What are the crew titles on modern trains

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hi
Dumb question time.[%-)]
I’m confused on the titles of the crew on modern trains.
On freight are there just two crew members and what are the titles?
Do the passenger trains have three?
If you are a junior engineer can you get bumped to what ever, In other words is there a linear progression in job titles?

Thanks

Lee

2

Engineer - Conductor - Brakeman - Engineer in training (or Fireman).

Normally engineer and conductor.

Can have more depending on work and people in training.

Conductor to engineer in training to engineer.

3

Thanks

I thought conductor might be the superior position since he is responsible for the train although, would parallel responsibility be more accurate?

Have a good day

Lee

4

The conductor is the superior posistion (as far as who is in charge), the engineer’s position takes more training.

5

It’s confusing now because of the merger of two separate job strings. It used to you had the engineer and fireman in the engine; you started as a fireman and worked your way up to engineer. In the caboose was the brakeman and conductor, you started as a brakeman and worked your way up to conductor. The conductor was in charge of the train. They were two separate job streams, different unions etc. (They even lived separately on the road - the conductor and brakemen ate and slept on the caboose, while the engineer and fireman went to beaneries and slept in a Y or rooming house.)

Now the conductor and engineer are all you have, and both are in the locomotive. You start out as a conductor and essentially work your way up to engineer. Not sure if they’re still different unions ?? In a way the engineer is still the engineer, and the conductor does the other jobs as needed.

6

UTU for ground guys BLET for engineers. However UTU has an Engineer side and BLET has a trainmen side.Confused yet? lol I am an engineer,been a conductor,switchtender,switchman,brakeman and hostler.

Line I am on has Asst engineers as well. Basicly a conductor with an engineer card.

7

On passenger trains (at least up here), you have an Engineman and Conductor performing their usual duties and a Train Manager handling all things related to the passengers.

8

I beleive Amtrak has two engineers on most long distance trains. I imagine they trade off from time to time. I don’t if other railroads did the same before Amtrak was formed.

9

I collect railroad hat badges. Passenger trains had baggageman, brakeman, flagman, conductor, ticket collector and trainman. In modern days, passenger employees (railroad jobs versus service personnel to take care of passengers such as car attendants, etc) are known officially as conductor and assistant conductor, although on paper assistant conductors do still perform the flagman,collector duties, etc. They are all classified as assistant conductor because they report to the conductor. (It also saves money by not having to purchase different uniforms and badges and probably it gets around pay issues too) I don’t think Amtrak has an assistant engineer, since crews are still changed at division points (approx every 100 - 200 miles)

10

On BNSF lines, Amtrak is still required to have a “fireman” in case the engineer is unble to fulfill his duties. ( potty break, etc) and to keep the engineer alert. Both crew members are required to call out verbally and confirm each signal to make sure that the train is following the route the dispatcher has established. I would assume this would also be required on all Carriers that Amtrak runs on.

11

Thank you, I knew it was something like that. That explainse why there is two people in the cab on the Southwest Chief and Empire Builder.