A crew car is a railway car equipped with sleeping quarters, dining facilities, and a living room for train crews on long-distance travel. It serves as a portable bunk for crew members and allows for a fresher, more alert crew. Federal regulations govern how long a train crew can work without a break, and in countries like Australia, a new crew can be transported with the train. Most freight trains place the crew car a short distance from the locomotive to give members a sense of separation when off duty.
A crew car is a type of railway car specially equipped and used by railway crews on long-distance rail travel. Equipped with sleeping quarters, dining facilities and a living room, the crew car is a place for the train crew to relax when they are not working. A typical crew car will be a converted passenger coach and is often equipped with its own generator, laundry facilities, showers and air conditioning units. The crew car serves as a portable bunk for crew members when the train is on extended travel between cities or facilities.
Federal regulations in most countries govern how long a train crew can work without a break. In the United States, when that time is reached, the crew is said to have “died.” The train must stop and await the arrival of a relief team before the train can move. Often the train sits within sight of its destination, but is unable to stop until the relief crew arrives. This can sometimes take hours of waiting while the “dead” crew sit idle on the train.
In countries like Australia, where there are vast stretches of open rail between cities, a crew car allows a new crew to be transported with the train. Once the main crew reaches the time limit allowed for a working day, the train stops and the crews switch places. The new crew take over the operational duties of the train while the tired crew relax in the crew car. The tired crew can shower, wash clothes and eat before going to sleep in a clean bunk. For the railway, this is a much more cost-effective method than trying to build a bunk house on the empty field to house the crews.
Most freight trains place the crew car a short distance from the locomotive to give members a sense of separation when off duty. This eliminates some of the noise and distractions associated with a diesel locomotive and allows the crew to relax and try to enjoy a little down time while continuing down the tracks. The advantage of including a crew car in the train composition is having a fresher, more alert crew that can operate the train with fewer accidents and injuries. This addition also eliminates any extended downtime while waiting for a rescue team.
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