Re: Excess NR Locos for Sale

["Rod [comtrain]" <freight_man@hotmail.com>]

Gidday Glenn!

Its a funny thing about that question, it gets asked a lot by National Rail
Enginemen!
This answer should more probably be sent privately, but as you asked it on
the group, I will answer it on the Group.
It should be a comprehensive answer, because chatting over a shandy or two
with other Enginemen who did not go to NR, I am positive it applies to a lot
of Engineman, not just me.
A long time before the jobs were called at NR, Melbourne, several Union
Meetings were held, dominated by Hxxx, and many of the Dynon Hard Core
Unionists like Mxxxx , Dxxxxx and Lxxxxx etc etc.
These people were dead against National Rail and the Union Meetings were
running on the theme that it will never happen.
Being a fan of American Big Train Railroading, all I could think of, was a
difference a truly National Railway would make to both the Economy of Rail,
and my job. Maybe I could operate some long heavy trains, with modern
horsepower.....etc etc. I knew that I could do it, I was not frightened by
training, exams or anything else!
I jumped up at one Union Meeting and announced to all and sundry, that
National Rail was going to be our last chance to shaft the Trucking Lobby,
and at Rails latest share of East Coast Traffic being less than 5%, We were
the ones being badly shafted.. No body else in that meeting spoke for the
Governments plan to form National Rail. Privately many said they agreed, I
remember saying after the meeting, that regardless of what you do Fxxxx, I
will be signing up, first chance I get.
The next several years, the Union down here was dead against National Rail.
I was transferring around the place getting as much big train experience as
I could get. I never got into trouble, in fact I was pretty pleased with
myself, and could not wait for National Rail.
Well the application forms arrived in the mail. Pretty simple stuff number
from 1 to 5 your competency with each question asked. 1 being absolutely
competent, 5 being completely ignorant.
Can't remember the Questions, you know them, others might not
as an example
Can you competently drive a train?..
.easy       answer   1
Can you operate a computer?    did not own one never used one ...easy
answer  5
Can you operate a signal box?    never trained as a signalman but I can read
a diagram  good answer would be 4
etc etc
20 % of the questions were not directly concerned with Driving a Train, and
I answered all questions as honestly as I could, but obviously still erred
to my advantage.
Later on after all the Drivers had been selected, and I had not got an
interview, it was easy to blame the Union Executive who had all jumped ship
applied and got jobs with NR, despite their continuing opposition to the
formation of National Rail. XXXXXXX even took his Fireman along, who was not
even qualified as an Driver!
Those of us who had missed out, all reacted in different ways. I admit my
anger was intense, I was really pissed. Some went crying to National Rail,
and amazingly got jobs, the rest of us continued on as we could and made the
best of it. We continued to drive Interstate trains for a year or so, till
NR got their crews all on line. I transferred around the State and ran as
many trains as I could till the inevitable chop came, as V/Lines work dried
up. Fortunately the New Union Management cooperated with V/Line and Victoria
came out of it pretty well. No one was pushed, Some took packages, the rest
of us worked plenty of O/T and our pay packages, thanks to Aggregate Wages,
climbed within a few thousand of NR's . When NR lost part of their payments
a couple of years ago, we  were receiving pretty much the same as them, with
a hell of a lot less stress. I began to be very happy with my job, and
thanked my lucky stars when I finally, after 20 years got my job back at
Wodonga. So I am very glad I never got that job with NR in Melbourne.
Why did I not get the job in Melbourne? The consultants in Adelaide made the
recommendations to NR on the basis of the
score received on the Application. In Melbourne, to get a recommendation for
Interview, you needed to score no more than 5 beyond  the total of the
Questions, so they told me. This would mean if their were 50 questions, any
one who scored higher than 55, was not invited for interview. These figures
are not all together accurate, I am only illustrating the selection process.
It was very obvious to those of us at the Dynon Union meeting, that first of
all You had to tell lies to get an interview. Nobody could have known every
job that was listed on the application form!
and secondly you had to be liked by the 4 ex union bosses who made the
Interview selection process at Melbourne.
I was told (privately) that my old foes Dxxxx and Mxxx had voted me out of
an Interview, as Adelaide had highly recommended my application. Thank God
they did.
A lot of those John West rejected, were in the long run pleased. Our Union
Meetings were much more democratic, we got rid of a lot of shit, and lost a
lot of good mates [they were much too busy in those days to have time for a
beer ]
So say what you may, but with pricks like Dxxx and Mxxxx, and Union Bosses
like Dave Gunn and Bob Lawrence and Frank Hussey, who threw the AFULE to the
dogs to control and in my opinion drag NR back from its full potential,
people like me never had a chance, and although I learned to be very happy
about it, I will never forgive those who stuffed up Australia's best chance
of making Railways a force to be reckoned with in this Country.
I guess I don't want Legal Litigation to upset my perfectly incredible
retirement ;o)) the x'd names I send to you separately for your eyes only,
and only because you seemed to want to know what was in my head. Hope this
gives you a little insight about one "chinook"
Rod [comtrain]
ps I no longer work for Freight Australia because I suffer PTSD, which
coupled with age and the stress induced by our New American masters, an
accident or two, my wife becoming ill with Cancer, caused a situation to
develop where I could no longer trust myself to react in a Safe and proper
manner. As Safety of the Public is of prime importance to this Driver, and
as my Vietnam Experiences were found to contribute much of my anger and
stress I decided to accept my Doctors advice and retire early. I am happy to
say my wife is recovered, my stress levels are way down. I have a fistful of
Dollars and can happily survive beyond Railways...amazingly enough!
Got time to booze with my mates, and can hop on the footplate any time it
suits me, although I have rarely done this.
Wave to me around Wodonga, if you see a baulding fully bearded cameraman
taking your picture. I dusted off the old Pentax, I think it works after all
these years.
Proud to be an ex.Driver/Gunzel

"fatboy" <fatboy64@yahoo.com> wrote in message
s9OQ6.26750$BU4.45097@news1.blktn1.nsw.optushome.com.au">news:s9OQ6.26750$BU4.45097@news1.blktn1.nsw.optushome.com.au...
> Rod,
> You  seem to direct a lot of resentment towards  your fellow ex workmates
> ( be it Ex Vic Rail or State Rail),  and  maybe that's why you no longer
> work on the footplate.
>
> Did you actually apply for a job with National Rail and miss out I wonder.
>
> Happy Motoring,
> Glenn Don
> Loco Driver
> National Rail Sydney.
> "Rod [comtrain]" <freight_man@hotmail.com> wrote in message