RAIL YARD ENGINEER, DINKEY OPERATOR, AND HOSTLER

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Drive switching or other locomotive or dinkey engines within railroad yard, industrial plant, quarry, construction project, or similar location.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Confer with conductors and other workers via radio-telephones or computers to exchange switching information.
• 2) Drive engines within railroad yards or other establishments to couple, uncouple, or switch railroad cars.
• 3) Drive locomotives to and from various stations in roundhouses to have locomotives cleaned, serviced, repaired, or supplied.
• 4) Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors.
• 5) Observe water levels and oil, air, and steam pressure gauges in order to ensure proper operation of equipment.
• 6) Operate and control dinkey engines to transport and shunt cars at industrial or mine sites.
• 7) Operate switching diesel engines to switch railroad cars, using remote controls.
• 8) Operate track switches, derails, automatic switches, and retarders to change routing of train or cars.
• 9) Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors.
• 10) Receive, relay, and act upon instructions and inquiries from train operations and customer service center personnel.
• 11) Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones.
• 12) Apply and release hand brakes.
• 13) Couple and uncouple air hoses and electrical connections between cars.
• 14) Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation.
• 15) Inspect the condition of stationary trains, rolling stock, and equipment.
• 16) Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions.
• 17) Operate flatcars equipped with derricks or railcars to transport personnel or equipment.
• 18) Perform routine repair and maintenance duties.
• 19) Provide assistance in aligning drawbars, using available equipment to lift, pull, or push on the drawbars.
• 20) Provide assistance in the installation or repair of rails and ties.
• 21) Pull knuckles to open them for coupling.
• 22) Record numbers of cars available, numbers of cars sent to repair stations, and types of service needed.
• 23) Report arrival and departure times, train delays, work order completion, and time on duty.
• 24) Ride on moving cars by holding onto grab irons and standing on ladder steps.
• 25) Spot cars for loading and unloading at customer locations.

Activities:

• 1) Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• 2) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 3) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 4) Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• 5) Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• 6) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 7) Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• 8) Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 9) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 10) Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• 11) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Abilities:

• 1) Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

  3) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

• 4) Reaction Time — The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
• 5) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 6) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 7) Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
• 8) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 9) Rate Control — The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.

Knowledge

• Transportation — Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mechanical — Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.