The conductor must be assured that every car in the train is in good operating condition before starting out, that loads are secure, and that the air brakes are connected and working throughout the train. The conductor is responsible for the accuracy of the consist – that is, that each car is supposed to be there, and its accompanying paperwork is correct. In practice, this includes knowing what the train is carrying and observing prescribed precautions for hazardous materials, perishables, or any other freight that requires special handling. He is also responsible for the actions and safety of the crew, and for reporting any condition that interferes with safe train movements. The conductor is responsible for the safe, prompt movement of the train, and for the care of its cargo and equipment. He reports to the trainmaster, his immediate management superior, and in operating his train he takes instructions from yardmasters and train dispatchers. 28, 1956.ĭespite the image of the eagle-eyed engineer with his hand on the throttle, the conductor is the boss of a train crew. The first four descriptions of a train crew’s duties are based on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s “Rules for Conducting Transportation” of Oct. Here’s a look at the different responsibilities of train crew members today. At this writing, the debate over the safety of a one-man crew continues. In addition, the use of unmanned surveillance drones, controlled by a conductor to keep track of one or more trains, bolsters the one-man crew campaign of the railroads. Two developments in recent years have the potential to impact Class One train crew size – positive train control (PTC), which combines several technologies such as GPS, radio signals, and computers to prevent train collisions and other accidents if the engineer fails to take corrective action and, the idea that once PTC is implemented, train crew size can be safely dropped to one man – the engineer – a stance that is being vigorously promoted by the railroad industry. Many local freights that deliver and collect cars along their routes also have one trainman, and some have two, to help with the “ground work” of throwing the ground switches and uncoupling the cars. Today, most road freights operate with just two crew members, a conductor and an engineer. For most of the 20th century, freight train crews consisted of five men: a conductor, two trainmen or brakemen, and engineer, and a fireman. While some members – primarily the engineer and conductor – are required on all types of trains, other positions are unique to either passenger trains or freight trains. Railroad operating rules are a subject unto themselves, but it’s often said that every rule in the book is there because somebody tried to do something “the other way” and proved that it wasn’t such a good idea. Since train crews do most of their work beyond the observation of supervisors, their duties, responsibilities, and often even their actions are carefully prescribed in the railroad’s operating rulebook. Each member of a train crew has a very specific function. The people who work on trains have a variety of jobs.
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