LIRR hiring Assistant Conductors

Mark,
whats the difference between an engineer and a trainman?

so conductors do get two consecutive days off? thats good to hear.

A "Trainman" is a generic title for Conductors, Asst. Conductors and Collectors. On the LIRR, a person who is a "Trainman" is considered employed by the Transportation Dept. in Train Service and governed by rules and regulations regarding Train Service.

Engineer is the person who "drives" the train. On the LIRR, a person who is an "Engineer" is considered employed by the Transportation Dept. in Engine Service and governed by rules and regulations regarding Engine Service.

i probably should have realized that, oh well. thanks for the heads up.

does anyone know how much vacation / personal time a newly minted assistant conductor is entitled to? also, whats the starting rate of pay?


i'm assuming its probably quite good considering there is a union.

Starting rate of pay for A/C is $19.49 per hour. That is 70% of A/C pay. Over each year, that rate increases 5% until it gets to 100%, usually by the 5th year.

After 6 months, 5 days of vacation is granted. One sick day per 3 months of service.

thank you, that is actually much higher than i expected it to be.

i posted the same question over on the Metro-North forum and all hell broke loose, its under the topic "salary" if you want a good laugh check it out.

THOR wrote:After 6 months, 5 days of vacation is granted. One sick day per 3 months of service.

Really ?? Are you sure about that, unless they changed since I hired on you are mistaken and I am pretty sure they have not changed. You get 2 weeks vacation the first Calendar Year after you hire on. Which is great if you hire on at the end of the year but stinks if you hire on in the beginning. For example if you were to hire on Dec of 2004 you would get 2 weeks next year. However if you hire on Jan of next year you have to wait until 2006 to get vacation.

Bluebelly, I think youre right. I will recheck my benefits sheet tonight. I was actually told by someone that you have to give 6 months of service in order to get 40 hours and after 1 year, then its 80 hours. I might have been given bad info.

thanks for all the great info bluebelly!
i have just one quick question, the first test that you take on the signals and defiinitions (before your accepted into the 14 week program) how many signals and definintions do they ask you to memorize in the three weeks (i have heard that it is 86 signals and 60 def). whats the passing rate on the test? (what score do you need in order to pass).

this is what i'm refering to from your post: "If you get through that you will be invited to an overview where you will recive a better idea of whats ahead and a packet of signals and definitions. You must memorize these WORD FOR WORD You will have to spend almost all of your time studying! In three weeks you will be tested on the material if you pass you will be invited to Phase 1 of the training.

bluebelly wrote:OK let me tell you what it really is like.This is gonna be long but I want to be accurate.
Keep sending in your resume one a month or so until you recieve a post card saying that your resume has been recieved. If they are interested they will contact you and give you a day to report for appititude test. Usually at Hibernian Hall in Babylon. There you will recieve a very basic idea of what the job entails and will take a math and a reading comprehension test, if you pass you will be given a personality test. Then you will have an very basic interview and fill out a job application. One word of caution, the RR realizes that people "enhance" there resumes and accept that, however your job application must be 100% accurate believe me they will check. Asuming you get through all of that and they are interested you will be contacted and a date will be set for a panel interview. If you get through that you will be invited to an overview where you will recive a better idea of whats ahead and a packet of signals and definitions. You most memorize these WORD FOR WORD You will have to spend almost all of your time studying! In three weeks you will be tested on the material if you pass you will be invited to Phase 1 of the training. (by the way if at any point in the process you have difficulties and you are offered another postion,coach cleaner, station cleaner, whatever, take it. After a year you can move) Anyway Phase 1 is 14 weeks unpaid. You will attend are 2 three hour weekday sessions 1 8 hour class on Saturdays at the Hillside Facility. They offer the weekday classes at night so you can keep your present job. Unless they have changed it since I hired on, you are allowed 4 lates or 2 absence (2 lates will be counted as one absence) Some advice here, don't drive, take the train to class. If you are on a legal train which is a train scheduled to arrive before your class starts, and the train is delayed it will not count against you.
You will be learn and be tested on the Book of Rules (2 tests for the Book, midterm and final), Tickets, Airbrake and Passenger Train Emergency procedures You must pass all tests with an 80%.Be prepared to spend all of your free time studying. Also while you are in class the RR will be performing a background check so again make sure that your job application is correct and verifiable. You will also have a medical exam. The exam will incude drug tests, hearing and eye tests including testing for color blindness.
If you get through all of this you will began Pase 2 of the training which is about 3-4 weeks is paid, and there are no more tests. After that you will be unleashed on the world as a newly minted Ass'T Conductor.
I like the job. I have made a lot of close freinds on the RR. The hours can be rough and you will work weekends ,holidays, etc. But if you can deal with that it is great. Senority is everything so as you move up things get better. In 2 years you will be required to qualify as a Conductor. If you fail to qualify you will loose your job. Most people study for a year or more.
Well there it is in a very big nutshell.

Glad I could help. That that number sounds right. If I recall 75 is passing. Once you get into class 80 is passing.

I just counted my index cards. There are 68 definitions and 90 signal aspects and indications. Passing for my class was 80%. We had just alittle over four weeks to memorize everything. That was my experience earlier this year. It is alot of work, but if this is what you want to do as a career, then you make time for it and it pays off in the end.

BTW, after you pass the entrance exam, you need to keep up on those signals and definitions pretty much throughout the course and for the rest of your career. Phase One will encompass Rules of the Operating department, Air Brake and Ticket/Money Handling. Signals and definitions will always creep into everything somehow.

In my class (for Locomotive Eng.), they gave us 3 weeks to memorize. You had to get a 100 on the signals, and at least a 80 on all the defs.

About 50% of the class passed.

does anyone still have the original book / packet of signals and definitions they give you to memorize in three weeks?? because if they do if someone could photo-copy it and possibly send it to me that would be great. if anyone does have a spare copy or can photo-copy there copy; please send me a private message through this message board. click on "pm" at the bottom of this post. ( i would be prepared to pay a nominal fee to cover the time and inconvenience of making a copy and providing it to me).

is anyone aware of how often they hold the 14 week training program for assistant conductors? how many times a year is it offered and when?