Re: Excess NR Locos for Sale

["dino64" <dino64@iprimus.com.au>]

Pumbaa,

I must agree with your comments about the quality of handovers by train
crews based south of the border. Whilst not wishing to appear to be bashing
fellow drivers and at the same time, admitting that were all probably guilty
of this on occasions. I would appear that Victorian train crews for some
reason, seem to make a habit of it. Although, I must admit, it is nowhere
near as bad now as it was several years ago, when NR started.

Regards......Dino

Pumbaa <jcostello@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:muhR6.3075$Yr1.137566@ozemail.com.au...
>
> "Rod [comtrain]" <freight_man@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> 3b159fdf$0$25522$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3b159fdf$0$25522$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > Glenn
> > Your E mail does not work
> > E mail me privately, please
> > I think you were getting some one elses message mixed up with mine. You
> need
> > to work out what was the new post and seperate the old post as an
example
> > >              is one message repeated
> > >>            is Two messages repeated
> > >>>         is three messages repeated
> > My arguments in this post were not against Enginemen as such.
> > The first post that began this thread was about Federal Government
> insisting
> > NR dispose of all assetts no longer being used to other Railroads that
may
> > want to purchase them...etc etc
> > A NR driver replied that LVR and other Companies employed scabs that
were
> > destroying our conditions.etc and NO WAY would these assetts be disposed
> of
> > to the likes of them!!
>
>
> Listen ROD I never referred to them as SCABS, they are above that but they
> are the cause of the erosion of conditions for the remainder of the
> industry.  I still don't think we should be forced to sell anything to the
> opposition now or ever.
>
>
> > My reply was that maybe they  [LvR enginemen] have few choices and that
> > people sometimes make mistakes.
> > I also added that I have lived most of my Railway career suffering shit
> from
> > NSW crews, and that I DID not think that was the way it should be.
>
>
> Suffering shit from NSW crews, you poor thing.  I worked out of Junee for
5
> years and in that time we got some shocker handovers from both NSW and VIC
> NRC crews but the worse were coutesy of our southern brothers.
>
>
> > My statement mirrored yours that we all belong to the same Union and are
> > fighting the one battle, so why should we be  at each others throats.
> > And I have been defending myself ever since ;o(
>
>
> Because you have insulted NRC crews with your crap.  SO KEEP YA ANIMOSITY
> TOWARDS US TO A MINIMUM.
>
>
> > Knocking the trucks off is everybodies final win win situation,
> guaranteeing
> > those of us who rely on the income the security and sustained employment
> we
> > all crave for.
>
>
> Finally we agree on that.  Good luck!
>
> Cheers
> > Rod :0))))
> > "fatboy" <fatboy64@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:Xu8R6.26877$BU4.45294@news1.blktn1.nsw.optushome.com.au...
> > > Rod,
> > >
> > > Thanks you have finally answered the one question that has been
puzzling
> > me
> > > and probably quite a few National Rail enginemen for a long time.
> > > We all went through the same selection process some time ago.
> > > Some of us got jobs and some of us didn't.
> > > Many of my mates missed out and a few got jobs and I cant understand
why
> > > they got them.(They may say the same about me).
> > > I still cant understand why those of you that missed out seem to hold
so
> > > much resentment towards those of us that got jobs.
> > > We had no control over who got the nod and who didn't.
> > > I'm still not sure who did.
> > > The one thing we all have in common is we all share the same
profession.
> > > Therefore we should be united in our fight to get as many trucks off
the
> > > nations roads as we can and get that freight back on rails.
> > > Who cares who hauls it. As long as it is on the rails.
> > > I wish you well in your retirement and hope your family the best of
> health
> > .
> > > I will definitely wave to you if I see you in my travels.
> > > Your welcome on my Locomotive anytime.
> > > Remember united we stand divided we fall the true enemy is the road
> > hauler.
> > >
> > > Proud to be a Driver/Gunzel ( Guess I'm finally out of the closet)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "Rod [comtrain]" <freight_man@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > 3b14d1c6$0$25488$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3b14d1c6$0$25488$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > > > 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
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>