What type of dealings have the people here had with F.R.A. ? Good,bad, or otherwise. Does anyone know of a historical operation being fined? I've heard of a locomotive being pulled out of service. My dealings have been good so far, but we have board members that live in fear of the F.R.A. person jumping out of the woods in Camo, and writing out thousands of dollars in fines. LOL My dealings have been very educational and friendly. The only thing they seem to care about is safety! Gee I think that's the first thing we all should care the most about.

irss@eriecoast.com

> What type of dealings have the people here
> had with F.R.A. ? Good,bad, or otherwise.
> Does anyone know of a historical operation
> being fined? I've heard of a locomotive
> being pulled out of service. My dealings
> have been good so far, but we have board
> members that live in fear of the F.R.A.
> person jumping out of the woods in Camo, and
> writing out thousands of dollars in fines.
> LOL My dealings have been very educational
> and friendly. The only thing they seem to
> care about is safety! Gee I think that's the
> first thing we all should care the most
> about.

I can honestly say that as an operator and manager of short lines,I have had no problems with the FRA. Working with steam,I can also say that I have had no problems with the FRA.

All the inspectors I have dealt with over the years have been rather helpful and informative on what needed to be done,then I exceeded thier expectations. It also helps to be forthright with anything an inspector might find,and tell him/her of possible problems BEFORE he/she finds them.Also if you have a known problem,make a plan ready to fix the problem,and always invite the inspector to view hydros,fire-ups,and even actual operation.

If an inspector tells you to fix something,make no excuses..fix it or sideline the locomotive,coach,or whatever it is till it can be repaired.

Make sure you keep up with your paperwork.Saying something is done is not proof enough to the inspector...they need proof that you have done it.
Also make sure your operating and shop crews are knowledable about Hours of Service,boiler maintenance,and daily inspections because an inspector might ask them..and if they don't know,the inspector might just want to spend the whole day with you instead of the two or three hours they had planned to.

If you are doing your best to maintain your equipment,operating rules,and crew training,the FRA inspectors I have dealt with have been very fair. It's when you try to deceive them or defy them that trouble comes for an operation.

kbcotton@flash.net

New Hope Valley 17 just passed her first FRA inspection with no problems and some very helpful advice from our inspector. He also furnished us with a short "punch list" of minor jobs or alterations. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive provided an honest and open approach is maintained along with an evident commitment to safe operation.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

> New Hope Valley 17 just passed her first FRA
> inspection with no problems and some very
> helpful advice from our inspector. He also
> furnished us with a short "punch
> list" of minor jobs or alterations.

I'd like to echo the comments above. Like many "Final Exams" we may face in our lives, at times I sense a fear of the FRA inspector. In my non-railroad experience any time I feared for an exam it was because I was unprepared. In today's world of museum/excursion or shortline steam operation, I think it is foolish to approach the FRA regulations as anything other than the baseline for operations.- Whether or not their jurisdiction directly applies as the law is written. These rules, as unpalatable to the romantic steam lover as they may appear at times, are "written in blood", as one of our members who works for a "Real Railroad" reminds us. Folks need to consider the implications upon others of your actions, steam or diesel. Are you a marginal operator as defined by FRA regs ? Being able to speak knowledegably to the regs and how you have or are going to comply with a credible plan is paramount. And not to mention that that any dunce or "strunz" with an ounce of self preservation wont want to be near or operate unsafe machinery.
Make no bones about it, the regs as they stand are not a panacea, but folks should take responsibility to understand them and make a genuine attempt to engage in a dialogue with their FRA representative as to their own situation and compliance. Pretty reasonable in my view...

Bill Conklln

staybolt@bellsouth.net

The FRA declaired the Fort Collins Municipal Railway non insular and began inspecting it about 8 years ago. So far they have never found a problem with either our ROW or equippment. They did write us up a few years ago however for not filing an accident report monthly despite the fact we had no accidents to report. We have since complied with their request and send them a monthly accident report that either says "no operation" or "no reportable accidents". They have been happy ever since.
Roger Mitchell
Master Mechanic
Fort Collins Municipal Railway


n0mcr@netzero.net

This is an OSHA story, for which I apologise, but I think there are a lot of parallels to be drawn from it.

I once worked at this convenience store (where doesn't matter), One day we got in a new assistant manager, older fellow, and REAL gung ho about safety rules. I was scheduled to work with him one slow Sunday and he told me a story.

He had been the owner of a multi-million dollar construction outfit. The Osha inspectors always like to pop in on construction sites, announced, and sometimes not. They'd usually stay for an hour, leave a few suggestions for improvements and go on their way.

Well one Monday this fellow was having a the morning from he!!. He'd had a fight with his wife, some kids had broken in the site over the weekend and broke a buncha windows, a load of supplies hadn't yet arrived...., then the phone rang, and while reaching to answer it he dumped his coffee in his lap. You guessed it...The caller was the foreman from the site telling him an OSHA inspector was there and wanted to take a look around.

Well, as he admitted, he then made the DUMBEST mistake of his life. He growled into the phone "Tell him to get a f#@&ing warrant!" and hung up.
The inspector went, and was back within an hour with a warrant.

It only took OSHA 3 months of "nuisance" fines over every little item (no more lists for improvements) to bankrupt the company.

Anyone worth his salt remembers how they made their first million. Many do it all over again. Take his story with a grain of some.


ISPWR
wyld@sbcglobal.net