You may have recently seen that the Mississippi Southern Railroad (MSR) hit an impressive safety milestone: 13 years without an injury. To celebrate this accomplishment, the Team grilled out at the Vicksburg Southern ((VSOR) office. Due to their size and proximity, both railroads share several Team Members, as well as general manager Jeff Buck.
The VSOR has its own safety record to tout as well. They’ve gone nearly a year since their last Human Factor Incident, and more than 1600 days since their last injury. Trainmaster Greg Lockhart grilled cheeseburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings for the safety celebration, which served as town hall and Team Safety & Improvement Committee meetings as well.
Both railroads are part of the original “5-Pack.” These were five short lines leased by Watco from Kansas City Southern in 2005 and 2006.
“The MSR was one of the original 5-Pack, and with us going 13 years injury-free, it’s a landmark that I encourage everyone to reach. It makes me proud as a GM to be part of such a long-term culture that is setting records in safety,” Jeff said.
MSR and VSOR Team Members enjoy burgers and hot dogs at their Safety Celebration.
He’s also GM at another 5-Pack railroad, the Arkansas Southern (ARS). The other two railroads included in the 5-Pack are the Louisiana Southern and Alabama Southern.
“Fingers crossed, we’ll hit 13 years RPI-free on the ARS as well this upcoming October. It is a great honor to have three of the 5-Pack railroads making these great achievements,” Jeff said.
Jeff’s been with the railroads since October 2013, and in that time he’s focused on building the right Teams to get the job done safely every day.
“It’s all about making sure you have the right people in the right places and that everybody understands the safety rules. This group of guys holds each other accountable and aren’t afraid to question each other if something doesn’t look right,” said Jeff. “It really just comes down to great teamwork.”
MSR Team Members L-R: Albert Merritt, Greg Lockhart, Rasheda Combs, Robert Scoggins, Danny Sims, and Steve Kimball.
Photo at top of article L-R: Jacob Norwood, Scott Bryan, John Dellinger, Albert Merritt, Greg Lockhart, Michael Jackson, James Hawkins, Matt Brown, Roosevelt England, Chris Green, Richard Polk, Danny Sims, Steve Kimball, Stacy Swinford, Rasheda Combs, and Robert Scoggins. Not pictured: Randy McIntyre, Justin Dempsey, and Jeff Buck (He took all the pictures).