New Engineers in Big Yards

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

This question is born of the fact that I have never worked for a true
freight-handling railroad, but it’s gnawed at me ever since I started
listening on my scanner. As an avid rail fan and railroad supporter,
I simply have to ask.

Take for example BNSF’s sprawling Northtown Yard. I listen in on
the West Hump Dispatcher and the Switch Tender’s communications
and I hear orders given to various crews on the routes they are to
push-button their way along, what tracks to do set-outs and pick-ups
on, etc., etc., and it begs the question: Do “newly-ordained” train
crews get issued some type of yard diagram or layout to help them
map their way through the maze? Even references to various sections
of the yard (like at the Northtown - the “Microwave Pocket”, “North
Receiver”, “Material Yard”, etc.) seems a bit daunting in that I’m sure
a conductor or engineer would have to study-up and pass some type
of qualifying test to verify their understanding of the yard layout.

Is there some type of visual aid (maps, computer diagrams, guide
book, etc.) to help the new crew members along?

Inquisitive minds need to know.

2

WIAR,

Based on some of the newhires on my neck of CSX, I think they must put a radio in one hand and a lantern in the other and tell them, “The trains are out there.”

3

Skeets, are you sure you don’t work for the UP?

–JD

4

Do they give them a test first to see if they can identify a train? Maybe one of those charts like they used for air raid spotters…

5

Man this is sounding a bit terrifying. Northtown Yard looks complicated
from the road overpass where I see it passing-by. Were I a new-hire
in Minneapolis, I don’t think I could find my own rump with both hands let
alone “Departure 9” or the “Material Yard Lead”.

Is it a matter of teaming a new engineer with an experienced conductor
who knows his/her way around?

6

Well, speaking from experience, big yards are very intimidating to new hires. I remember being in CSX’s Barr Yard in Chicago for one of the first times on my own and my engineer usually ran Piggys, so he hadn’t been in Barr for years. I barely knew where I was going and he barely remembered because the layout of the yard had changed a little. Basically we followed radio instructions from a yardmaster or trainmaster and I just simply speak up on the radio and asked if I didn’t know. I’d rather look like a complete moron out there than run my train into the side of another because I was too proud to ask.
Just when I got all the Chicago yards learned I get to transfer to Avon and learn new yards like Stanley and Walbridge yards at Toledo. Oh well, you’d be suprised how much common sense can keep you out of trouble. I think that should be a major requirement for hiring new employees. People that just don’t have common sense are just liabilites and shouldn’t even get a second look.
All those names given to tracks are very disorienting at first until you get a look and actually run on the track and learn it. Most of the time it’s an experienced engineer guiding a new hire conductor around. Nowadays most of the engineer will have been conductors on the same routes before they become engineers and should have a good idea of where they are going.

7

Yeah, the Engineer “should” know what he is doing…

LC

8

Nate

How’s the new gig?

Jay

9

Jeaton,

The new “gig” hasn’t started yet unless you’re meaning fatherhood. I fini***his week on FMLA then I return to work on Monday, and it looks like third shift is still open waiting for my return. I will stay working in Danville until my house is finished. I’m not sure exactly when i will transfer to Avon, but it probably won’t be till April. I’m itching to get back to work, I don’t know how to handle not working. I’ve been cleaning house a little too much and my wife is getting scared. Yeah right! My wife couldn’t be happier that I clean more than ever. Anywho, I think three weeks is enough time away, I’m ready to start trudging through snow in the middle of the night again, woohoo!!!

10

WIAR:

(1) they have schematics for operating people, you use them to keep track of where you put the cars too…
(2) The tracks are numbered and named for how switchmen remember tracks.
(3) The track names and numbers on their diagrams almost never match the scale maps (ie- ICC Val Maps) and probably never will, thus dual sets of switches.
(4) Operating and M/W people do not look at switches and turnouts the same way. The language is similar, but different. It gets really wierd when you ask where a track begins and ends, especially at turnouts. (trainmen think the track starts at the clearance point and trackmen start at the tip of the switch points)

[:D][:D][:D]

11

Engineers and Conductors must qualify on all territory in each division with it’s rules examiner. Passing a test is usually required. Maps are issued by the examiner when you start the qualifying procedure. I usually started a track at the switch point if there was a mudchicken (MOW) around to try to intimidate…they dance so funny when excited…[:-,]

12

Not necessarily so, Rick. We never had rules examiners on NS and didn’t have the territory tests that I know Conrail required. Now that Conrail has been swallowed up, I’m not so sure that they have rules examiners on their former territories, either.

What’d we do? We learned the territory, we just didn’t have to take a test to prove it.

13

wiar,
Cant speak for the other railroads, but the PTRA has a neat little book called a ZTS book.
The old HB&T had one too.
Basic;y, it is a not to scale series of maps, with track numbers and spotting locations, in a pocket sized spiral notebook form.

ZTS stands for Zone, Track and Spot.

Each of our divisions arer broken into zones, with all the tracks in that zone numbered, and all the industry tracks are shown, with the location of where you spot and pull cars from.

So, if I was new to the PTRA, and I had to take a train out to Pasadena and spot and pull the industries out there, I would look at my paperwork, note that I had cars for zone 25 track 750 spots one, two and three.
My ZTS book shows zone 25 is in the South Shore subdivision,and track 750 is inside the plant/complex of Rohm & Haas, and that spot one is all the way to the rear of the track.

This mini map allows me a visiual guide to help me plan how I will cut out and spot cars from my train in this place.

Most railroad have something like this, but as was pointed out earlier, most engineers are former conductors, and know their way around.

By the end of their first few months, most conductors know their way around too…

Send me a Email address to
renaissance-man@sbcglobal.net
and I will scan you a few pages, so you can get a better idea of how it works…
Ed[:D]

14

Man you guys know a lot! Thanks for the replies![:D]

15

Reminds me of a story…I had worked at a certain yard for years. Knew it like the back of my hand. Well it seems they rebuilt the yard…new ladders…additional tracks, etc. I hadn’t been in there for a bit, so had picked up a copy of above mentioned schematic for the new layout and put it in my grip. Sure enough, here I come with 120 loads of coal and a mixed bag of nags pulling them.

The lead coming into the yard had a train on a stiff upgrade, modest downgrade, and the rear on a downgrade. If you had to stop on the lead for a switch, it was a BEAR to get the train started again. Usually we just pulled steady and the head brakie trotted ahead and lined us up.

We found out our track as we came in the yard, so out comes my handy schematic. I figure how many rights and how many lefts to get us where we need to go. The brakesman leads us as directed. As I pull through the last switch, I see the track number on the switch banner…we’re two tracks off. THE LADDERS AS SHOWN ON THE SCHEMATIC ARE STINKIN’ WRONG!

I immediately chucked the company-supplied wastepaper out the window.