Should i be a train conductor

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My days are generally as follows. I wake up sometime after getting off of work and do whatever I want to do around the house, run errands, etc, until my ten hours of rest are up. Usually, as soon as I get home from a trip I do laundry, unpack my cooler, and repack my bags to be ready to go back to work.

Then I check to see how the list is turning, and try to guess when I will have to be back at work. I keep my bags packed and ready to go, and when I think I may have to be at work soon I make a few meals and keep them ready in the fridge for when I get called out.

When I think I may get called in the next two or three hours, I try to sleep until the phone rings. Once at work, I get my paperwork together, find the engineer, talk to the yardmaster about what we are going to have to do to get out of the yard and on the road, and then either find the motors to start building our train or swap out with the inbound crew wherever and whenever they show up.

Every day is different but they usually start out about like that. There are three types of job for a train conductor, but only two are much different. Extra and regular jobs are on-call schedules, meaning that you wait until they call you to go to work. Everything is seniority-based, so when you start out you will be the lowest in seniority and on the extra list. For an on-call man, you can check a list and see who is next in line to go to work.

As people are called, everyone moves up the list, and eventually, you will one first out. They can call at any time, day or night, and your job is to be rested and ready to answer the phone. Whenever they finally call, you will have between an hour and a half to four hours to show up to where they tell you to an get on your train. You will never know when you have to go to work. You can guess, but there is no way to know for sure.

You will also never know in advance when you are going to be off work. For example, if your off days are supposed to be Friday and Saturday, Friday morning you are officially off at 9 am and are back on call again Monday at 9 am. However, if you are called at Friday morning to go on a two-day trip, you need to report to work and your two days will start whenever you get back from your trip. Good luck making plans with friends and family. As far as preparing for the day, you will need to have a bag and cooler packed, as well as your essential work gear, and most everyone has rain gear with them at all times.

You may or may not be home that night, but usually, you get on a train and go to another terminal to swap out with a different crew, they will then take your train to the next terminal. Depending on the terrain and location you are stationed, your trip can range from hours to all 12 hours, which is the longest shift that the FRA Federal railroad administration will allow a crew to stay on duty and active. After having several years experience as train conductors , some people will apply to obtain a certificate in order to become locomotive engineers.

Having previous experience as a conductor or other rail industry worker is recommended. First requirement is to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. You will need to pass a background check and drug test. The certification, conducted by the railroad that employs them, involves a written knowledge test, a skills test, and a supervisor determining that the engineer understands all physical aspects of the particular route on which he or she will be operating, according to U.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Locomotive engineers, also known as train engineers, are responsible for driving trains harmlessly from one destination to another. They operate large trains carrying cargo or passengers. It will also help if you have good knowledge of UK geography and the rail network. You can find out more about train operating companies through the Rail Delivery Group. Your working environment may be crowded, cramped and outdoors some of the time.

Train operating companies often promote existing station staff to conductor jobs, so you may be able to transfer from a platform assistant or onboard customer host role. With experience, you may be able to move on to senior conductor or train manager, or transfer to a driver training programme.

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