Central Railway July, 2006 V2N7 Phone: 613-260-9669 z Fax: 613-260-9494

TWO-DAY CHTR TRAINING SESSIONS

WRAP UP

Classroom and ‘hands on’ a great success

Following weeks of preparation, the Canadian Heartland Training Railway stopped in Ottawa August 23 and 24. The busy agenda covered a variety of safety and operational issues, policies and procedures. “It’s all about combining classroom and practical application” says Ottawa Central Railway’s James Wally Weart sends along this photo of a wayward H3 and a stopped freight on August 12 at the Allen. “It’s an excellent program.” entrance of UP’s tunnel 21near Auburn, California’s Nevada Station. With tires flattened, the SUV became wedged in the tunnel entrance. Police suspected the H3 was stolen – who would drive The group gathered for their first their own Hummer into a tunnel wall? round of meetings on August 23rd at (Info courtesy Wally Weart) the VIA Rail Station. By noon, the group had made its way back to OCR Background offices for the afternoon sessions. CHTR – A VITAL SERVICE FOR See CHTR page 7 RAIL TRAINING, SAFETY & OPERATIONS

employment experience or seasoned What is the Canadian Heartland employees requiring updating or re- Training Railway (CHTR)? certification.

Federally incorporated, the CHTR

supports the practical training needs See CHTR Background, Page 2

of the railway industry in Canada and Inside this issue of world-wide. Services are provided on The Spareboard a fee basis to its membership and to third parties. The CHTR builds • Backtrack Pg 2 • “Fern’s” Rule Pg 3

expertise through practical application. • From the Dining Car Pg 3

• Safety Rule Pg 4 What kinds of training will the • Incidents/Accidents Pg 4 CHTR offer? • Performance Indicators Pg 5 & 8 • Birthdays/Anniversaries Pg 6 CHTR’s training services include • Steele Rail by Don Steele Pg 7 railway operations such as locomotive • From “The Corner Office” Pg 8

and crew operations, along with track, Photo: Ian McCord freight car and locomotive maintenance. Back to school! Page 6 Journalist Alex Binkley (L) and CHTR trainer And, Wally Weart’s special feature Brent Cheek review track inspection Training is geared to the needs of techniques and procedures with attendee, participants whether they are new to in RAILFAN & RAILROAD Jasmine Martin from the Canadian the industry needing practical pre- See page 7 Transportation Agency.

Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 2

were simply opened for business on A Big “Thanks” from

June 1, 1912. our corporate cousins! By Dave Watts For the next 54 years, the Union Station served countless thousands. -----Original Message----- Following French city planner Jacques THE GRAND TRUNK From: Brian Lavigne Greber’s master plan to remove rail To: Luc Larose; James Allen; Jerry UNION STATION - lines from the downtown core, a new Kelly; Roy Murray facility was opened in the summer of CC: Jean-Pierre Ouellet; Marc OTTAWA 1966 on Terminal Avenue in Ottawa’s Laliberte; Gilles Richard Alta Vista area. Sent: Tue Aug 08 13:14:04 2006 With the phenomenal growth of The Union Station now serves as Subject: Tests 1868. rail as the preferred method of the Government of Canada moving goods and people in the late conference Centre. Hi. 19th century, plans were laid for a I would like to thank the mechanical and massive new hotel and passenger rail “Backtrack is a regular feature in transportation departments at OCRR for station in downtown Ottawa. The Spareboard” their collaboration during the testing of the NBEC 1868 on Aug 7. Through the Ottawa Terminals Railway Company, formed in 1907, construction planning was underway. HAYS’ LEGACY TO LIVE ( Roy,Jerry,Mathieu,Claude ) A French gothic style hotel would be ON IN QUEBEC The tests performed yesterday would of constructed on the north side of not been possible without there help. Wellington. Immediately across the RAILWAY MUSEUM street, the equally magnificent Grand Thanks again. Trunk Union Station. Items once owned by Charles Brian Lavigne Shortly after construction of the Melville Hays have been given to the Quebec Railway Corporation hotel and station was underway by the railway museum in St-Constant, QC System Coordinator by his great-granddaughter. , company Engineering/Mechanicl/Purchasing president Charles Melville Hayes ran The donation, made August 2nd, Tel.: 514-982-0927 into controversy with the City of commemorated the 150th anniversary

Ottawa over the Railway’s cost-cutting of the U.S.-born railroader’s birth. crossings nationwide. initiatives. The project had been As noted in “Backtrack”, Hays Allocated through Transport approved based on a $2.5 million built the Chateau Laurier Hotel and Canada’s grade crossing improvement expenditure; Hays proceeded with a the Grand Trunk Union Station in program, the funds will offset up to scaled down version without an Ottawa. 80 percent of the costs to install explanation. He also built the Fort Garry hotel flashing lights and gates, link crossing in Winnipeg and was president of the Sir Wilfred Laurier and the Liberal signals to nearby traffic lights, modify government of the day were avid Grand Trunk Railway. operating circuits, or install new (National Post/RAC) supporters of the project; the hotel circuits or timing devices. was ultimately named in Laurier’s During the past decade, the honour. Both the hotel and Grand program has provided more than $100

Trunk Union Station were slated to Canadian government million for crossing improvements. host a grand opening celebration on (Daily Rail News) April 26, 1912. earmarks more than $11 It never happened. million for crossing CHTR Background from Page 1 On his way back to Ottawa from improvements The training can be tailored Britain for the Grand Opening, Charles Melville Hays perished in the specific to the needs of the In late July, the Canadian North Atlantic with the sinking of the participant such as Industrial government announced it will provide Railway Operations, Shortlines or White Star Liner, R.M.S. . more than $11.4 million to help fund Class 1 Railways. The doors of the hotel and station safety improvements at 115 grade Info courtesy www.chtr.ca

Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 3

OCR’S LUC LAROSE TO The meeting will be held at the REPRESENT CFQ AT RAC VIA headquarters in Montreal.

SECURITY SESSIONS

+ The next RAC Security WG

security meeting will be held on th September 27 and OCR’s Luc Larose will represent CFQ. The sessions include a workshop (September, 2006) facilitated by Transport Canada and will deal with the principles of 121. POSITIVE “Security Management Systems”. IDENTIFICATION Other government agencies are

being invited to provide updates on (a) The person initiating a OCR’s Luc Larose represents CFQ at their security initiatives as well. the RAC September Security meetings. radio communication

and the responding

party must establish

positive identification.

(b) The person initiating the radio Committee Salad communication must end the initial call with Dressing: the spoken word, "OVER." 1/2 cup oil There are a number of similar versions of 3 tbsp red wine vinegar this salad around. This one is excellent (c) Each party to a radio 1 tbsp lemon juice with any meal. It’s particularly nice with 2 tsp sugar BBQ’d chicken or beef. communication must 1/2 tsp salt end their final 1/2 tsp dry mustard transmission with the 1 garlic clove, crushed

spoken word "OUT." Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, shake to blend.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTION Salad: – Rule 121 2 tbsp butter 1) When establishing positive 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, shelled 1/2 cup slivered almonds identification, the initial broadcast must commence Heat butter in frying pan and sauté sunflower seeds and almonds until golden brown with the Company initial's initiating the call. E.g. CFMG 1 head leaf lettuce 2 green onions, finely chopped 6900 west, NBEC 6900 west , 1-10 oz can mandarin oranges, drained (2 fresh mandarins are even better) CBC 6900 west. 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

Prepare remaining ingredients. Add cooled seeds and almonds Fern’s Rule of the Month is a regular feature in “The Toss with dressing just before serving. Spareboard”

Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 4 Ottawa Central Railway

2006 Incidents/Accidents through July

July July FIN FIN FIN FIN FIN 2006 2005 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Main Track Accidents* 0 3 4 0 2 0 1 July TOT TOT TOT TOT TOT

2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Non-Main Track Accidents* 6 5 10 9 11 6 8 Human Factor 0 4 3 5 3 4 Ice & Snow 1 0 0 0 1 1 Track Crossing Accidents 1 1 1 2 2 4 2 Conditions 2 1 1 0 1 1 Vandalism 1 0 0 0 0 1 Trespassing Incidents 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 Equipment 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd Party 2 5 5 6 1 1 Employee Injuries* 0 2 3 2 5 8 0 Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 10 9 11 6 8 Cardinal Rule Violations 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 (Volume 5) Hyrail Accidents 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 DID YOU KNOW, THAT…

Vehicule Accidents 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World TOTAL 7 12 20 15 21 19 19 War II were made of wood. 2. A tiny amount of liquor on a Other 3 3 8 20 13 12 0 scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death. 3. Celery has negative calories! It

takes more calories to eat a piece * An OCR of celery than the celery has in it Safety Rule! employee is to begin with. It's the same with picked at random each apples! Bernie Seguin selected the OCR month to 4. Guinness Book of Records holds Safety Rule of the Month* select a the record for being the book “Safety Rule”. most often stolen from Public Rule 126 Libraries. OCR’s Bernie Seguin In addition to the restrictions in

Rules 14 and 602, radio must not be used to; Watch for OCR in the fall edition of the RAC’s (i) give advance information “Interchange” magazine! with respect to the indication of a fixed signal; or A reminder to visit the RAC’s website often for interesting and informative (ii) give information which may industry news and info. influence a crew to consider that speed restrictions are diminished. Visit www.railcan.ca

Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 5

Our Mission: Grow profitably while becoming our Basis of the Mission: customer's preferred supplier of To make a significant contribution to our transportation logistics services to help customer’s commercial success by providing safe, J uly, 2006 them meet the needs of their own efficient and cost-effective transportation customers. logistics services.

Actual Freight revenues/employee ( 000 $ ) Attendance

300 $

250 $ 95.0% 200 $ 150 $ 85.0% 100 $ 50 $ 0 $ 75.0% OC R CFC CFMG CBC NBEC COGE SCR OCR CFC CFMG CBC NBEC COGE SCR

Cum 2006 234 $ 220 $ 269 $ 92 $ 234 $ 237 $ 176 $ Cum 2006 96.9% 95.8% 89.4% 77.5% 93.8% 93.7% 93.6% Bud 2006 210 $ 155 $ 250 $ 85 $ 235 $ 220 $ 165 $ Bud 2006 97.0% 93.0% 90.0% 90.0% 93.0% 95.0% 94.0% 2005 204 $ 151 $ 228 $ 109 $ 190 $ 220 $ 158 $ 2005 98.2% 92.9% 85.5% 81.2% 90.4% 96.1% 91.4%

Weekly Car Placements Car cycle ( % Placed / Garanteed ) ( Days ( empty-load))

100.00% 11.00 9.00 90.00% 80.00% 7.00

70.00% 5.00 60.00% 3.00 OCR CFC CFMG CBC NBEC OCR CFC CFMG CBC NBEC Cum 2006 100.00% 97.00% 91.30% 88.10% 92.10% Cum 2006 4.62 4.04 9.35 10.41 8.13 Bud 2006 93.00% 93.00% 93.00% 93.00% 93.00% Bud 2006 4.50 4.50 8.10 8.00 7.80 2005 94.90% 0.00% 93.80% 91.80% 91.40% 2005 5.65 4.66 9.50 9.73 7.99

Fu el Consumption ( GTM/litre ) Ratio - Train Accidents ( # Accidents / Train mile ) X 1M 140.00 115.00 170.0 90.00 120.0

65.00 70.0

40.00 20.0 O C R CFC CFMG CBC NBEC SCR OCR CFC CFMG CBC NBEC SCR

Cum 2006 92.8 7 115.88 131.64 57.00 100.08 76.70 Cum 2006 27.3 160.3 48.1 165.1 23.8 0.0

Bud 2006 99.5 0 130.00 145.00 54.00 100.00 73.00 Bud 2006 32.0 65.0 45.0 100.0 45.0 70.0

88.2 0 136.69 135.31 55.42 86.38 74.90 2005 61.7 67.2 44.8 103.6 73.8 0.0 2005

Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 6

ON THE BIKE From Back to school… • Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how Grannie’s Medicine MAKING THE FIRST short or long the ride. DAY EASIER • Ride on the right, in the Cabinet* same direction as auto traffic. Honey remedy for skin blemishes… • Remind your child that she • Use appropriate hand Cover the blemish with a dab of honey is not the only student who signals. and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey is a bit uneasy about the • Respect traffic lights and kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works first day of school. stop signs. overnight. • Point out the positive • Wear bright color clothing aspects of starting school: to increase visibility. It will be fun. Seeing old • Know the "rules of the The above tip may or may friends and meeting new road." not work! ones. Give it a try! • Find another child in the neighborhood with whom Information courtesy: your youngster can walk to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) *(Claim not necessarily medically school or ride with on the www.aap.org proven) bus. • If you feel it is appropriate, drive or walk your child to school then pick him/her CLEARER up at the end of the first day. COMMUNICATIONS

BACKPACK SAFETY TO CSC

• Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder Bernie Seguin gets the straps and a padded back. • Pack light. Organize the job done backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the Standardizing activity reporting center of the back. The demands a keen eye for detail and top backpack should never notch attention to detail. weigh more than 10 to 20 OCR’s Bernie Seguin was the OCR’s Bernie Seguin coordinated a percent of the student's perfect candidate to help ensure all three week project to instruct all crews body weight. reporting and reported information is on proper reporting procedures. • To avoid muscle strain and potential back issues, assembled and disseminated correctly. always use both shoulder He has just completed a three HAPPY BIRTHDAY! straps. week project at OCR to instruct crews on the proper reporting procedures (Sept) SCHOOL BUS QUICK NOTES when sending information to the CSC Jon McNeil • Wait for the bus to stop (Customer Service Centre). Jacques Gauthier before approaching it from OCR’s Jerry Kelly touched on a the curb. key requirement, “If each railway • Do not move around on the reports their information to CSC in HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! bus. • Check to see that no other the same manner, there will be less Roy Murray - 5 Years

traffic is coming before margin for error.” Josee Ouellette - 2 Years crossing. Kelly added that the input has • Make sure to always been good, “All remarks from the Congratulations from all remain in clear view of the employees at CSC have been very bus driver. positive so far.” your friends at OCR!

Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 7

CHTR from page 1

The first day wound up with an OCR hosted meet and greet reception at the Monterey Resort. The CHTR is an extremely useful forum for practical, pre-employment experience, professionals requiring upgrade, or a learning forum for government. Ottawa attendees included representatives from Transport Canada, Canadian Transportation Agency, Environment Canada, and

Suncor. Photo: Ian McCord The two day CHTR training Regular briefings including this one in front of the Domtar Building were an important part program was orchestrated by Shawn of the CHTR Safety Program. The two day operation was sponsored by the RAC and Smith with assistance from Dave Ottawa Central Railway. Armitage and Brent Cheek. By Don Steele

OCR Featured in September “Railfan & Railroad” Magazine LISTENING AND QUESTIONING

Author/Photographer Wally “..try to find a creative and objective solution to the Weart’s article “The Alcos of problem..” Ottawa” is featured in the September ‘Railfan & Railroad’ During the early 90’s I was asked Either they attack the source of the Magazine. to teach a course at CN Rail entitled threat or become apathetic and In addition to an overview of the Communication Skills for Safety internalize their feelings of frustration. OCR, Weart takes a look at the rail Improvement. This was course given Both of these behaviors lead to displays in the Museum of Science to all local chairmen and supervisors reduced opportunities to fix the and Technology and touches on in the Atlantic region. The courses problem. Ottawa’s O-train. were mixed with both management The article is dressed up with a and union and the goal was trying to Threat ---Fear----Attack/Apathy-- variety of photos from Weart, Ian be better equipped to talk to crews = Reduced Opportunity to fix McCord and others. about safety and rules compliance. problem The course was full of simulation

exercises that dealt with how to be a The way we react is a learned better listener and how to talk to each behavior from our parents or other without acting in a threatening caregivers. If we had a father that way. attacked when threatened, then we During the courses we covered a learn to do the same. If however he Courtesy: concept that had been taken from a just internalized everything until one www.railfan.com book entitled “The Violence Free day this causes an emotional outburst

Society, a Gift for our Children” The or even sickness of some type. author of this book maintained that This author maintained that there

typically when a person feels was another way to deal with a person The September ‘Railfan & Railroad’ threatened by someone they also that acts in a threatening way. captures Ottawa Central Railway via Wally begin to feel fear. When they feel Weart’s feature story, “The Alcos of Ottawa” fear, they react in one of two ways. See Don Steele on Page 8 Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada Page 8 From THE CORNER OFFICE Finally, the CHTR/RAC Training By James Allen Session was a real success. I want to thank all those who participated July, 2006 Revenues for the month of July of including Luc, Jerry, Serge, Roy and $615K were $131K below Budget. We Bernie. Comments from Transport Number of Cars still do not have an agreement with LP Canada, Environment Canada and and the Domtar closing of 2 paper Canadian Transportation Agency 10,500 machines in Ottawa has contributed individuals were extremely positive 10,000 to the negative sales variance. and the questions they asked indicated 9,500 Due to vacations Spareboard is their high level of interest. We will see 9,000 unable to repo rt on Sales more of these sessions in the future. 8,500 opportunities but will do so next Remember to make every day a 8,000 month. safe day. 7,500 2006A 2006B 2005A Expenses were approximately $7K higher than Budget. Incidents/Accidents are well below Re ve nue s last year however unnecessary costs are still being incurred. This is one session. $6,000,000 area we all can play a part in reducing The next day however, he asked to $5,000,000 waste. address the class before we started the $4,000,000 I anticipate our Revenues to be second day session. He began by $3,000,000 lower than Plan for the next few saying that he had spent the evening months so each department and every visiting his sister and had shared with $2,000,000 employee needs to keep your "eye on her the concepts of the previous day. $1,000,000 the ball" and continue our focus on Both of them were having difficulty $0 operating safely and efficiently. with their families and he informed us The summer is fast coming to an 2006A 2006B 2005A that they had grown up in a home end which that means kids are back where both their father and mother "hitting the books" and trespassing attacked as a way to deal with threats. near schools will no doubt be on the He stated that they both realized that “In Box” Top Pick rise. Report any occurrences. We will the behavior they had learned from follow-up with the school principal. their parents were causing unhealthy situations in their own family and now Don Steele from page 7 that they were aware of why, they both were going to make a concerted He stated that when you were effort to deal with things differently. faced with a threat and felt fear, There was total silence in the class instead of attacking or apathetic for a minute and then the course behavior, we should try to find a continued but for the second day this creative and objective solution to the individual participated and we saw problem. That means first of all another side of him that showed a looking at the situation from the other good sense of humour and even a person’s point of view and then trying little warmth. to find a way to deal with it in a I believe that the problems creative way. is published by between people can be fixed. Ottawa Central Railway One of the union participants Whether we have problems with our 3141 Albion Road South taking part in this session was known co-workers or in our family… try to Ottawa, Canada for being a hard-nose individual who be positive and flexible and you’ll see, For more info, comments or story ideas, could be verbally aggressive. He took things can get better! contact Dave Watts via email: in this information but did not mailto:[email protected] participate actively in the training Don Ottawa Central Railway Ottawa, Canada