Originally Posted by
tom911
(in re Train operators)They also run the trains on manual mode which requires complicated instructions in a technical language a lay person would not understand, and may involve exiting the cab to set switches if they don't automatically change on their own or fail. They're also trained in evacuation procedures which will differ based on whether you're at ground level, elevated, or in a tunnel. They're also versed on use of rescue trains, something that is a major consideration in any incident in the TransBay tube. This all involves working outside the train with electrified tracks. I remember an employee being electrocuted to death in one of the train yards during my tenure there. It can be a dangerous work environment when you're outside the train cab.
The only item you mention that would be at all a stretch for ordinary railroad engineers would be working around third rails.....and compared to the electrical hazards to be found *inside* the engine compartment of a typical diesel-electric freight locomotive, it's no huge surprise. Any professional railroad engineer or conductor should be competent to handle the duties of a BART train operator with a quick swot of the emergency procedures.
If all they had to was watch the doors and make announcements the training class would not be 4 months long, and they wouldn't require testing during the training that could easily flunk you out of the class. Some of tests they are given have to be passed the first time with a grade of 85% or you're gone.
BNSF & UP require a 90% pass on all safety related exams... Including a memorization of the operating rules, which are *WAY* more complicated than anything BART deals with.
Here is a sample of the sort of operating rules dealt with on a daily basis by Class 1 railroads.
Given the slow-down in rail jobs brought on the the economic slump, I'm betting that a *lot* of the BNSF & UP extra-board crews would LOVE to have a job that paid more, had a less demanding schedule, and regular hours.