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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by trainjunky29 I have read and heard quite a bit about formen, superintendants, and trainmasters. However, I have a few questions: 1.) What does a trainmaster do? 2.) What is the difference between a foreman and a superintendant of, say, a yard, locomotives, track, etc.? 3.) Why do you need them all? Thank you very much in advance for your help. Most gratefully yours, Daniel Parks [/quote] Daniel- I will try to answer your questions. I think each of the prior responses is good, but each omits some positions so take this for what it's worth: 1. A Trainmaster is an operating officer as has been pointed out. He supervises employees in the transportation department. He investigates derailments, and rule violations in conjunction with other officers. He handles union issues such as regulating extra lists in conjunction with designated union officials. He speaks to customers about service issues. There are Assistant Trainmasters on many railroads who perform many of the same functions as well. 2. A Road Foreman of Engines (or a Travelling Engineer on some roads) is a supervisor of locomotive engineers. He is responsible for supervision of locomotive engineers, training, qualification of new engineers, and enforcement of rules and regulations. A yard foreman is often similar to a freight conductor. He is an non-management employee. He is in charge of a yard crew usually composed of himself, an engineer and one or more switchmen. A Yardmaster is a quasi-management employee. He is in charge of a yard and supervises yard foremen and crews. He provides switch lists and provides train lists to road crews. Generally Yardmasters are unionized employees. A Roadmaster is a manager of a specified portion of a division for the Maintenance of Way department. He supervises track foremen and trackmen, welders, and other MOW employees. On many roads this position is known as Track Supervisor. He is the rough equivalent in authority to a Trainmaster. A Track Foreman is a MOW employee with some supervisory responsibilities over his section or travelling gang. He supervises trackmen, welders, truck drives and other MOW employees. A B&B Foreman is a MOW employee similar to the Track Foreman except he has responsibilities over Bridge and Building Maintenance Employees such as B&B Carpenters, B&B Welders, Truck drivers and other B&B employees. A General Foreman (on some roads the Shop Superintendent) is a management employee of the Mechanical Department responsible for a major railroad shop. He is responsible for both locomotive maintenance employees such as machinists, electricians, carmen and their foremen. A Shop Foreman is a management employee in the Mechanical Department responsible for a particular portion of a shop activity such as a Car Shop Foreman being responsible for freight car repair and maintenance activities at a particular shop. Similarly there are Locomotive Shop Foremen and others. A Superintendent is usually the direct supervisor of Trainmasters and is the boss of an entire railroad division. He not only supervises the Transportation Department but also has budgetary responsibility for his division and deals with many of both the Trainmasters and Road Foreman of Engines responsibilities on a higher level. The Superintendent reports to the V.P. Transportation or other V.P. at most roads. 3. You need them all to keep the railroad running smoothly and more besides. We haven't even touched on any of the many clerical folks or marketing people or many others without whom the railroad would come to a grinding halt or run out of money. Perhaps if you can focus this part of your question a bit more I can try to give you a better answer. LC
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