New to the industry

[nbrodar]

Also, what is the everyday attire for a trainmaster.  Khakis, button-up dress shirt and good boots? Throw a blazer, tie and some low shoes in the car and that should be a winner. Always useful to be able to make a quick change. Also, a good warm jacket for winter, rain jacket for summer... LC

I wear khakis (although I have more colors then just khaki), a button down or polo shirt, and a good pair of boots, (I prefer Timberland).   I've never had the need for a blazer or tie.  But I normally do carry a change of clothes and a spare pair of boots.

I never wear "dress" quality clothes on duty.  Odds are you'll pick up dirt, grease, prickers, bugs, sweat, etc,, and usually snag your clothes on something.  Most of my pants have small stains and tears on them.

For warmer months I wear a canvas field jacket, but I do carry a full rain suit for extended outings in inclimate weather.  For the colder months I have a very nice railroad coat, that covers my rear. 

A ballcap for the summer and a touque for the winter is also a good idea.   Along with your supervisor's hardhat for derailment clean-ups.

Also, always make sure you have your safety glasses.

Nick

[Datafever]

Very professional looking, Nick.  Thanks for sharing the pictures.  It is always nice to match faces with names.

[nbrodar]

Some of my everyday duties.  A good yardmaster can handle - at least in part - many of these tasks for you:

• Conduct crew balancing - enough crews, at the needed location, at the proper time.
• Decide which train to run with avalable crews.
• Conduct locomotive balancing - proper power to the train at the proper time.
• Decide which train to run with avalable power.
• Participate in train origination call - on time orginations made, reasons orginations were missed.
• Participate in train holding call - trains holding, where, why, and plan to run.
• Participate in division safety call - injuries, derailments, run through switches, other issues.
• Conduct and record Op-Checks on crews.
• Decide what work needs to be accomplished.
• Decide how to handle "No-Bills" in trains - find a waybill, sign off on the car, or have it cut out.
• Handle crew payroll issues, safety concerns, etc.
• Answer crew questions over rules.
• Conduct job briefings.

Common, but not everyday items.  A good yardmaster may or may not be able to help with these:

• Assist trains in emergency.
• Locate and transport EOTs.  Replace EOT batteries.
• Monitor drug tests.
• Assist Customer Service in locating lost cars.

Uncommon - only you can handle these:

• Respond to and investigate injuries.
• Respond to and investigate rules violations.
• Respond to, investigate and make temporary repairs to run-though switches.
• Respond to, investigate and supervise the clean-up of derailments.
• Go to employee investigations. 

Bare in mind, that all this happens 24-7-364, rain, sun or snow.   You will also need to handle many of these tasks simultaneously.

Nick

[nbrodar]

Two more things:

Your cell phone will be your best friend.   Never leave home with out it.

And no matter how much you prepare....no matter how much  you think you're ready....you'll never be ready for the first time you respond to "Oh my god, I think we just hit someone."  until you actually find your first body.   I won't say it gets easier, but it does become less tramatic.

Nick

[Bob-Fryml]

This may seem like a minor point, especially to an Asst. Trainmaster, but I'll mention it anyway.

At one time I worked as a yardmaster in what was strictly a flat switching yard.  One of the first skills I had to learn was figuring out how long it would take a switch crew to bang-out (switch) all of the cars on each switch list.  Looking at how many uncouplings would have to be made, I figured that a crew consisting of an engineer, foreman, and two helpers could do about 22-cuts per hour.  Whether the list was ten cars long or a hundred, 22 uncoupling pins pulled per hour was about how fast a crew could classify equipment.

Of course if the assignment involved high-value or easily shiftable loads like piggyback or auto racks, the figures would have to adjust downwards.  If it was big blocks of coal or grain empties, a crew could bang out the work a whole lot faster.  But 22 pins an hour was about right.

Oh, and one more thing:  Micro-managing yardmasters and switch crews is the surest way to kill productivity.  For each day you work, learn how to make a reasonably intelligent action plan the first time and stick with it!  Your employees will be happier with you and respect you more for doing so.

[Anonymous]

wow, thanks everyone for the help.  I'll be reviewing everything you've all said.  I know there is really no manual on most things I will encounter so experienced people are the best teachers.  I promise I'm not a "one threader", I'll keep yall posted on how it goes and will frequent the board often.  Thanks!

[csxengineer98]

I was always taught by the old heads that the three golden rules of railroading are: 1. Never miss a call 2. Always do exactly what the Trainmaster says (even if you know he is doing it the hard way) 3. Wear clothes with BIG pockets so the railroad can fill them with money. LC

your left out point 4... mark off sick when you have something you dont want to miss..and go into work sick becouse your going to be misserable on the job anyways...

[zardoz]

Also, what is the everyday attire for a trainmaster.  Khakis, button-up dress shirt and good boots? Throw a blazer, tie and some low shoes in the car and that should be a winner. Always useful to be able to make a quick change. Also, a good warm jacket for winter, rain jacket for summer... LC

A camouflage or flak jacket (if you become the jerk-type trainmaster and/or plan on hiding in the bushes to do "efficiency" tests).

[zardoz]

I was always taught by the old heads that the three golden rules of railroading are: 1. Never miss a call 2. Always do exactly what the Trainmaster says (even if you know he is doing it the hard way) 3. Wear clothes with BIG pockets so the railroad can fill them with money. LC

[Anonymous]

Well I promised I would get back to the forum to report on my first few weeks on the rail.  Mostly just been helping upper management with administrative work, spent a few days at a different yard besides my own on the division bugging the yardie with Q&A, and most of all just meeting a bunch of folks and attempting to remember names.  BUT recently I went to the site of a derailment (not a RVD though), a pig coal train was running on a industry lead with rotten crossties and caused a wide gauge.  a couple of engines and a few cars was all that needed to be rerailed.  PITA though, not much room to work with and on top of that the contractors broke a rail with a crane tractor.  But an overall informative experience to participate in.  man I've got alot of terms & rules to memorize--Thanks for the help from everyone in previous posts

[nbrodar]

Just wait till you have to respond to a derailment at 2:30 in the morning....when it's 0 degrees, with a -15 wind chill and the snow is thigh deep and crunchy.  And the only thing keeping you going is 4 hour old wreck crew coffee...you know the kind (umm hey man....what happened to the rest of my spoon) 

OH MAN...THE HORROR! Sorry...just a little flashback there.  I was never so cold in my life.

Nick

[Anonymous]

ha, no snow (knocks on wood) where im am but a few days of the year so the weather isn't much of an issue