Im starting class in a few weeks and I would like some advice on what to expect during the 7 month course. and to any conductors on here how did you make it through the course. I woud appreciate any feedback and thank you for your time.
This can be moved to the employment forum, or merged with the already existing thread there...
I didn't go through the 7 month "straight through" course that we have now; it was 2 months AC class and a year or so later another 4 months for conductor promotion when I did it. Here are my thoughts nevertheless...
Be prepared to memorize a bunch of facts and procedures. Stations on each line(stations includes passenger stations, interlockings and grade crossings), you'll have to know these all on each line you qualify. As well as physical characteristics for the line(s) and yards you qualify on(rules in effect, platform lengths, track numbers). Then there is the entire rulebook which covers a ton of things which you must have a very good handle on. Signal aspects and indications need to be memorized verbatim. Fare rules, which is a bit convoluted in practice must be well understood. Those are the facts and figures aspect, you'll also have to do air brakes and troubleshooting, which takes some thinking out of the box when it comes to real life practical application.
The majority of class will take place in the training center in GCT. You can expect several days of field trips to the various locations around the railroad as well.
You'll be going over all these things little by little, and back again. It's not necessarily A then B then C. It's more like 50% of A, 25% of B, 25% more of A, 5% of C, 25% more of B, the rest of A, etc. Try to remember what you have learned on week 1 because it will come up again on week 25.
Every few weeks or so you'll go out into the field on OJT(On-the-Job Training). There you'll work with conductors on real trains, with real problems and real people learning how to apply what you've learned to real life. You should make the most of these opportunities. Ask each and every question that comes to mind, some things will only be briefly covered in the classroom. See how to actually make a reverse move from a Genesis engine, come in for a hitch, how to open a electrically locked switch on the main. The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked. The conductors and engineers you will eventually work with want to know that you know how to do YOUR job, so if you're ever unsure of something ask before you do it. That being said you should eventually get to know the job well enough not to have to ask how to do every little thing. Use your time in OJT to find out those things. Even still, some things you'll only learn once you're out here for real and that's to be expected.
OJT will take place over the all parts of the railroad: passenger service, yard service, flagging. OJT will also be early morning, midday and late night. Once you mark up, you will be expected to work anywhere your seniority will allow you. Many newer guys(and gals) are working 60 miles from their homes. Guys in Connecticut having to work in Croton-Harmon, because they can't hold New Haven, Stamford, GCT or NWP.
