Train crews are allowed to work a maximum of 12 hours in one shift. After a shift, they have to have 10 hours of undisturbed rest, during which time the railroad cannot contact them for any reason. If they do get contacted, their undisturbed rest time starts over. Within those 12 hours on duty, crews do what they need to in order to get the train from point A to point B. However, once they hit that 12 hour limit, all the work stops. By the time they 12 hours, they must have the train stopped and secured against movement. They may have to wait on the train for a ride to come get them, but once they hit 12 hours, they are no longer responsible for the train, and are not permitted to do anything related to their on duty responsibilities.
When a crew hits that 12 hour limit before they get to point B, another crew must come get the train. That crew is called the dog catch crew. They pick up the train wherever the previous crew left it, and they take it the remainder of the distance, or as far as they can go in their 12 hours. The train that they pick up and the crew they relieve are said to be dog caught. If you are that relieving crew, and someone were to ask what you assignment is, you would probably tell them you were going dog catching.
Example:
If you asked me the other day what I was doing, I would have said, "Well, they have me dog catching a train at Tusler and taking it to Forsyth."
The van driver who was taking us to the train might have asked, "Are you the dog catch crew going to Tusler?"
And if you are running low on your hours, you might hear the dispatcher say something like, "...well, why don't you put the train in the siding at Tusler. You're not going to make it to town, so I think we'll have to dog catch the train."
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