About This Career

Drives electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interprets train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

• Interprets train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
• Confers with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
• Receives starting signals from conductors and uses controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives.
• Monitors gauges or meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, or air pressure in brake lines or in main reservoirs.
• Observes tracks to detect obstructions.
• Calls out train signals to assistants to verify meanings.
• Operates locomotives to transport freight or passengers between stations or to assemble or disassemble trains within rail yards.
• Checks to ensure that brake examination tests are conducted at shunting stations.
• Responds to emergency conditions or breakdowns, following applicable safety procedures and rules.
• Inspects locomotives to verify adequate fuel, sand, water, or other supplies before each run or to check for mechanical problems.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time
• Whole body vibrations, such as when operating a jackhammer

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing objects clearly in glaring conditions or bright lighting
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Overnight travel
• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work