Train Engineer?

Question

How much work goes into being a train engineer, and how much of it is just computers? What exacly do they do? What kind of class do you need to take in college to become one?

Answer 1

1.An engineer is responsible for operating the locomotives & "driving the train". The only computer stuff there is would be in the more modern locomotive, which are micro-prossesor

controled, & have computers that monitor various "vital signs" on a locomotive, &  have various computer-enhanced things, such as Automatic Engine Start-Stop (AESS) which automaticly shuts the engine down after it has been idleing for a predetermined amount of time under certain conditions tosave fuel; AESS also moniters the "vital signs" of the locomotive, such as oil temp, main reservoir air pressure, & battery condition, if any of those fall outside of specified parameters, AESS will automaticaly start the engine back up so those "vital signs" can come back inline, once they're normalized, the engine shuts down again. Comuter-controled traction software can improve tractive effort on the locos, too; but most of that stuff in controled automaticly, & being an engineer, you won't have to worry about having to know how to work with all that software, the only part of it that concerns the engineer is the "smart displays" in the cab that display all the info being monitered.

2. You don't need to take any college classes to become a switchman or conductor or engineer or most any other rr job. There are schools such as the Modoc Rail Acedemy in California where you can go to learn how to become an engineer or conductor, ect... Most railroads do on-the-job training for those jobs, but if you want to work for a Class 1, going to a place like Modoc might be a good idea (it is still optional).

3. On most railroads, like BNSF, you have to become a conductor before you can become an engineer. Some railroads, such as Montana Rail Link don't have conductors, instead they have 2 engineers share the duties of engineer & conductor. With MRL you have to become a switchman ( basically a yard engineer) before you become an engineer.

4. From what I've heard from the MRL employees I've talked to, doing seasonal track work is a great way to "get you foot in the door" for future rail jobs. If you have done seasonal track work & you apply to be a switchman, you application will carry lots more weight than an application from a person that hasn't.

5.If you want to be a conductor, you need to be able to lift a 70-80lb. knuckle coupler. You should also be able not only to lift a knuckle, but carry it the length of the train, also. General point: BE IN SHAPE!

6.If you want a job on the train, such as engineer or conductor, be prepared for long & odd hours. Regular hours? They don't exist on the railroad. They will call you up whenever they need a train crew, whether it's 11:00 AM or 1:00 AM. You will have to work alot of the night-shifts & holiday shifts & stuff at first when you're low on the seniority list. As you gain seniority, you will have more control over your hours & be able to choose them more. Sometimes you can be away for several days at a time. If you don't want go to work at 3:00 AM, then the railroad isn't for you.

7. Railroad pay is good. Here's what MRL pays: $40,000 per year as a switchman, then $60,000-$90,000 per year as an engineer.

8. Even as a Conductor or Engineer, you will still need to be able to repair minor mechanical difficulties like broken knuckles (couplers) and air hoses, loose or dragging banding, tarps, cables, ect…

9. The more knowledge the better! Even if you're going to become a conductor or engineer, it still pays to know a bit about the engine & stuff, nothing in depth, just some basic knowledge can come in handy sometimes.

10. You can get tired working the night shifts. A railroad rule does say that if both crew members are tired that they can notify dispatch & pull the train into a siding so they can get a little shut-eye.

11. To sum up the duties of the conductor & engineer: The conductor is the Train Supervisor & is in-charge of the train. The engineer "drives" the train.

12. Here's some links that describe the duties of the conductor & engineer good:

http://www.amdg.ws/task_duty.asp...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conductor_(...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/railroad_en...

http://catskillarchive.com/rrextra/chapt...

13. Check the railroads' websites for job listings & details specific to that railroad.

14. In addition to great pay, you also get great benifits. Sound pretty good, huh? But don't forget: in turn for that high pay & good benifits, you have to be on call pretty much 24/7 any time of the day or, any day of the week, holiday or no holiday, weekend or weekday. They give you about a 1-2 hours to get ready & get down to the station.

15. Being in charge of a 1 1/2 mile train is a HUGE responsibility. It demands your full & complete attention. It also means that you MUST be 100% DRUG FREE. Railroads can & are very strict when it comes to this. You also need to keep your eyes out for signals- green meens that the track is clear/ proceed at speed; yellow, or aproach means that you can keep going but the next signal is going to be red, or restricted, which means STOP & often time to pull into a siding. Other things to keep an eye out for: people or animals on or near the track, stalled vehicles on the tracks, & stupid people that try to beat the train across the tracks.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. :)

Answer 2

Rango is right on the money.

Using the term "art" to describe train handling is not a stretch.  Guages and computer screens (not all engines have on board computers) impart all the necessary information, but operating is still very much "seat of the pants".  One needs to be able to feel what's going on in the train behind them.

This doesn't come out of a book.  It is a skill gained only through much experience.  In this regard, I would say that an engineer working regularly as an engineer, needs a full five years behind the throttle to come across all the situations that can crop up as operating challenges.  There is no substitute for experience here.  And, some trains will just not cooperate, and when your bag of tricks is empty, it's time to admit the train has beaten you and call for help. Besides, a little humility is good for you.  It keeps you in touch with reality......

As an example, often times you may be required to fit your train into a siding that is only a few feet longer than your own train, such as squeezing a 5600 foot long train into a 5612 foot siding, on heavy grade.  You'd for d**n sure better know what you're doing.

And, some guys have "it."  Whatever "it" is, the best engineer's have "it."  There are those who never get "it" and as a consequence either struggle or run scared for the life of their career.  Neither is a good place to be.

But as far as college courses go they are in large part unneccesary.  If you can grasp mathematics, have the ability to read and comprehend, as well as retain the information, then you're good to go.

From reading some answers here in the rail category, many are under the impression that you hop aboard your nice, new (and awesome) AC power and roar off into the sunset.  It doesn't work that way.  As far as computers go, though operating "by wire" it doesn't do any of the train handling for you.  But the metering is far superior, with many more parameters for checking on what your power is doing at any given moment.

So, equipped with a high school diploma that was received because you can do the mental work, no physical maladies and no problems with drugs or alcohol, you're equipped with the necessary prerequisits.

Having "it" is a bonus.

Answer 3

Rango and HogHead summed it up pretty well for the Class 1 railroads. I started out on a Class 1 (BNSF), and was promoted to Conductor. I left to work for a 120 mile short line because of  the weekends and nights off - unheard of in railroading. Two months ago I asked to become an Engineer. Because this is a short line, they did things differently. I was on the right side of the cab for four weeks with an experienced Engineer mentoring me. After that I took the Engineer's test set up by the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration). I passed and have been on my own as an Engineer for a month now. The line I work for can train new Engineers the way they did for several reasons. Most of our activity is industrial switching, our main line speeds are 25 mph, we only have two - sometimes three - trains per day. So there isn't the same risks and pressures as a Class 1 line. We don't have dispatchers, opposing trains, or signaled track systems. (Although the FRA test includes these items.) And I further agree with the other two guys about always learning something about your train. I can easily understand where I'll be spending the rest of my Engineer career learning something every day.

Answer 4

If you are in the U.S. you will probably go to work in a different department and "promote" to engineer. Very few railroads hire directly from the street for engineers.

Once you are accepted in the training program you will be involved in an on the job training program that lasts around 9 months. There will be extensive classroom training on mechanical and air brakes, operating rules, and hazmat handling.

The rest of the time will in the cab, there is a LOT to learn, and 9 months will not be enough but you will be experienced enough so as to be safe. Train handling is an art that you can work for a lifetime and still be baffled at times. It is a fascinating challenging profession. No two trains handle the same.

There is not really any computer work you need to know, the controls and instrumentation on newer locomotives are computerized but you dont need to know any more than enough to set them up. If anything malfunctions, there are mechanical departments to do the repairs, they dont even want engineers opening the doors LOL.

There are some colleges that have railroad classes but you will still have to go through the railroad's training program.

The main thing a college course is going to give you is a leg upon the other applicants. It will demonstrate to the hiring officer a desire and commitment to working there.

I work with our training program a good deal and have engineer trainees quite frequently.

The people I find that get the hang of it easiest are the car guys, mechanical types that hyave been around machinery and understand the cause and effect of actions.

That does not mean other people cant learn,  it just is easier for me as an instructor.

And there are some that will never be good, they get by but all their lives they will beat the heck out of themselves, their trains and the track and never have a clue as to why.