Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers

What Does a Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Do?

Operate or monitor railroad track switches or locomotive instruments. May couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Watch for and relay traffic signals. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and hand brakes. May watch for dragging equipment or obstacles on rights-of-way.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
• 2Signal locomotive engineers to start or stop trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
• 3Pull or push track switches to reroute cars.
• 4Observe signals from other crew members so that work activities can be coordinated.
• 5Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
• 6Inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes to ensure that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
• 7Observe tracks from left sides of locomotives to detect obstructions on tracks.
• 8Operate locomotives in emergency situations.

Required Skills

• Monitoring
• Electronic train management system software
• Electronic train management systems ETMS
• Google Android
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Route mapping software
• Time tracking software

Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers Salary