A B757 CREW GETS OVERLOADED DURING A LAST MIN HOLDING CLRNC THROWN AT THEM BY ZDC ARTCC WHEN THE CTLR WAS LATE IN EFFECTING A HDOF TO N90 APCH CTL NEAR RBV; NJ.

Narrative

ZDC ISSUED CLRNC; 'HOLD AT RBV AS PUBLISHED; 8000 FT; EFC XA35Z;' WHEN WE WERE 1 MI FROM RBV AT 250 KIAS; GND SPD 300 KTS! CAPT (FAIRLY NEW IN TYPE AND FIRST FMS ACFT) WAS FLYING. HE WENT HEADS DOWN TO FMC AND BEGAN TYPING IN HOLD PARAMETERS. I SPUN HDG SELECT WHEEL TO R TO ENTER HOLD ON MCP AND TUNED RBV AND HOLD RADIAL MANUALLY ON VOR. AT COMPLETION OF 180 DEG TURN; RECEIVED CLRNC TO 'FLY DIRECT RBV AND CONTACT NEW YORK APCH.' I ASKED CTLR WHAT HAPPENED AND HE CLAIMED NEW YORK APCH NEVER TOOK THE HDOF. NEW YORK APCH IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO FLY HDG 060 DEGS TO JOPIN RWY 4R LOC EWR; BUT CAPT (PF) DID NOT ARM LOC AND FLEW THROUGH IT. ZDC SHOULD NOT HAVE WAITED (THEY ALWAYS DO) -- TOO LATE TO TRY TO HAND US OFF. ATC SECTORS NEED TO START WORKING TOGETHER BETTER. OVER 100 TIMES HAVE I HAD 1 SECTOR SLOW ME OR S-TURN/VECTOR ME FOR 'SPACING' WHILE THE NEXT ONE SAYS 'MAX FORWARD SPD' OR VICE VERSA. LOW TIME CAPT SHOULD HAVE ASKED ME TO PROGRAM FMS (AND I SHOULD'VE MORE ASSERTIVELY OFFERED TO; AND HE SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE AIRPLANE. OF COURSE; I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE FACT THAT CAPT DID NOT ARM LOC.