BLE Ergonomics Committee Meets With NJ Transit Again

BLE Ergonomics Committee Meets With NJ Transit Again

Your BLE Ergonomics Committee met with the company on March 27th to discuss the new PL42AC diesel locomotives that are being built by Alstom as well as other items of interest to engineers.

Members present at the meeting were:
Bob Daniels, Chairman
Steve Kay, Div 272
Bill Guimes, Div 171
Charlie Donnarumma, Div 373
Sandy Shelton, Div 373
Bill Craven, Div 53

Of first order were the items brought up in our meeting with Alstom's engineers in Hornell this winter. To our amazement almost everything we asked for was granted:

1. The holder for the reverser will have an open basket bottom so that it will not collect ashes and other small debris.
2. The trash can will be designed for a plastic garbage bag to (hopefully) encourage the cleaners to empty it every day.
3. Tinted side windows.
4. The modulated horn valve will be turned so that it can be pulled toward the engineer.
5. The three foot pedals will be placed as far forward as possible to increase leg room.
The well for the engineer's legs cannot be enlarged more than what will be delivered due to collision post placement.
6. A standard sized locomotive mirror will be attached to the side windows. This was our choice over a much smaller mirror.
7. The control console will be covered with a textured, no glare, covering which should substantially reduce reflections off the windshield.
8. Placement of the Radio/PA system.
While we asked that a remote radio mike and Radio/PA/IC buttons be placed on the right side of the control stand like the Comet IV cab cars Alstom said they could only give us the PA/IC on the right side. The radio will stay on the left side as in the diagram. The position of the radio is similar to it's placement on the ALP-46s. There will be a handset next to the engineer for those with short arms.
9. Switch labels are to be lighted and, as all instrument lights, are dimmable with a rheostat dimmer control. The labels will also be photo luminescent (they will glow in the dark).
10. Like the ALP-46s the sanders will have a built in timer which will be adjustable in the computer software. After much discussion with the mechanical people I still don't understand why the sanders have to be timed when they are activated by a spring loaded switch. The mechanical people, as well as the Alstom engineers, say it is to save sand. Quite frankly, if you are going to save anything, save Maple Leaf gold coins or your aunt Millie's silver tea service, even SAVE THE WHALES but forget about saving sand! Sand does no one any good if it is still in the box. Sand is only effective when it is being crushed between the wheels and the rail. If the adhesion system on the PL42ACs is anything like the ALPs, sanding on dry rail will be common.
11. Horn placement on the new locomotives.
This subject was brought up at the meeting and it was suggested by the committee that the horns be placed in the middle of the long hood to further reduce noise in the cab. Also placing the horns over the exhaust manifold would reduce the chances of the horns accumulating snow and freezing in the winter. Below are examples of horns placed in the middle of the long hood on modern GE locomotives of the Norfolk Southern and Burlington Northern/Santa Fe railroads. Even with structures placed in front of the horns they still meet the FRA's decibel requirements. Ladies and gentlemen, if you look around you will see that nobody is building new locomotives with the horns over the cab.

Horn placement update(7-10-03): Alstom has answered our request for placing the horns near the exhaust stack to reduce the noise levels in the cab and to possibly alleviate the problems of horn freeze up in the winter. Besides the fact that the sheet metal has already been fabricated and the changes would necessitate scrapping those roof hatch sections they also said that the horns would have to be louder than those already chosen to meet the decibel levels mandated by the FRA. Further they say that the modulating valve would have to be replaced by a desk mounted horn button or foot valve much as we have in the ALPs. They claim that those horn buttons are not popular with the engineers on the freight railroads.

Their recommendation is that the horn placement be left as designed.

Picture used with permission

This is the PL42AC control stand as we expect it to look when delivered. The colors are for illustration only and will not be the colors of the actual control stand (we hope!).

Other items that were discussed were:
1. The USSC height adjustment levers need to be turned do they don't catch a pant leg and trip the engineer when getting in and out of the seat.
The mechanical department said they were turning the bases for the seat 180 degrees and that should solve the problem.
2. The seats in the MUs.
The rebuild of the MUs has been set back at least to the year 2004. This is due to the overhaul program for the Comet IIs and the delivery of the Comet Vs. When rebuilt the seats will be improved.
3. Wheel slip and handbrake alarms on the Comet IV and Comet V cab cars.
I am continually making what I believe to be a reasoned although perhaps a somewhat strident appeal for a solution to the problem of these raucous alarms to anyone I can buttonhole in the mechanical department. Its like talking to a Gerbil. These people just don't get it.
4. Toilet retention tanks in the Comet IVs overflowing at station stops. Cab cars having to be closed off due to overflowing toilets yet the engineer still has to run the train from the cab car.
The committee was told that the Comet IV retention tanks are being swapped out on a 180 day rotation. The program has just started so we will continue to sense an odor of effluent until the program get to all the cars in the fleet. The problems with the other Comet car toilets is being addressed. We will see.
5. 955s.
A new policy for filling out 955 forms may be in the works. Stay tuned. It should get better.
6. Noisy and leaking A/C units in the ALPs and diesels.
The committee members complained about the loud noises from the A/C units and the fact that some only had an on and off switch. We talked about the water leaks, the drain hoses that don't drain and when they do drain in the Alps the water runs in the side window when the engineer applies the brakes. Copious notes were taken by management. Hope for an improvement but don't hold your breath.
7. The problems of missing weatherstripping and the mechanical department's lack of concern about replacing worn or missing weatherstripping.
Notes were taken, no promises were given.
8. Non-working windshield wipers signed off as working.
A major problem with the mechanical forces signing off on an ME-10 when the machinist knows the windshield wiper is worn, broken, or just plain not working.

The one bright point of the meeting is John Rutkowski, the new head of the forces at the MMC. He comes up from the ranks and seems open to suggestions and ready to work with the engineers. We have his phone number and email address and were invited to call him directly if a problem persist.
Don't worry John, we will.

Steve Kay, Ergo Committee

Return to the Division 272 web site