Bringing Back Conductors

[westing]

After two incidents with doors lately, the union is once again stressing the need for conductors. This brings up a few question.

With the current configuration of the cabs, is it possible to have a conductor open/close the doors from a cab mid-way down the train? If this was possible it would be less than idea seeing how the conductor would be crammed inside a cab just as isolated from the riders and the operator.

I think it might be a good idea to have conductors back again to aid in helping customers, speeding operations, and preventing door issues but I know the CTA would never have the money for it. Perhaps they could be brought back during rush hours on busy lines if the aforementioned arrangement could be made. I have seen in the past an extra operator on Brown line trains that opens the doors on the opposite side of the normal operator but seeing how this only has a reduced station idle time, I don't think its worth it.

What are everyone's thoughts?

[Busjack]

With respect to cars under 3201, they took out the control boxes that used to be on the side walls on the B end of the odd numbered cars, and had two levers. Originally a smaller box with only one lever was installed at the front of the train, thus at least disabling the ability to open only half the doors in a consist. The last time I got a good look at that was while they were using "police tape" to demarcate the operator's area. I'm not sure, after the cabs were expanded, whether the two lever boxes were moved and placed into the cabs.

Each cab has a control, so it might theoretically be possible to, say, use the control in the cab in the 5th car to open the whole train. Don't know if that actually can be done.

Television monitors in some stations (primarily along the O'Hare branch) are supposedly so the operator can see televised images of the rest of the train's doors.

To, me, though, the immediate question is whether safety devices on the doors work, in that the indications in the press are that they don't.

[sw4400]

To, me, though, the immediate question is whether safety devices on the doors work, in that the indications in the press are that they don't.

I agree with you, Busjack. But I don't agree with the Union President wanting all railcars over 25 years(models built through years 1969-1983, or all the 2200-Series Budds, 2400-Series Boeing-Vertols, and 1/3 or the 2600-Series Budds, pulled for inspection or altogether, as the NABI's were. I don't think the remaining 2/3'rds of the 2600-Series Budds and the 3200-Series Morrison-Knudsens can cover the Blue, Red, Brown, Orange, Green, Purple, Yellow, and Pink Lines until the inspections are complete... We only got four 5000-Series Bombadiers, and I wouldn't trust them in revenue service until after a test in Chicago Winter.

[jacksone44]

Does the union really think they can bring back conductors in a recession? I have never been a fan of unions, and I have tons of family members in the UAW, TWU, and BLE.

[jajuan]

Does the union really think they can bring back conductors in a recession? I have never been a fan of unions, and I have tons of family members in the UAW, TWU, and BLE.

I don't think it's unions themselves that are a problem per se. It's when you have unions headed by fat egos that obstruct any since of the union being effective in protecting it's members interests that creates the problem. Don't forget it's because of labor unions that we have 40 hour work weeks and jobs where you get over time for working beyond that 40 hour standard or compensations that go beyond base pay like health benefits, such as they are in thi economy. Not to mention federal and state labor laws to keep employers from cheating their employees

[Busjack]

I'm not going into the unions per se, except to the extent I did in the Concessions topic.

More interesting, though, is sw's take. The cars needing inspection and maybe adjustment is one thing, but taking most of the fleet out of service to do so (and Kelly stated that in the article) would, in effect, give Kelly the disruption he apparently wants, without the union calling a strike. The article's reference to 25 year old cars seemed only descriptive of the 2600 series, and it was not stated that Kelly's remarks were limited to them. As the article also mentions, the rubber strips were replaced in 2008, and the 3200s are older than that.

Also, as Hilkevitch has done again, and sw brought to light, the 2600s may be among the oldest cars, but certainly not older than the 2200s and 2400s.