I am looking for information on Conductors duties. What do they do and how often and the whole nine. My grandson wants to be a train man so I want to educate him. Thankyou for anyhelp you may give me.
a conductor is the boss of the train, but he does not run it, because that’s what the engineer does.
, and years ago, with a fireman(all firemen and brakemen were layed off during the 60s, 70s, and 80s)
a conductor would wear the well known con. suit on passenger runs, but for all freight he would wear plain clothes. He would ride with the brakman in the caboose, until cabooses and firemen and brakemen were phased out, and with the advent of End Of Train Devices(EOTD), all now ride in the cab with the engineer. A trainman is also known as a brakeman, but now the conductor does that job. There are other jobs that are out there. Trains Mag. in their 2004 survey of Overrated and Underrated, the engineer was overrated.
In steam days trains had a four or five man crew - engineer and fireman in the cab, conductor and brakeman in the caboose. Longer trains would have a ‘head-end’ brakeman riding in the cab or in a special “doghouse” built on top of the tender. Engineers were promoted up from the ranks of fireman, and conductors started as brakemen. The conductor was the “captain”, the head guy of the train.
In recent years (since cabooses stopped being common, mid-1980’s or so), most trains run with a two man crew - an engineer and a conductor, both riding the lead locomotive. Generally the engineer is now the senior guy, in train service now you would start as a conductor and if you wanted to eventually you could be advanced to engineer.
Hi there, I am still learning how to manuevere in here, anyhow, Thankyou very much for your information. It is very helpful. So while running the train, there is an engineer and a conductor, what about the cabboose? Does anyone ride in there? And how long does it take for one train to get to where they are going, I mean I have seen like 100 cars and I know you have to start and stop alot. This whole deal is very interesting and the more I read the more I like it. Nice to meet you as well, and thanks again.
Labor agreements between the United Transporation Union and the railcarriers elinated the caboose and brakeman so that is why you dont see the caboose anymore. The only time you will see them is when they are used in either work train service or on industry switching jobs where the foreman or helper will use as a platforn for an extended reverse move. All of the major railroads have tried without much success to reduce the crews to engineer only But the fedral courts have told all of the carriers that the 1986 agreement stands and until their safety and service records improve there will be at least a two person crew. As a conductor when I reprort to work at either my home terimal or my away from home terimal I have get my own paperwork like the clerks use to do and if there is any switchig to be done I have to insure the right cars are set out on the right track and the right cars are picked up. The engineer and I are equally responible for the safe operation of the train in our charge, And the last thing either of us wants is to see anyone hurt or killed CNW FOREVER Larry
The ‘Conductor’ is the railway employee charged with the management of a freight, passenger, or various other types of train, and is also the direct supervisor of the train’s “Train Crew” (brakeman, flagman, ticket collector, assistant conductor, on board service personnel). All train crew members on board the train work under his or her direction. The Conductor and Engineer, who is in charge of the locomotive(s) and any additional members of the “Engine Crew” (fireman, pilot engineer) share responsibility for the safe and efficient operation of the train and for the proper application of the railways’ rules and procedures. On some railroads, Conductors are required to progress to the position of Engineer as part of union contractual agreements.
Conductors usually have the following responsibilities:-
- Jointly coordinating with the engineer and dispatcher the train’s movement authority, and verifying this authority is not exceeded.
- Communicating and coordinating with other parties concerned with the operation of the train: yardmasters, trainmasters, dispatchers, on board service personnel, etc.
- Being alert to wayside signals, position of switches, and other conditions affecting the safe movement of the train.
- Mechanical inspection of the rolling stock.
- Assisting the Engineer in testing the air brakes on the train.
- Signalling the Engineer when to start moving and whe
Generally the longer the train, the less it’s going to be stopping - a train with 100 cars is likely connecting two large cities, or running from one yard to another etc. It’s running direct from say city A to city B on the mainline, and may not stop at all or may stop only to change crews and/or refuel. A ‘wayfreight’ is a freight that takes cars to and picks up cars from local industries, it’s usually slower and has less cars. So, if a manufacturer in Chicago is sending a boxcar to a distributor in Kansas City, the loaded boxcar might be picked up by a local freight in Chicago and brought to a yard, where the car is put into a mainline freight that runs to a yard in Kansas City. In KC the car is switched into a local freight that delivers the car to the distributor.
In “classic” era railroading there would be a minimum of four crewmen on a train - an engineer and fireman in the engine, and a conductor and a brakeman in the caboose. They often were somewhat apart - for example, the engine crew usually ate at a local beanery and slept in a hotel or YMCA etc.; the caboose crew usually ate and slept in the caboose.
Generally you started on engine service as a fireman and eventually became an engineer, or you started as a brakeman and worked your way up to conductor. They were in different unions and had separate sen