Terminal Manager Pilot Program Announcement

[conductor_cronk]

For Immediate Release 02/04/2021 20:00 CST:

Dear HighBall Run8 Members:

The staff have recently implemented a new Terminal Manager Pilot Program with several new “Terminal Manager” positions that will help assist staff in streamlining yard and local operations on the Southeast Server. These are NOT staff positions, and Terminal Manager positions will be filled by members that the staff feel are competent in yard and local operations on various portions of the server, as well as are in goodstanding with the HighBall Run8 Membership and Staff. These members have shown that they are responsible and demonstrate good leadership skills and are able to effectively delegate tasks to crews in yard and local operations.

The following Terminal Manager Positions have been created, along with their respective appointees:

Waycross Terminal – Waycross Yard south to Moncrief Yard
~ Mike

Jacksonville Terminal – Jax Ramp Yard, Moncrief Yard and vicinity south to Bostwick Generating Station.
~ CNDRAdam

Orlando Terminal – Bostwick Generating Station south to Stanton Connection and all associated yards.
~ Jake
~ Blake

** A list of TM's and their territories may be found in TeamSpeak by clicking on the “Terminal Manager” channel and looking in the right-hand column of TeamSpeak.**

All crews working in Yard and Local/Road Switcher Service in these respective areas will report directly to the designated Terminal Manager. Terminal Managers are in charge of their respective Yards and Locals while they are both on and off-line. Other members may still act as Yardmaster while Terminal Managers are away or on-line. However, Terminal Managers can, at any time, take over Yardmaster duties while another member is currently acting as Yardmaster if the Terminal Manager deems that said Yardmaster is not doing a sufficient job at operating the Hump or handling inbound or outbound trains.

A Terminal Manager may ask a member who is running a local to pause their work, or perform their work in a different or specific manner. Terminal Managers may also give instruction as to where in an industry track local cars are to be spotted. In extreme cases, Terminal Managers may also ask a player to relinquish a Local or Road Switcher if he or she feels that the person operating the job isn't performing their work in an efficient manner, or is operating in a way that might corrupt or delete the customer cars. In these scenarios, Staff will examine the situation and make a final determination on the correct course of action or discipline (if any is required) to be taken. Terminal Managers are NOT to be rude, or otherwise discourteous to members in the execution of their duties. TM's will report directly to staff, and bring forward any issues with Yard or Local operating practices that might arise. TM's will also bring any issues with members causing problems on their territory to the attention of staff, and we will deal with these people accordingly. TM's may create and distribute local guides and playbooks for their various yards and locals which will be distributed to members via the Staff, and on the HighBall Run8 website.

We look forward to working with these new Terminal Manager positions, and we ask for everyone's cooperation as we implement these new positions. We feel that these new positions will streamline operating practices and make the delivery of trains and customer cars much more efficient throughout the server. It should be noted that this pilot program is currently only being implemented on our Southeast Server. If all goes well, we as staff members will look into implementing this Pilot Program on our Southwest Division Server. On an unrelated note: at this time we are also implementing a maximum train length restriction of 9,000' south of CP St. Johns. This is in an effort to reduce workload on the server machine and to avoid massive backups in single track territory. Thank you all for your cooperation!

Respectfully:

~ Highball Run8 Staff