Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

train conductor

3577 views
14 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: peebles ohio
  • 15 posts
train conductor
Posted by trainman50 on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 6:03 PM

what is the job and responsability'S of a train conductor

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 6:10 PM

March 2017 MR had an article on the role of the conductor.  Your public library may have it if you are not a subscriber.

Plan B  Netflix Emperor of the North.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 7:20 PM

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Thursday, July 20, 2017 8:50 AM

trainman50

what is the job and responsability'S of a train conductor

 

The freight conductor was the foreman and in full charge of the train and crew.

His duties was to do paper work,observe the brakemen for operating rule and safety violations as they went about their work,confer with the engineer on train and work orders and to go over the daily bulletin special orders.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 1,345 posts
Posted by ATSFGuy on Thursday, July 20, 2017 7:03 PM

On a passenger train, the conductior is responsible for collecting tickets, completing paperwork, and assisting passengers.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Saturday, July 22, 2017 12:00 PM

If a train was a ship, the conductor would be the captain, fully responsible for safe and efficient operation.  On early railroads, the conductor was frequently addressed as, "Captain."

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Saturday, July 22, 2017 1:00 PM

tomikawaTT
On early railroads, the conductor was frequently addressed as, "Captain."

Chuck,Some of those old line PRR conductors would be address as Mr.(insert last name) while others was called by their first names.

One thing I learn one didn't want to end up on the bad side of a conductor. As a nobody student I addressed them as Mr. After becoming a rookie one had to prove he could do the work before being accepted as a "real" brakeman.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, July 22, 2017 1:14 PM

tomikawaTT

If a train was a ship, the conductor would be the captain, fully responsible for safe and efficient operation.  On early railroads, the conductor was frequently addressed as, "Captain."

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

 

Reminds me of an old verse.  "Conductor, conductor, captain of the train.  His head is in a phone box, his butt out in the rain."

http://the2nomads.org/ImageDatabase/Railroads/ChesterValleyRailroad/CVR100-atCH1267small.jpg  

Jeff

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • 416 posts
Posted by DSO17 on Sunday, July 23, 2017 7:35 AM

tomikawaTT
If a train was a ship, the conductor would be the captain, fully responsible for safe and efficient operation. On early railroads, the conductor was frequently addressed as, "Captain."

 

Into the 1970's it was fairly common to address a passenger conductor as "Captain" or "Cap" if you wanted a favor (like deadheading on a prohibited train).

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Sunday, July 23, 2017 10:32 PM

tomikawaTT
If a train was a ship, the conductor would be the captain, fully responsible for safe and efficient operation.

I guess the rules have changed re: fully responsible.  A member of our club is an engineer for one of the large eastern railroads.  The conductor missed something on the paperwork that indicated one of the cars was plate "F", and also failed to notice when he walked the train.  The train had to negotiate some Amtrak trackage and the gap between the top of the plate "F" car and the overhead decreased enough that the overhead arced and tripped the line.

Somehow the engineer was found reponsible and got time off.  Don't know what the conductor got.

  • Member since
    May 2004
  • 7,500 posts
Posted by 7j43k on Sunday, July 23, 2017 11:18 PM

maxman
 

A member of our club is an engineer for one of the large eastern railroads.

Somehow the engineer was found reponsible and got time off. 

 

I am curious what his union rep has to say about the matter.

 

Ed

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Monday, July 24, 2017 3:38 AM

7j43k
 
maxman
 

A member of our club is an engineer for one of the large eastern railroads.

Somehow the engineer was found reponsible and got time off. 

 

 

 

I am curious what his union rep has to say about the matter.

 

Ed

 

So am I.. Last track I had the conductor was still in charge.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Omaha, NE
  • 10,621 posts
Posted by dehusman on Monday, July 24, 2017 7:32 AM

Re-litigating an investigation about which all the details and all the charges aren't known isn't a particularly good idea.  Very easy to wander astray.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Monday, July 24, 2017 7:46 AM

dehusman

Re-litigating an investigation about which all the details and all the charges aren't known isn't a particularly good idea.  Very easy to wander astray.

 

Back in '83 I was among 3 taken out of service for operation rule infraction The other two was the other brakeman and the conductor. The engineer got off because he had nothing to do with the infraction.

Oddly we did that move many times in the past under Chessie with nothing said but,the new CSX had peeking Tommies everywhere.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Monday, July 24, 2017 4:36 PM

7j43k

 

 
maxman
 

A member of our club is an engineer for one of the large eastern railroads.

Somehow the engineer was found reponsible and got time off. 

 

 

 

I am curious what his union rep has to say about the matter.

 

Ed

 

Unless the engineer signed for it voluntarily, there would be an investigation before discipline is given.  (Railroad is judge, jury and prosecuter so you can imagine how investigations usually turns out.)  The employee can appeal the decision.  If not overturned by a higher railroad authority, it ultimately goes to arbitration.  If an arbitator finds the employee was unjustly disciplined, they can award the offense be removed from the employee's record and the railroad pay lost wages for any time off.

Some parts of the railroad I work for used to try to fire every crewmember involved in an incident.  Because of losing cases in arbitration, they have toned that practice down.

Jeff

  

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!