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It's a shame, really, that the safety of my members, the public and the infrastructure are nothing more than political pawns in the railroads' game of never-ending greed. And it's a shame, frankly, that the railroads manipulate woefully inept individuals – having never meaningfully walked the ballast or performed the myriad tasks of a conductor or engineer from inside the cab of a locomotive – and contributing editors, to carry their water in the hopes of somehow creating a narrative that corporate profit (as compared to safety) is the greater good.
On Tuesday, August 2, Railway Age published an article titled "Biden Promise Fueled FRA NPRM," wherein its author bows to his superiors' bidding and attempts to make the case that data is in their favor. But to do so, he had to sharpshoot for supporting documentation and data, blindly whisking by the plethora of reports and studies that stand as mountains between them and reality, and he had to bend quotes and statements made as if he were some sort of deceitful, abstract performer.
Only in corporate America can a promise of maintaining the safest course be misconstrued to the public as being unethical. In fact, it seems quite ironic that the article's author accuses this Union of being a special interest when the former FRA Administrator broke from the agency's position and capitulated to the railroad executives' pressure by withdrawing the ongoing crew size regulation, only to be defeated in federal court.
The rationale is sound, and the need for regulation is necessary. I find it ridiculous that the author of a book theoretically explaining the purpose and processes of the Railway Labor Act is incapable of comprehending the role of politics in the prioritization of safety and the overall welfare of America's railroad workers.
The Many Omissions of a Man Not Actually from the Industry
Positive Train Control (PTC) is a $15 billion safety overlay system that is incapable of performing the cognitive functions and tasks of a certified conductor. This was identified by FRA in its January 2020 Final Report, Teamwork in Railroad Operations and Implications for New Technology, and its July 2012 Final Report, Cognitive and Collaborative Demands of Freight Conductor Activities: Results and Implications of a Cognitive Task Analysis. Simply put, PTC does not, and cannot perform the functions of an onboard conductor, and it cannot provide the benefits of two human beings working in collaboration inside the cab of a locomotive.
Railroading is a high-risk industry. And like all other high-risk industries, teamwork is the most critical component. Over the last two decades railroads have achieved their safest and richest era because of the two-person crew. Ironically, however, is the industry's failure to record and report its near misses. Unlike aviation, which has had a near-miss reporting system for years, the railroads have fought off FRA's and labor's many attempts to capture the data of accidents that didn't occur because of the actions of a two-person crew. Had that data been collected, the truth of the safety benefits of a two-person crew could have long been made public.
Rightfully, the NPRM seeks to act where collective bargaining cannot. It is an asinine notion to consider that safety should be subject to the chopping block by way of the negotiating table. After all, the FRA's mandate is to "enable the safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods." So why should they suggest that safety somehow be up for negotiation when the gambling of rail workers' lives would clearly be a dereliction of duty, especially when there is no data to support it?
"Another item omitted is the fallacy of the PTC and locomotive technological systems as they exist today. Every day, our members report dozens, if not hundreds, of initial-terminal and en route failures across the nation's rail network. Train crews have literally learned not to depend on its functionality, but rather to anticipate it dropping out."
The Class I industry does not employ a single-person crew concept on any territory. The fact is, there is no data to support or suggest what would happen should a reduction be permitted to occur. Therefore, in the absence of data, the determination (should it happen) to remove a crew member from the cab of a locomotive equates to nothing more than risk.
The author attempts to blur that reality by comparing operations on short-line railroads and one-off situations, but he fails to present in his article that these railroads are much smaller in size, slower in on-track movements, and far less complicated than their big brother counterparts; not to mention that their train consists are vastly shorter and lighter as well.
Another item omitted is the fallacy of the PTC and locomotive technological systems as they exist today. Every day, our members report dozens, if not hundreds, of initial-terminal and en route failures across the nation's rail network. Train crews have literally learned not to depend on its functionality, but rather to anticipate it dropping out. The author offers no viable option for this scenario, but rather pretends to portray the system as absolute, despite having no real-world knowledge. It is because of the two-person crew that this problem has not been exacerbated into catastrophe.
Likewise, PTC also does not account for the growing length of trains. In the railroads' pursuit of the lowest operating ratio, which is nothing more than an industry-created measure to exhibit to Wall Street that a railroad can cut its way to profits, the average length of trains has grown exponentially; a concept the carriers have lovingly embraced. Unfortunately, for the communities in which these railroad properties intersect, derailments and blocked crossings have become a plague to society. By theoretically placing a conductor into a ground-based vehicle, the only known variable that will arise in these instances is that the conductor will most likely not be in place to act in an emergency, much less with any urgency. As it stands, a conductor is readily available on the locomotive to act as a first responder at a moment's notice. A routine that has been proven time and time again.
"To be blunt, this nation's regulatory agencies should not allow corporate entities to self-regulate, as their bottom line obscures the purpose and promise of their mission to keep their employees' work environment safe."
However, should a railroad desire to veer from the safest course, it may attempt to do so through the proposed rule's waiver process, which the author, trying to charm his influencers, portrays as an unfair level of scrutiny and rigged process. His words, which are nothing more than an amplification of the railroads', reek of similarities to Boeing's cries to the FAA years before the 737 Max accidents.
To be blunt, this nation's regulatory agencies should not allow corporate entities to self-regulate, as their bottom line obscures the purpose and promise of their mission to keep their employees' work environment safe. Like eyes following the bouncing ball of karaoke lyrics, rail carriers have proven their willingness to abruptly reverse course in capitulation to outside pressures originating from their hedge fund investors. It is because of this that the NPRM's waiver process is necessary, and is exactly why it must be transparent, rigorous and thorough.
Common sense safety provisions do not stymie or impede future innovation, they protect it, and any assertion to the contrary is absurd. The railroads, like aviation, have realized their greatest advancements in technology with a crew of two at the controls. Now, they want you to believe that the industry that could afford more than $10 billion in stock buybacks last year alone would somehow be hampered by a regulation such as this.
Rest assured, nothing could be further from the truth. And rest assured that it does not require a single-person crew to provide a better quality of life. There is absolutely nothing preventing America's rail carriers from providing its workforce with predictable work schedules, more time at home, increased authority, larger rates of pay and protection against furlough. Yet here we are: three and a half years at the negotiating table and forced to a Presidential Emergency Board because the carriers are unwilling to negotiate the very terms described within the author's article. Let me be clear, quality of life is not a bargaining chip to be used as blackmail against the safety of my members, especially when the carriers have the means and funds to grant it.
The Mystery Argument of Data, Despite the Absence of Actual or Comparable Data
A railroad is not a railroad, but a spade is a spade. As stated earlier, there are no Class I railroad over-the-road single-person crew operations in this nation, and a Class I in comparison to a commuter, Class II or any other designation does not a good argument make.
This country's railroad network is unlike any other in the world. On average, according to Operation Lifesaver, there is a collision between a train and a person or vehicle every three hours. Astonishingly, there is no process to record and/or report the near-misses that didn't occur because of the actions of a two-person crew. As a result, it is unknown just how great of an effect a reduction in crew size could have toward an unwanted increase in these types of accidents. This is important because other foreign countries, as the author referenced as being relevant, do not have the same exposures to the public that we do. Their success, if you will, does not equate to our success, as it may very well result in the detriment to our communities.
Additionally, foreign freight trains are much smaller by comparison. According to a FreightWaves article published April 3, 2019, (U.S. and European freight railroads are on different tracks), "… [U.S.] freight trains are often 3,500 meters (2.175 miles) in length; in western Europe, freight train lengths are closer to 750 meters (less than one-half mile)." Simple physics will tell you that fewer rail cars and lighter tonnage will result in fewer mechanical failures, and the ability to stop in less time and drastically shorter distances. Common sense will also tell you that shorter trains result in fewer blocked crossings.
FRA's January 2020 Final Report, Teamwork in Railroad Operations and Implications for New Technology, states that "[c]onductors also provide several additional cognitive support functions to locomotive engineers that PTC does not provide. These functions include supporting locomotive engineers in monitoring events outside the cab window for potential obstacles and hazards that would not be detected by automated systems (e.g., people working on or around the track; trespasser; cars at grade crossings). They also include filling knowledge gaps that locomotive engineers may have (e.g., knowledge of the territory; appropriate interpretation of operating rules) and supporting decision-making (e.g., where to stop to avoid blocking a grade crossing). Knowledge and decision-making support is especially important in the case of less experienced locomotive engineers. Conductors also serve an important role in handling unanticipated events and keeping the locomotive engineer alert, especially on long monotonous trips where there is a risk of falling asleep."
"The mass exodus of workers in today's railroad industry will have a long-term, adverse effect on the knowledge and skill base of conductors and engineers. Experience cannot be taught in a classroom. It takes years for these workers to hone their craft."
The Class I railroads are currently hemorrhaging experienced, mid-career locomotive engineers and conductors. This has had a devastating impact on the supply chain, and this will have a devastating impact on long-term viability. It is no surprise to us that America's rail shippers have taken to the Surface Transportation Board and the media to speak out against the railroads' greed and inability to provide a quality service.
But this is particularly important, however, considering what the FRA's report had to say above – "[conductors] fill knowledge gaps that locomotive engineers may have and [they] support decision making." The mass exodus of workers in today's railroad industry will have a long-term, adverse effect on the knowledge and skill base of conductors and engineers. Experience cannot be taught in a classroom. It takes years for these workers to hone their craft. PTC does not and cannot account for that, nor can the locomotive's energy management systems. Only can the cognitive and collaborative efforts of teamwork overcome a hurdle as large as this.
Yet, in spite of all this, the Class I railroads are actively pursuing the ability to fast-track single-person crew operations without having vetted or tested a single proven or reliable method of operation, because this is just about the only card they have left to play to lower their operating ratios and to perform one last-ditch act for their audience of demanding shareholders. Like puppets on a string, they are succumbing to outside, misguided pressures.
That is why this regulation is needed, and that is why it's needed with urgency.
As to the author's rambling of data-to-come – the condemnatory flaw can only be found in his rant. FRA's purpose is to prevent unsafe conditions from occurring. By his own admission, the collection of credible data is still being developed. But rather than wait for confirmation, the author proclaims that the agency should throw caution to the wind, like chance in the game of Risk, and allow the railroads to continue their current crew-reduction trajectory, despite, once again, not having any data to support his position. At least with a two-person crew, we know that the safest era in railroading history has been achieved. That is one data point that cannot be manipulated. And that is one data point worthy of protecting.
Similarly, and as stated before, the two-person crew has brought about the richest era in Class I railroading history. The Unions are proud of this fact, and we acknowledge that this is a direct representation of our members' work. So, it is a slap in the face for the author to try so obtusely to make the argument that the railroads would somehow see a negative economic impact when all of the history and data points to the contrary. Ironically, former FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo is criticized in the article for "limit[ing] research to just those sources you want to hear from." Perhaps the man who wrote these words should take a look in the mirror.
The Safest Way
Without question, the author of the Railway Age article has wonderfully performed like a jester for his majesty's court. But in the end, it's nothing more than a shame that he is willing to dance for the railroads as they fill their pockets and turn a deaf ear to my members as they cry out for help.
We do however agree with the author's statement that our predecessor organization did support PTC in the initial stages. We had members that were a part of the FRA RSAC committee tasked with the development and implementation of PTC. During these jointly-held meetings between the FRA, Rail carriers and union craft members, the carriers stated that PTC was a safety overlay system and not a conduit to replace the conductor. Repeatedly they stated PTC's implementation was to enhance safety in an attempt to eliminate, as much as possible, human error. As the safety of our members is paramount, we supported and embraced this technology. Our position did not change until the carriers, in an attempt to find a way to lessen the financial burden of PTC, used their handpicked FRA Administrator, an ex-Rail Carrier CEO, to reverse course and state that PTC could now overcome many known faults and shortcomings and miraculously replace the conductor.
"…the carriers stated that PTC was a safety overlay system and not a conduit to replace the conductor. Repeatedly they stated PTC's implementation was to enhance safety in an attempt to eliminate, as much as possible, human error."
However, that is where the author's accuracy ends, and like most things he has written, the author is wrong. PTC does not take the place of a conductor and it does not support the engineer. If anything, it increases the task load. If the carriers would have followed the RSAC committees' recommendations and placed an operating PTC screen and controls on the conductor's side of the locomotive, it would have reduced the current task overload that has greatly stricken the vast majority of engineers. PTC is extremely user intensive, requiring constant input and manipulation, and it prevents an engineer from being able to observe his/her territory. Since the advent of PTC and its subsequent implementation, the importance of the conductor's role within the cab of a locomotive has never been greater. It was determined that the conductor could verify mandatory directives, handle safety-related tasks such as work authorities and confirm PTC alerts in conjunction with the engineer.
Every single day an accident is prevented because of the actions of a conductor, and every single day that data is not collected. In some cases, it may have been by utilizing the emergency brake that is located on the conductor's side of the locomotive, again correcting the author's error by stating that there are no controls on that side of the locomotive.
In the end, it all comes down to two outcomes. Is the FRA best served protecting and maintaining a crew size that is known to be safe; that is known to be the best model for customer service; that is known to have made the railroads more money than ever; and is known to have a process via the regulation (should it occur) to have a means and method of allowing for the safe and controlled testing of different crew sizes? Or is it best served to risk chance and see what happens with a reduction in crew size that has no measurable baseline for safety; that has no baseline for profit; and has no baseline for customer service?
Obviously, there is only one outcome for which FRA has the legal authority and obligation to act.
As has been said throughout history, the truth will always be brought to light. And you, too, can look that up.
The SMART Transportation Division is comprised of approximately 125,000 active and retired members of the former United Transportation Union, who work in a variety of different crafts, including as bus and commuter rail operators, in the transportation industry.
Follow this link to read this post as a pdf.
Tags Federal Railroad Administration, FRA, Railway Age, Two-person crew NPRM, two-person crews
Brothers and Sisters,
It's time to set the record straight. I am certain many of you have seen the recent anti-labor articles that have been published regarding our recent win in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. That win has apparently struck a raw nerve with the carriers and the minions who eagerly await their master's call. Make no mistake, that decision struck a fatal blow to the carriers' plans to put you on the unemployment line. Rather than accept defeat, their apologists are trying to spin this loss into something that it is not. The long history of crew consist cannot be denied. For decades, we have battled with the carriers over their fevered attempts to cut costs and put your life at risk by down-sizing crews. This current round of negotiations is no different. They sought to eliminate your job and operate trains in perhaps the most dangerous way possible. Standing up for you, that's what this case was about.
They have severely underestimated the fight in each and every one of us; the sheer grit and determination that we have to defend our families, our jobs, and the overall welfare of our co-workers and the general public alike. The truth that these apologists fear to admit is that in this Union, the dues-paying members are the Union — period. There is no divide between the "Union" and the "dues-paying members." There is only a "Union." We stand together now more than ever.
To salve their masters' wounds, those "commentators" try to spin this as union officers protecting their own jobs. They know not of what they speak and their ignorance is evident in the web that they weave. They used nameless sources in an attempt to add credibility to a tall tale that anyone with true insight would know is far from factual. The fact remains that all officers in this newly elected SMART-TD administration are firmly united.
The Railway Labor Act protects agreements from being changed except through the processes provided for in Section 6 of the Act. The carriers had agreed to crew consist provisions years ago. Not only that, but to end the constant battle over crew consist, the carriers also agreed to moratoria provisions that barred any Section 6 Notice over crew consist until the last protected employee voluntarily left service. That event has not yet happened. These are the facts, but they are nowhere to be found in any recounting in the carriers' favored publications. Rather, what you are treated to is the old worn song of the anti-unionist. The apologist who says trust the carriers, they only want what was best for you. Right. The carriers want to give you lifetime protections? At what cost? And when they decide they don't like that deal any more, will they ignore it just like they have tried to ignore our moratoria provisions and put you on the street? These apologists assert that they have some inside scoop, yet I have never witnessed any "commentator" at the bargaining table. They are outsiders.
What else is missing? Acknowledgement of the only thing the carriers care about — their bottom line. Money comes before all else. That is evidenced by the unbelievable lengths they will go to argue that you are paid too much, that your insurance is too expensive, and that they are going broke as a result of the costs of our Agreements. You are the target in their zeal to improve their stock price. That is a sad fact that you will not find in any of those articles.
Another fallacy that is being sold — technology will do everything more safely. That simply is not true. Their technology is fallible. It doesn't work like they wish it would nor as advertised. In fact, it's not a matter of if it will break down, but when. We have collected thousands of Failure Reports across all Class Is and the data is terrifying. Never has the human element been more important in railroad operations. Engineers spend more time with their faces in multiple screens trying to manipulate and interpret the ambiguous systems than they do focusing on the territory ahead. Conductors are relied upon now more than ever, as they are the eyes and ears of the train crew, and we have the stories to prove it.
The articles also attempt to scare you by asserting that the carriers will unilaterally reduce crews at the end of the last-person-standing moratorium. That is not how the Act works. The expiration of the moratoria does not sunset crew consist. Rather, moratoria bar either party from serving a Section 6 notice to amend or change the current Crew Consist Agreements until the last protected employee leaves. Once that happens, then a Section 6 Notice can be served and the long and drawn-out process of the RLA engaged to negotiate the next generation of agreements.
Railroad workers have all been lied to long enough by management, and we can smell lies coming from a mile away.
As a word of advice to Railway Age, I would caution them against living in the past and trying to play SMART-TD against the BLET. We are working closely together in the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition (CBC) in national handling and on the various other disputes that the carriers have forced us into.
Brothers and Sisters, do not be discouraged, and do not be swayed by those with ulterior motives. We are in this fight together, and we are moving forward.
Jeremy Ferguson
President — Transportation Division
Tags crew consist, Railway Age, Railway Labor Act, Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson
Robert Peterson, a BNSF conductor out of Local 951 (Sheridan, Wyo.), questions the cost and need for freight railroads to push into automated technology in an opinion piece published Feb. 12 on the Railway Age website.
Class I freight carriers are thriving with booming profits and record operating ratios, Peterson argues, and are doing so with two people in the cab and by supporting the efforts of crews with newly developed advances in technology.
In addition, he writes, Federal Railroad Administration data shows that the industry as a whole is going through a period of decline in accident rates.
"This data implies an improved safety trend is due in part to current operating rules that utilize two-person train crews and technological safety advances in train operations," he writes.
And, while the fully autonomous Rio Tinto AutoHaul operation has drawn headlines, it cost the company upwards of $900 million, Peterson writes, and this kind of operation may not even be economically feasible in the United States with the differences in terrain, the 140,000 miles of Class I trackage and other considerations, including the type of materials hauled.
"Is the American public ready to gamble lives on a computer-run vs human-run freight train?" Peterson concludes.
Follow this link to read the entire column on the Railway Age website.
Tags autonomous trains, Local 951, Railway Age, Rio Tinto, Robert Peterson


I guess a trip starts in the mind.
Charlotte and I had seen a couple video's of the Achuar – Dream People of the Amazon.
Where most might see a backward, ignorant, prehistoric bunch of anomalies, we saw something quite different. We saw a group of people who have never thought of themselves as separate from the natural world. Through their dreams they awoke to see a threat to their very existence. And they have reached out and asked for help from all of us who can see in what a fragile, dangerous position our way of life has placed the natural world.
So we went to be with them. To understand what it is like to be human consciousness representing the natural world. To really get it about sustainable living. To renew in our deepest place, that sacred connection to the creation.
Getting to their world involves a lot of shifts. We left our hybrid cars and home behind and only took one large and two small bags of belongings with us. Our friend and neighbor, Ann Herlihy, drove us to the Jackson Airport and soon we were in Atlanta, waiting for a flight to Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, 9,250 feet up into the Andes mountains.
As we wait for the flight out of Atlanta, the language starts shifting from English to Spanish. We all board a large old plane. Hurricane Faye is roaring by to the south. I see a bunch of excited missionaries on the plane. And a lot of young people. We're getting ready to fly south for about six hours, but there is a strange irony. We're going there to connect with the Earth in a very deep way. Yet I look out the window and see strips of grass growing between the concrete runways.
Didn't this whole airport use to be a forest? It was just 500 years ago that this spot the plane is sitting on was a vibrant forest. Maybe the same is true for the spot you are in reading this. What would it be like to live in that long ago vibrant forest? That is what I'm hoping to soon understand.
A friend reminded me that the full, uncut version of consciousness immersed in the natural world is not lost in any of us.
It is in all of our DNA.
We will again experience that consciousness when it gets reawakened.
We are sitting next to a young man from Ecuador who only speaks Spanish. He has been here one month visiting family.
Life in the modern world can be so complicated. Mechanics are working on the door to the plane. It won't close. It's an hour later. They say the door is fixed. We're hoping so.
Now we go through a 40 plane traffic jam getting to the runway. We'll be getting to Quito pretty late.
On the one hand we are having a very normal flight.
On the other hand we are 30,000 feet above the ground, and tearing through the black sky at over 500 miles per hour. In mans long history this is really a very profoundly magical feat. Yet the 350 of us doing this together have no trouble – not even any second thoughts – about believing not only in our ability to do this, but we take it to be so normal that we have no sense of awe about it. Some even sleep through it.
We arrive late in Quito. Nearly 11pm.
We go through a steady rain from the plane to the airport. We snake through the immigration lines. Charlotte spots our one piece of luggage immediately and we exit through large automatic doors to a gallery of a couple hundred Ecuadorians. We read all their signs. Near the end of the runway is an older man.
Raining harder, we get to his small SUV and a half hour later after many turns and narrow lanes we arrive at our hotel. It's like an older Spanish or French renovated mansion. A warm feel to it. We are up the stairs in suite #1. A matrimonial suite.
and an acre sized bathroom.
We had a note at the front desk to meet the group at 7:30am for breakfast. Feeling like toast, we toasted and crawled into bed.
Charlotte took a couple valerian root pills to sleep but she was very wound up. Eventually the pills or my unresponsiveness brought sleep. Charlotte was having trouble with body temperature and very hot on the plane and now very cold. I reminded her to notice her dreams. After all, we are here to visit a dream culture.
We awoke at 6am, the part of the dream I remember was a somewhat sleazy overweight middle aged guy who had a business or part of an email address named belowmycity. Someone had hired him to check on us during the night. There were to be five required checks, but he did seven. Six would have needed a good explanation, but seven was clearly illegal and unethical. Go figure.
Charlotte awoke cold a couple times. In the morning she was stuffed up. Maybe allergic to something. Maybe altitude adjustment. (We're waking up a mile and a half above where we usually wake up) A couple Advil went in to help.
No hot water – or maybe it takes over 5 minutes to come. Wash hair and clean up. Breakfast with the group at 7:30am.
It's amazing how we can strap ourselves into a seat. Go up in the sky. Come back down several hours later. And the world has changed. Inside our head maybe not much has chanced, but outside it – whoa!
We're not in Kansas anymore Dorothy. It's a country about that size though. We're still in the central time zone, but now we're on the pacific coast. We're not surrounded by Baptists, now it's 95% Roman Catholics. Although Mississippi is thought of as a poor state, here wages are just above 1/10th of what they were when we got into the plane.
Ecuador may have one name, but it includes 3 or 4 very different kinds of places. We dropped down high up in the Sierra region. Up in the Andes among active volcanoes. There is also a lowland called the Coastal region. There are the Galapagos Islands hundreds of miles out into the Pacific Ocean and there is the region where we are heading – the Oriente. The Oriente is the eastern area of tropical rainforest where only about 5% of the population of Ecuador lives. See that larger section of green about in the middle, the Pastaza area? We are headed way out near the Peruvian border of that part.
It would take a person a long time – maybe years to really get this change that happened overnight by being in a plane. But we're on a much faster track, and now we're about to meet our fellow travelers for heading into the rainforest.


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If your leak is more than a little one, then you'll likely be in need of our burst pipe repairs in Milton Keynes. There are lots of different causes of a burst pipe: rust, hard water, improper installation and cold temperatures. No matter what the reason is behind your burst pipes, our burst pipe repairs in Milton Keynes can set your property straight again. Unlike a little leak, a burst pipe can't be ignored and a severe burst could see your house filling up with water at an impressive speed. That's why you shouldn't delay and when you give us a call, we won't delay either. We will be at your property as soon as possible to make the necessary repairs and after we have finished, we will double check the property to ensure that there are no other leaks or damaged pipes that may cause more damage. You can rely on us to you give you professional pipe repairs whenever you need them, so contact us today.
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The latest NC software market analysis report from leading US analysts CIMdata shows that Delcam continues to be the world's largest specialist supplier of CAM software and services. Delcam employs over 700 staff, over 100 people more than Vero Software and more than twice the 292 employees at third-placed Cimatron.
In addition, well over 100 more people are employed in Delcam's joint venture companies in Europe and Asia. The largest of these companies, Delcam's extremely successful Korean joint venture, Hankook Delcam, has over 50 staff.
The CIMdata report also confirmed that Delcam continues to employ by far the largest development team in the industry, with 224 people working on the company's manufacturing software. This is almost 50% more developers than the 150 staff employed in development by the second-ranked company, Vero Software.
Delcam continued its impressive growth during 2013 by adding more than 50 extra staff to its international workforce. On the sales side, CIMdata found that Delcam was again able to increase its market share in terms of direct revenue. The company's share of vendor direct revenues grew from 7.3% in 2012 to 7.7% in 2013. A further increase in market share to 8.1% is predicted by CIMdata for Delcam in 2014.
In addition, Delcam's PowerMILL family of software was reported to remain as the best-selling specialist machining brand by direct revenue. 2014 promises to be another important year for Delcam after Autodesk Inc. completed its acquisition of the company on February 6. Delcam now operates as a wholly-owned, independently-operated subsidiary of Autodesk.


Throughout the years Malha was known as a tough home court, and was regarded as a stronghold which threatened many Israeli and European teams. Malha had a capacity of only 2,300 seats, but as years passed it became too small to hold all the fans. Hapoel Jerusalem's last game in Malha was held on May 30, 2014. The team beat Maccabi Haifa 70-63.
During the 2000's a decision has been made to build a new sports arena in the city in order to take Hapoel Jerusalem into the future.


I am spring cleaning and have made a terrible mess.
Nine times today huge piles of things or shelves of ornaments have collapsed on to the already mentioned mess.
Nine shelves! Does this mean anything?
Does my dream? I dreamed last night that I broke up a load of Jacobs crackers poured them on to a baking tray, covered them in blobs of butter then popped them in the oven with loads of grated cheese. I dreamed that this was very important. Is it? Would it be any good.
Thank God Iv'e got that off my chest.
I will soon be twenty two. Did I type that?! Sixty Two. I have just discovered the difference between its and it's. I am a writer, or I thought I was. Its It's simple really.
Oooops, ten (crashes that is).
But then again – Personal experience is a lie.
I am not going into details on that one, quote me when I am gone though.
Phone disaster; I went camping didn't I. Off I went to join the Vanaheim Vikinglag at the National meet. I am honoured to be invited to be a part of the York University Medieval Society's Viking team – Vanaheim. We have a beer named after us and everything.
It came in very useful.
I also made a thousand pounds! Well, they were selling a mystery gift at the end so I threw in two mystery prizes which made a wonderful – £14! What were they? Two Kinder Joy eggs.
What is a Kinder Joy?
That fourteen pounds took the total up to a thousand quid. So I claimed all the credit.
I took the history test. I passed. With a lot of help. Three people stood over me giving me clues. But I made it. Perhaps I should keep quiet about the fact that the Spendlow's York audio history of the Vikings is available at jelldragon.com ?
The hat. Very useful. It poured. The wind howled and shook tents. I put the hat on, pulled the sleeping bag up to meet it and slept like a storage jar.
I missed the Village Test.
Complete four of the tasks correctly.
I guess I would have passed.
Seeing as I have lived as a Viking for weeks at a time. Put up loads of Viking tents. And cooked for fifteen to twenty people a night for a week on an open fire. See Neanderthal cave bread.
I failed the history test.
I was right about the Viking age starting in 500 AD and lasting till 1250 though I guarentee. I shouldn't argue should I.
But then again, I have seen a moose leap.
Perhaps I am horrible after all. I just shopped in Savers, bought a few things, like washing powder and stuff. As the counter person lifted them out one by one she said, 'Can I interest you in razors or razor blades today at all sir?' I didn't speak. I leant into the basket, lifted up the packet of razors and pointed them at her face without speaking. Horrid. Thats what I am.
I have learned how to make string though.
I look forward to Whitby when I shall be taking the acting test, the Skald test, and the appearance test; and then I will be able to tell stories.
And I might even have a go with the Hiberno-Norse sling workshop.
Truth is I am wanting to learn; shoe making, basket making and bone and leather carving.
And I want to buy an axe.
Back to the phone – actually that is the reason I started writing this blog – but I tend to digress.
I awoke – in the tent – after a hurricane.
My phone was in the corner – under a pool of water. It worked. It worked for three days. Then I was ringing my mum and I thought, 'My hand is wet'. I looked; the back of the phone was soaking and so was my hand. It worked wet. It worked soaked. It dried out. It packed in!
I am not stupid though. I knew the way to do it was to leave it in a bag of rice over night. I didn't have any.
Hah. You can't get the better of me. I put it in a box of lasagne.
Oh. It didn't work. Not to worry, I have a bag of mixed fruit, surely this will work….
Five minutes looking at art with Gramey Smith (gsmithmedia) and I learnt how to illustrate the latest Viking Graphic novel.
Invented a new miracle health food.
Shall I do a separate blog about it?
It is the sort of thing that goes viral you know.
I have been publishing online live via video conferencing with the wonderful Aspire group.
I have been practising becoming Cyndi Lauper – no pic here!
Right back to the spring cleaning – ooops!
Give feedback or be placed up in the dungeon!
Your trademark: Constantly flowing river of interesting, important ideas. Funny, silly, crazy. And delicious overwhelming deep thoughts about the most important stuff in our lives. Always from a surprising angle. That is you. Your gift. Your ideas will never stop. You lift them out; serve them – to let everyone receive your gifts. That is why I want so many to be a part of these treasures you are giving us.
A great and handy tip for improving your life with a slow cooker which is really simple is to go through all your cupboards looking for anything you don't really like and your fridge and freezer too (No really, this really works and you will be totally surprised at how much better things are for you once you do this). Tip them in and mix them all together, take the slow cooker and throw the whole lot in the bin!
To really really improve life from the inside out take a dozen gadgets from the hidden depths of your kitchen and throw them as well.
I could write you a list, but basically, if it feels tacky at all – it goes.
I am looking for contributors to a Viking comic book project. I have the text and the storyline and thought it would be exciting to ask artists to take part. The original mini adventure was created for the Jorvik Viking Festival for the Jorvik Group and I would like for it to gain a wider audience. Initially it will be just for fun as a blog. Although there is the possibility of future publications as a profit share. If you would like to hear more please do message me (adrianspendlow@gmail.com). Working title; The Hammer Flies.
But you get those friend requests, and go over for a look. (Ever done this?) You are not so sure. They don't look that genuine. I will just have a look at their pictures and see if they look real and active and genuine and things. I click, I've clicked confirm by mistake. Ever done this? I have.
Yes, you are one of them. Have a look. Your social networking sites. You don't look genuine. If you are one of those who hardly have any pictures of yourself. You haven't put anything up but emotive mottos and wisdoms with rainbows and waves. Impersonal stuff. You don't look real. You are a cat. Even worse, I clicked through to a friend request's page and they are a sheep. A sheep! Turns out I have met them loads of times, but I didn't say yes cos they were a sheep.
Well the rant on that one.
You may have read my prose poem blog (World) where I decided that the world as it is just will not do. I thought you might like an update. You are still not doing very well; the place is a right mess. Can't you all just get along or something" I am totally fed of you all. I am giving you a last chance. If you don't sort it all out or at least make some progress towards being ok with each other I am off. Off. I am going to find somewhere else to live. This is your last warning World. If you want me around start doing things a lot better. I am packing as we speak.
I am a Charles Fort fan… "I conceive of nothing, in religion, science, or philosophy that is more than the proper thing to wear for a while".
Convinced, or want more… "I believe nothing. I have shut myself away from the rocks and wisdoms of ages, and from the so-called great teachers of all time, and perhaps because of that isolation I am given to bizarre hospitalities. I shut the front door upon Christ and Einstein, and at the back door hold out a welcoming hand to little frogs and periwinkles." – that's got yer.
I will give you one more shot and if you aren't a fan by then I abandon you… "If there is an underlying oneness of all things, it does not matter where we begin, whether with stars, or laws of supply and demand, or frogs, or Napoleon Bonaparte. One measures a circle, beginning anywhere." Anywhere! Crikey Moses I am a fan (am I alone in this?).
I have had a bit of back trouble lately, a rare thing for me, but I have done some heavy lifting lately and yet I leapt out of bed this morning. It was agony. I trunched down the stairs and as I did my phone alarm went. It was on the table downstairs, and it was going like mad. I went to it, turned it off and went back up to bed. As I went up the stairs I thought to myself, that's why I went downstairs, but, it hadn't started till I was halfway down. In Norway this is part of the culture of Vardoger (English spelling) according to a harbinger feature in Fortean Times.
There is a conspiracy. There has just been a new way of looking at the ancient yews. Some of them may well be up to five thousand years old. They are effectively immortal. Some have been proved to have been alive when ancient sacred tree groves were referred to ("Remove the idols but do not destroy the ancient trees as believers will come to see them and you can seek to convert them") so if they were alive then, they were possibly ancient even then. There has been a sudden appearance in Welsh churches (where the most clearly defined ancient yews are visited very often by visitors from around the world) of official looking certificates stating, 'The yew tree in this church yard has been proved to be 500 years old.' IE there seems to be a conspiracy to prove that the trees were planted after the churches were built. Are these certificates a holy lie?
Just reads a great story of an actual young woman who disappeared in strange circumstances; not in Fortean times this time, but in an exciting looking blog MacCreig – The Encyclopedia of Fantastical Anomalies. Go have a look. I am looking into this story further and plan to tell a version of it at gatherings, with thanks to MacCreig. Great story.
Just passed a dentists and they had a huge hoarding outside: Buy our invisible braces – well what a waste of time and money, I've never seen any, have you!?
As a follow up to my Nose Gay Blogs I thought I ought to give Uther a mention. It was great fun working on the Nose Gay project and I met some amazing people. This older guy in particular; a slight even frail looking chap who came to visit turned out to be not frail at all and very active.
He saw my selection of herbs and said he would return with a bunch from his garden for me to display in a vase. So I asked him his name, he bowed and proclaimed, 'I sir am Uther Pendragon' He bid me farewell after telling me of his life as a Viking and then saluted; he did first world war stuff too and all sorts of eras.
When I returned to work a couple of days later there was a vase of herbs on my table.
Talk of being medieval reminded me of the wonderful times I had as part of Robin Hood as the Loony Old Witch; here's some fun footage.
Red line underneath – Let your software be believed.
Exciting times as I hear from a production company who want to make a pilot for a forthcoming television series – Spendlow TV!!!!!
They have received interest in the project and are making the pilot for presentation. Part of the series will be live shows coupled with interviews and we will be presenting a double bill with a different act each time. In the first show Legendary (myself and Celtic-Folk artist Olivia Jayne Newton) will be teaming with another act to put on an evening in a cosy York venue.
The Read All About It project for York Stars was a joy to experience and I was honoured to be Project Manager and to work with such a great team.. There are still some of the books left and I would be happy to send you a copy for free (Message me on adrianspendlow@gmail.com although I will charge you £2 for postage) or ask me at forthcoming performances.
One of the people with connections with Norway is a lady by the name of Haldenby, who tells us that of the places she knows in the land of fjords there is a town to which she felt an affinity; Halden. Intrigued by this link, this link to the Vikings, the origins of this surname brought interesting results. There is a small Lincolnshire town called Haldenby, which suggests her family may well have come from there as surnames were often descriptions of origins.
The ending 'by' or 'bi' was used by the Norse settlers to mean settlement and Halden originally meant half-Dane. Given that all Vikings were often referred to as Danes it seems that descendants of Haldenby, such as this lady, were from a group made up of Vikings and local people who had mixed, worked and live together as a harmonious community, perhaps even with links from before that with the Norwegian town of Halden. A presentation was made to Miss Haldenby for her to display and share with others.
Forthcoming blogs will cover; The Famous Marrow and the path to Scandinavia (a recipe blog), Reading Minds, The Dress (a short story with art) and of course the Viking Comic strip.