by rootsblown
Can anyone fill me in on the amount of time and hours of class and hands-on training required by FRA to become a qualified engineer? thanks
Railroad Forums
Moderator: thebigc
COEN77 wrote:Just about anyone can start a train stopping and keeping it under control is another matter.COEN77, you couldn't describe it more accurately! I had a manager (VP level) once get on my train, and the first thing he said was that he has the engineers license... In other words, he was hoping that I was going to let him run the train. So, I asked him if he would like to be the engineer for the day? Immediately huge smile and, YES, he replies.
COEN77 wrote:jr441, All of them have these faux FRA certifications. The problem when certification became an issue the railroads used their influence in 1992 to get it passed before the presidential elections knowing it would be less restrictive under G W H Bush than Clinton. It basically became a joke. The FRA doesn't license anyone it's the railroads. The only thing it did was place harsh restrictions on locomotive engineers it didn't benefit us in any way. The unions theory was it would put us in a better position contractually but that backfired. Now we have some people running trains that shouldn't be allowed to ride a moped. Now the trainmen are becoming certified they won't like it.COEN77 that is one of the funniest stories I ever heard. That will teach the suits, or should have taught them that not just anyone can run these trains. Good story.
Even before certification I remember a few strikes when management took over trying to run trains. They would give them 4-5 GP-40's on 50-60 cars they were ripping out drawheads and tearing up knuckles. They gave them books on the territory of subdivisions they've never seen before. Abolished all orders because they couldn't function if they had to run and have restrictions. There were derailments in the yard ect....The screwed more things up in 4 days of the strike of 1982 then anything that could of happened in a decade. It was hysterical.
rootsblown wrote:Is it like 90 hours or so, behind the controls per section of track ?? There has to be some sort of FRA set standard of hours before being certified.90 hours per section of track? What does that mean? A section of track lets start with one subdivision that could be up to 200 miles. Is 90 hours sufficient? With CSX training policies for engineer trainees they must learn every subdivision, yard, industry jobs ect....in their consolidated seniority district all within 4 1/2 months. That could be 600-700 miles of track 4-5 different subdivisions 3 yards throw in a foreign railroad or two which means learning their rules ect...These people are clueless once promoted. All we could hope for as their trainers was they would grasp the basic concepts of how to operate the locomotive and of course the train they're hauling. That they would use common sense. There hasn't been a change from the original FRA certification on training since 1992. There have been more restrictions placed on issues like cell phones. laptops, speed rules ect...but not training. The railroads still control it not the FRA. My FRA certification card had big CSX letters with FRA in small lettering. It wasn't signed by any FRA official but by the CSX general road foreman of engines. Production line training is what it has become. I can only speak of CSX. I hope other railroads are better.
rootsblown wrote:Is it like 90 hours or so, behind the controls per section of track ?? There has to be some sort of FRA set standard of hours before being certified.There is no FRA standard, there are no minimal required hours. Each railroad has it's own training program.
Jack Donaghy wrote:I'm already not liking some of these people, reminds me of being on the bus