The post about conductors got me thinking about similar responsibilities on passenger trains. The last time I took a train was back when trains still employed brakemen and even firemen (no I’m not that old…passenger trains still required firemen here into the 1980s). Now that brakemen and firemen are gone, does the engineer work alone or does the conductor now ride the locomotive as well?
Years ago passenger train assignments were regarded as the most senior…i.e…you needed alot of years on the job to work on trains like the Broadway Limited or the Southern Crescent…is that still the case?
Whether an engineer works alone or not depends on the train. Almost all commuter lines and Amtrak regional trains have their engineer run solo… sometimes that’s because the cab car on push-pull trains can only accommodate 1 person. All Amtrak trains on the NE Corridor have only the engineer in the cab.
As far as I know conductors on passenger trains never rode in the locomotive cab because they need to oversee the passengers in the passenger cars collecting tickets and such (although I have see some conductors hanging out with the engineer in the cab control car when the train is in push-mode.
In terms of seniority, now a days with passenger operations split from freight companies, i would assume seniority perks are now limited to just which passenger trains you want to work. Amtrak has its own engineer, commuter lines have their own unless it is contracted out. Outside of multiple passenger train corridors/routes, i would assume many of Amtrak’s long distant train engineers have only one train to choose. For instance, if i am the Amtrak engineer responsible for trains between La Junta, CO and Albuquerque, NM, my only assignment is the Southwest Chief regardless of my seniority.
In my opinion, i would think that most engineers nowadays would prefer to take the assignments that allow them to go home everyday at the end of their shift (as oppose to “hoteling” it away from their home terminal).
It was quite different years ago. Like today, conductors were not assigned a position but rather had to have seniority to bid onto the job. The higher the seniority the more chance you had to get the better job: be it a better paying run or one that got you home everynight or got you nice digs (or whatever) at an away terminal…whatever it was you wanted out of the job, you had your choice. Also the conductor was in charge of the train, the other train personnel, and the needs of the passeangers. In some cases today, the railroad may supply the conductor to handle the train duties but Amtrak has a person aboard in charge of passengers. Differs from contract to contract. Most engineer cabs are one man cabs but there are sometimes firemen or assistant engineers or whatever. All others are assigned jobs aboard the train and should be doing their jobs and not riding anything.
I think for Amtrak, only one engineer in the cab is used when the run normally can be completed under a certain time period. I think the threshold is 6 hours, but I don’t know for sure.
For intermediate home terminal points on long distance trains the choice between runs would be rather limited. Choices might include set days off. At points where you work both ways outbound, which away from home terminal you want to go to. Maybe working the assignment as the regular assigned crewmember or working it off the extra board.
On VIA systemwide there are, I believe, two engineers on the locomotive. I live in Chilliwack, BC, a flag stop on the westbound transcontinental. When there is a flag stop I’ve noticed one of the engineers will detrain and provide the operating engineer with radio instructions to spot the detraining passengers exit on the platform, much as I assume a conductor on the head end would do . The onboard service managers and attendants are responsible for the detraining passengers. On VIA the service crews (so they tell me) have a car at the rear of the train, IIRC as their service areas are Winnipeg-East and Winnipeg West. Engine crews on VIA (again so I’m told) in our area (Yale and Ashcroft subs) I believe run Kamloops to Vancouver as opposed to freight which runs Boston Bar - Vancouver.