Association of American Railroads

(2) Reserve Augmentation. Some activities use reservists to augment the railroad.

This program of reserve augmentation benefits both the activity (it gets additional personnel) and

the reservists (they get valuable hands-on training). However, Installation Commanders shall

actively manage the program to ensure that reservists can provide support without creating safety

concerns. Examples include: developing and documenting an on-the-job training program for

each of the specialties in which the reservists work; not allowing reservists to perform a particular

task without proper supervision until they have demonstrated competency; ensuring that reservists

have the proper certification and licensing; maintaining informal records of their tours and

performance so that additional training, if needed, can be provided during their next tour of duty;

etc.

(3) New or Changing Missions. Installation Commanders shall conduct an analysis of

how any mission or mission changes will affect the railroad prior to assumption of the new

mission. Changes in railroad operations, equipment, and facilities shall be made when the analysis

shows that safety has been negatively affected.

(4) Reorganizations. Reorganizations have occurred at some activities. Railroad

operations may have been retained by the activity, but track maintenance and locomotive/railcar

maintenance have been moved to other organizations resulting in the creation of new lines of

management authority and responsibility. New lines of authority and responsibility make the

railroad difficult to manage as a system, and loss of control is possible. Installation Commanders

shall remain constantly alert to keep communications from becoming confused or non-existent.

Installation Commanders shall ensure that organizations, responsible for different aspects of the

railroad, have well defined processes for communicating with each other. Installation

Commanders shall also ensure each organization thoroughly understands each process. Examples

of these processes include but are not limited to: requests for locomotive, railcar, and track

maintenance; notification of out of service track; notification of times and locations for track

maintenance; requests for railcar spotting; mishap reporting, etc.

(5) Contracting. In some cases, the railroad operation or one or more of its aspects

(track repair, locomotive or car repair, etc.) are contracted to a commercial concern. Installation

Commanders or those responsible for contracting out railroad operations shall ensure that safety

is a part of the contract and that communications among and between the railroad operators, the

users of the railroad, and other installation personnel who interface with the railroad remain open.

c. Association of American Railroads. Installations, in recognizing the importance of

their local railroad operating directives, have sometimes based them on the "The Standard Code

of Operating Rules" published by the Association of American Railroads. This manual is an

excellent source of information because it contains the collective wisdom and experience of the

commercial rail industry operating in the private sector. Many activities in writing their railroad

operations manual have quoted the rule designation (letter or number) instead of the actual rule.

Frequently, the original rules have been forgotten; and no one remembers the rules for which the

designations stood. Installation Commanders are encouraged to use the "The Standard Code of

Operating Rules" in writing their local railroad operating directive and shall quote the rule instead

of the number/letter designation.

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