Hello All,
Have a question for someone in the indusrty. UP has posted positions in “Train Service”. The position requires travel, which I understand. My question though, Where do Train Service personel travel onboard the train if cabooses are no longer used?
This looks like an interesting position but would like more info.
Thanks in advance,
Kevin
In the loco’s cab…Only 2 of you unless there is a brakie or student.
I think he means travel that doesn’t pertain to driving the train…
Every crew member has a home terminal that they’re based out of, and run most of the trains out of that home terminal. However, it is not too uncommon for a train to be stuck in a siding or on the main due to the lack of a fresh crew, or for a terminal to have trains waiting for crews as well. Therefore, crew members at the home terminals are driven by crew van (sometimes nicknamed the “limo”), or else deadhead in a trailing unit of another train to get to their destination. However, the crew will eventually make it back to their home terminal.
Thanks guys, appreciate the info.
Ski train1:
“Train Service postions” may be Union Pacific’s way of recruiting people for switchmen, brakemen, and conductor positions.
At places like Grand Junction, Denver / North Yard (ex-DRGW), and Denver / 36th St. (U.P.) Union Pacific employs people in the switchmen craft to man their switch engines. Switching involves reclassifying inbound trains, building outbound trains, working some of the local industries, and making interchange runs with connecting carriers like BNSF.
At Roydale, Rolla, La Salle, Sterling, Denver, Bond, Phippsburg, and Grand Junction, Union Pacific employs brakemen and conductors to man their local freights and conductors only on most of the through freights.
Presently the Union Pacific puts off-the-street hires first into an intensive 3-week rules training class. Upon passing each of the required examinations, the student graduates as a rules-qualified switchman/brakeman.
After the rules training class the student makes a required number of familiarization trips within his seniority zone. These trips may include working every switch engine and local freight one or more times with a fully qualified crew. The idea here is to expose each student to each of the jobs he could possibly work. Depending on the size of the seniority district and other factors this on-the-job training period lasts anywhere from nine to 15 weeks.
Upon completing this student trip phase, the student returns to the classroom for two weeks of additional rules training. This classroom phase includes a number of final examinations; and upon successfully completing all of the classroom requirements, the student graduates as a rules qualified conductor.
Upon graduating as a conductor, the student makes an additional series of road trips with a qualified conductor so as to become familiar with conductor responsibilities. This phase may last somewhere around two-to-three weeks. Upon completing all of the required studen
Also known as “dog catching”.
Bob, Thanks so much for the info. I’m guessing your in the biz?
Kevin
That is the way that UP hires for conductors, breakmen & switchmen, one word of advice if you get hired and you are in the classroom the pay is minium wage that is what stopped me from working for the UP. On BNSF we advertise for conductor trainee, now we pay 138.50 per day durring training and overtime after 48 hours for the week, this is on a 6 day week. If you decide to go with BNSF you will be trained as a conductor, breakman, switchman, & hostler.
Rodney
Perhaps “travel” is an euphemism for forced transfers.
Ithink that when Class 1’s describe “travel” in the train service job ads, they are highlighting the fact that you make many overnight trips, as most road crews are on the road, away from their home terminal, for two or three days at a time, staying in a motel at the far terminal.