Montreal - A bit of CP Rail history was made recently with the winding up of three two-week management seminars for chief train dispatchers. The first seminar saw all 14 day chief dispatchers together at head office here for what is believed to be the first time in the history of the company.

  From November until the second week of December, all 49 chief dispatchers met to discuss problems and exchange ideas under the leadership of Les Marlin, a former chief dispatcher now on special duty with the transportation department.

  J.C. Gaw, manager, rules, training, and time services, also had a hand in the overall organization of the seminars.

  "They are designed to improve the management capabilities of those attending, as well as to broaden their outlook on the company's overall objectives," he told CP Rail News.

  The daily sessions ran under Mr. Marlin's direction, and some of the presentations included the position of chief train dispatcher, transportation services, engineering, grain handling, dangerous commodities, marketing, and sales, handling dimensional traffic, car management, profit analysis, collective agreements, and safety as well as several sessions on the Uniform Code of Operating Rules.

  "Reports received so far indicate that these seminars have been highly beneficial," Mr. Marlin said.

  Winnipeg - Working 728 days with no lost-time injuries pays off. So the employees at Transcona yard found out recently when they established a new safety record for their work unit. They topped the old record by 336 days, and celebrated with their spouses at the International Inn.

  "They've done it," said welding plant supervisor Mike Petrynko. Attendance has been high at safety meetings and there has been a strong interest in the railway's safety program, he noted.

  Mr. Petrynko, along with assistant supervisors Charlie McFarlane and Walter Pollick and Prairie region officials began a program of safety awareness and backed it with gifts of pens and pushbutton measuring tapes.

Free Dinner

  More than a year ago, they made the promise of a free dinner in return for a continued safe record.

  The welding plant is a busy place where two shifts a day work to produce continuous welded rail for all points west of Thunder Bay. Total staff in the plant and the Transcona yard, with which it shares land and track in the northeast corner of Winnipeg, numbers about 70.

  Prior to the renewed safety drive, injuries were far more common, with nine lost-time mishaps recorded in 1975. Eye injuries were frequent.

  As for a repeat performance of the dinner next year, Mike Petrynko says it's a safe bet.