Nation: Three on Amtrak Auto Train engaged emergency brakes

NANDO ^ | April 20 2002 | By RON WORD, Associated Press

[C7pilot]

Since you apparently are familiar with railroad operations, I would appreciate your comments on something that long since has bothered me. Namely, how does one get to be a Locomotive Engineer? There are formal schools, military and civilian, that produce pilots. I can't comment on the civilian counterpart but having received my wings, courtesy of the United States Air Force, I can testify to the thoroughness of their training. Back many years ago when I graduated, that training cost about a million dollars for each young pilot.

There are also formal training schools for truck drivers. Not that they anywhere near approach the depth of class room and hands-on requirements of military fliers, but are there, nonetheless.

All of which brings me to to my original question of how does one qualify to operate a locomotive? I have seen employment ads for pilots as well as multiple ads of flight schools (wanting students). The same is true for truck drivers, but never in my lifetime have I seen an ad for a Locomotive engineer - or any hint of a training school for same. All of Which leads me to the conclusion, rightly or wrongly, that it is a closed society whose entry is restricted to members of the "family."

Please elaborate.

[GeronL]

micro-earthquake?? sinkhole?? did heat bend the tracks?? sabotage??

[GeronL]

An audit by federal inspectors two years ago raised questions about the effectiveness of CSX's track inspection, maintenance and track construction programs.

Its those slaves they employ! Blame the slave laborers.

(CSX is being sued for slave reparations)

[GeronL]

Its also struck me as stupid to have the heavy cars in the back

[Diddle E. Squat]

Yes, perhaps I spoke too generally. I was thinking of the long-haul trains, outside of the Northeast Corridor. Since passenger trains run on a schedule, I've always heard that most places considered it a plum assignment, so the competiton to get hired as an engineer by Amtrak on a line with just a couple of passenger trains a day led to needing a pretty good amount of seniority(experience, actually) and a sterling record for Amtrak to hire you. Especially in areas that saw a lot of consolidation in recent years. But I could see how that might be different in the Northeast or say California with its recent service expansions.

But down in Florida, are there any fairly new engineers? I still would bet they all average at least 20 years. I loved freight RR money, but the hours killed me. Amtrak seemed like a nice compromise, but I had plans outside the RR. I do know a lot of older heads would talk about drifting over to Amtrak when they finally got sick of it all(I think they had flowback rights from Penn Central days, where they would keep their seniority?)

[gd124]

Speaking of emergency brakes, many years ago we had a highly embarassing incident in Italy when, getting a suitcase down from above the seats, we accidently pulled the emergency brake, stopping the train. It resulted in about ten minutes of abuse by an irate Italian.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Actually from what I've been reading the Superliner passenger cars(up front)weigh about 72 tons, and the auto carriers(rear) weigh between 55 and 80 tons. Not that much of a difference.

[Diddle E. Squat]

It just depends on a lot of factors. There are a few colleges that offer some types of training. Someone might be able to get hired by a shortline railroad, some of them will train you. Also the major railroads hire from time to time, but it is very hit and miss. For a long time the railroads did almost no hiring, as they were consolidating and reducing excess staff. Only a generation ago most freight trains still ran with a 5 man crew, but labor agreements reduced that to two. So a lot of layoffs resulted, but many would still return when openings arose when retirement and growth eventually created spots. Airlines and truck traffic has grown much faster, hence the higher demand. It took until the mid-90's before there was a real need for hirings on a large scale. But then the railroads overhired, then the economic slowdown, and currently there is a glut in some places. In addition remote control is in the early stages of being implemented, that will reduce many crews to 1 man. So the outlook for new hiring is not good, but will take place in spots.

Yes, many new-hires were indeed 'family', being those with relatives already working for the RR. One reason for this is the nature of the job and the lifestyle. Odd hours, until recently no holidays off until you had many years of experience, seasonal layoffs for newhires, much time away from home, and no set schedule. Lots of divorces on the RR. Thus the retention rate is abysmal, half the guys the RR would train would quit within 6 months. So they figured people with family members on the RR may at least have a better since of the lifestyle demands. Nowadays railroads will send out hiring info to state job agencies, and even run ads in the paper. But they might do so one week, and then not again for 10 years.

Now to your actual question of how one trains to be an engineer. First you have to get hired by the RR. Background screening(no speeding tickets), psychological tests(don't answer yes when asked "Do you like to drive aggresively?"), and scare stories about how 'you'll spend Christmas in hotels and never see your kids grow up, so do you really want to do this?'. Once hired your sent to trainmen's school, 3-6 weeks plus of the basics(or some are required before hiring to attend a community college RR program, basically the same). Then you are assigned to ride along with crews for weeks or months to learn the territory and get hands on experiences as a brakeman or conductor. After a period(a few months to several years) of working as a brakeman or conductor in the yards and then on the road you may get a chance to bid on going to engineer school, all slots filled by seniority. That is 5 weeks of fairly intense training, followed by 6 months of riding with mentor engineers and gradually getting to run under their supervision in a variety of conditions. I believe then the student has to sit for certification.

Used to be that trainmen and engineers were separate crafts with separate unions and seniority, but nowadays the major RR's are forcing all trainmen to go to engineer's school. So the above sequence will vary from RR to RR, but that should give you an idea. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to be hired by the RR, but they try to look for people willing to take orders and meticulously follow a routine. Military background is a big plus. But in a pinch they also will hire some real nitwits. It just depends.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Further update.

[FReepaholic]

>>...and the auto carriers(rear) weigh between 55 and 80 tons. ...<<

Is that with or without the autos in them?

[Willie Green]

A person who answered the phone Saturday at Alfredo's landscaping business in Pound Ridge, N.Y., said the family was going through a lot and declined to comment.
DiStefano's son, Robert, reached at the family's home Saturday, declined to offer any details about his mother. The family of Joseph and Marjorie Wright had gone to Florida, Canada Foreign Affairs Department spokeswoman Martine Lagace said Saturday.

What is it about the media that they believe they're obliged to seek-out, harass and badger family members at such a time of grief?

[Diddle E. Squat]

That's an approximate range from empty to fully loaded.