Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Division 758

Richard E. Etienne
Vancouver, WA
rick@etnsplace.com

Know your Schedule-- Rule Highlight of the Month.

September 1999 

GCOR Rule 6.5 Handling Cars Ahead of Engine

• When cars or engines are shoved and conditions require, a crewmember must take an easily seen position on the leading car or engine, or be ahead of the movement to provide protection. Cars or engines must not be shoved until the engineer knows who is protecting the point of the movement, and how protection will be provided. Cars or engines must not be shoved to block other tracks until it is safe to do so.
• Brothers and Sisters. Recent events bring this rule to the forefront. A crew, including the engineer has been found responsible for a sideswipe. The engineer has been found in violation of GCOR rule 6.5, because he failed to ascertain WHO was watching the shove, and HOW they were doing it.

In order to comply with GCOR rule 6.5, before any shove of any kind is made, you must:

1. Verbally ask who is watching the shove.
2. Verbally ask how this protection is being provided.
3. Verbally require car counts, remembering to stop in half the range specified, unless further instructions are received.
4. Empower yourself if the above conditions are not provided. 

Remember that the next investigation may be yours.