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May 12. The dispatcher had been employed by the SP for almost 10 years and had held positions as yard clerk and interlocking operator before being promoted to the position of dispatcher on November 19, 1988.
The assistant chief train dispatcher, who arranged the locomotive units for the movement of Extra 7551 East, worked a regular shift of 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., 5 days a week. He had been off duty for 16 hours before reporting for duty on the evening of May 11. The assistant chief dispatcher was employed by the SP in July of 1970. He held various positions including freight clerk, yard clerk, and train order operator until being promoted to the position of train dispatcher in 1973. He was promoted to chief train dispatcher in August 1975, resigned voluntarily from that position in September 1977, and returned to the position of train dispatcher in Los Angeles until April 1983. At that time, he exercised his seniority options and returned to Bakersfield as a crew dispatcher and worked in that capacity until 1985, when he returned to the train dispatcher position. His last examination on the operating rules was conducted in 1985.
Calnev Pipeline Dispatcher.--The dispatcher on duty at the time of the pipeline rupture had been employed with the Calnev Pipe Line Company since October 3, 1988. He was hired as a pipeline operator, which includes serving as a relief dispatcher. He was performing the duties of relief dispatcher at the time of the accident.
According to the dispatcher, the day of the pipeline rupture was the third day of his work week; he had finished his last shift at 3:00 p.m. the preceding day. On the day of the rupture, he reported for work at 6:45 a.m. He reported the following information: He had been receiving his usual amount of rest and was properly rested when he reported for duty. He was not taking any medication on the day of the pipeline rupture, had not consumed alcohol the day before the rupture, and he does not "involve himself" with illicit drugs.
The dispatcher had been employed previously with the Paramount Petroleum Corporation for 10 years, during which time he served as a pumper-pipeline operator, a laboratory technician,"and a crude oil unit operator.
(Additional personnel information is in Appendix B.)
Southern Pacific Training Programs
Engineer Training Program.--Trainees for the engineer training program were selected from employee applications with preferential treatment given to those applications submitted by United Transportation Union (UTU) members-- brakemen, switchmen, and hostlers--because of existing labor agreements between the SP and the UTU. Those trainees selected initially entered a 4-week formal training program during which preliminary air brake, mechanical, locomotive, and operating rules are covered both in the classroom and in the field. The class size for the program normally consisted of 10 trainees. If the trainees successfully completed examinations midway and at the end of the 4-week period, they then progressed to the next stage, which consisted of making 60 road trips with a qualified engineer. A trainee was
