationed........

Happens every day in Knoxville, where there are always two yardmasters on duty.

[GAandFLA-RR]

Very seldom does it happen with a person stationed........

Except at Macon GA.

Macon is a whole other spectrum.  It's NS's twilight zone...................

[GAandFLA-RR]

Anytime you have a yard with no yardmaster, clerk, or even a trainmaster stationed to keep the inventory of the tracks correct, this will happen more often than not.  Very seldom does it happen with a person stationed........

Happens every day in Knoxville, where there are always two yardmasters on duty.

Let me requote myself..........."Very seldom does it happen with a person stationed WHO DOES THEIR JOB."