beneka

Btw, I didn't realize how late I was in this response...lol. I'm sure you know by now

If your rdo are m/t, you can request Friday, Saturday and Sunday off...or Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off, thus giving you 5 days off. I've done it 3 or 4 times since being down here without issue.

Our first pick was today. Actually had some good choices!

Just to piggy back on what has already been said, follow schoolcar rules and you'll be good. Every trainer i had while yard and road posting had their own methods in doing things, but what I liked was that they allowed me to do my work per schoolcar, as thats what we got tested on. I was told the same thing they told you "if you do it schoolcar methods you'll be here all day and wont make time"-Not true!!! I make a year on road tomorrow and operating per schoolcar hasn't hurt me. I do agree with SubwayGuy as well that some of the bad habits/non schoolcar operation is good to know(shuttle button!!) Its good to know alternate ways, but still operating by schoolcar rules will keep most trouble away from you! Dont stress some of those trainers. You'll get some of them while road posting as well! Some of the people down here can care less about you getting better, they just want the OT. For the most part tho, there's more good than bad. Always ask questions! Get into that habit of repeating back what they tell you just to be sure

Congrats on passing the signal exam/practical! A lot of people take the test for granted and dont study as much as they should....or they let their nerves get the best of 'em. Sucks when someone fails out, but wish them the best. Everything else will fall into place, just as with the first yd practical and signal test. Just stick to the rules and what you've been learning!

Yup....and try to always be in coast a couple seconds before you actually need to brake. Brakes apply almost immediately from coast and there is a slight delay when going from power directly to a brake. Everyone has given you some great advice here, but its important that you develop your own methods. You will as you continue to operate more often, but its always good to have some guidelines as a reference

Congrats on the practical!! As you did with this, take your time on the others and focus...everything will fall into place! As far as braking, I didn't develop a really good, smooth brake until a month or two AFTER schoolcar! I was always able to stop the train, but as with you I would have to go back to coast or take a point to get to the 10/S marker. I make a year on road next month and I'm still not perfect with my stops, but 90% of the time they are smooth. I can't give you any B div specific advice since I'm in the A, but here's what TSS Lee told me that really helped: Entering the station if you're at 35mph, you're good. 35mph isn't the end all, but that's a good speed to enter. By the conductor board, if you're at 25mph and holding a good brake, you should be good. Finally at the 8 car marker if you're at 13mph, whatever brake you're holding should take you to the 10 car marker. This is far from fool proof!! Not gonna work at all stations, but it was a good guideline for me that i still use sometimes. Also, I'm in the A so it might not be the same...but it might still be a good guideline for you. You will develop your own methods. All the advice we give you is good, but use it to figure out what to do and what not to do. Your operation will improve as you go along. Subwayguy is absolutely right! The only thing I will slightly disagree with is that you have to be perfect by road posting! I surely wasn't! However, you must be able to have your train under control at all times and be able to stop at or as close to the 10/S car marker

You'll be good bro! Keep confident and humble. Congrats to you guys on making your probation. Lets keep this railroad moving! And as always, thanks to all the veterans that continue to help us through our journey

Hope your first practical goes well. As everyone said before, do it step by step just as you've been practicing with your class. Remember to check all BCO and if you find one cut out, radio yard dispatcher-for the practical you'll just tell the superintendent or tss how you would call it in. And you should be prepared to read the iron and give a couple of signal definitions. You'll do just fine. Btw, took y'all 5 weeks to get the signal guide?! That is insane!!!! We had the guide and was going over signals everyday once we left PS 248. This has been answered a few times already, but I'd suggest writing signal definitions verbatim. Can't go wrong if what you write is what's in the book. And RSEC-write the whole thing!!

Oh...and about the midterm/final exams....although you dont need a 100% and you get a second if u fail the first time, the second chance will be all written...so yeah take them all seriously!

Schoolcar can be overwhelming if you let it get overwhelming!!!! Honestly I was a little nervous going into it, especially hearing all the stories and learning of all the ways one can fail out. TSS's are there to help you. As said in an earlier response, if you show determination and they can tell you're trying, they will give you their all. Take it day by day....dont get ahead of yourself....and DON'T go in there thinking you know everything! Stay humble and just try your best to learn and follow along with all the TSS's and superintendents you will meet(there will be a lot!). Oh....ask questions if u dont understand...then ask again....and ask again after that until it is clear!!! Best of luck!!! "10 ½ F S U"!!! You'll learn about that soon enough

As RTOman posted, they switch the tests up often..subwaydriver's post here is a testament to that. Our signal test was in january and it was more than 10 questions. And as subwaydriver posted, learn them word for word. You can intetpret it in your own way, but for test purposes you should learn them word for word

Yes....this year flew by!! Congrats and happy anniversary to us 11/12/12 inductees!!! And thank you mediccjh for starting this thread!!

That notice was issued TA wide! We it here in the A division as well

Lol!!! I'm dreading having to work midnight tour. I've heard that a lot of people have been lucky and never been scheduled for that tour and I hope I'm one of them. I find it so hard to sleep a good 8 hours in the day time and even if I do, its still hard for me to stay up and operating during the midnight hours. I'm sure I will adjust if I have to, but I'm hoping to stay am's! It still amazes me how many track workers/signal maintainers be on the road bed with no flagging! Have the gotten THAT comfortable down there. I've had a few close encounters already...people crossing tracks with no flags, or just chilling there on the roadbed as we coming around curves...crazy

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They take you to get one pair while in schoolcar. You will see plenty of people wearing their own types of boots, mainly Nike ACG boots, but while in schoolcar u gotta wear the TA approved footwear. If the ta shoes are bad for your feet, i believe you can get a note from your doc and then you'll be able to wear any OSHA approved footwear. I did hear something about is not having a contract with that same shoe company...idk how true that is

Don't plan on having the full weekend off bro! We did get the Friday off, but in return we had to report the Sunday after! Lmao!! I was staring to think it was just to stick it to us as well!! As always, thank you for your insight. Now it makes sense and I'm not so so bothered by it!!! I had been hearing that they do it just because they can and want to carve into our personal lives...and on the other end k had been hearing its for coverage purposes. Now that you explained, it makes sense!!

Maybe this isnt the right forum for this question, but i was hoping some of the senior guys can answer this. Why does the crew office schedule us xx people the way they do?! My first 4 days are usually early early am jobs(4-6am reports) and my friday is usually a late late am job(10-11:55am report). Its been like that for the last month or two.....every week like clockwork! Are they trained to schedule us like that??? Does anyone know the reason why?

As always, lots of great info on here! Study signals everyday. It seems like a lot(70+ signals to memorize) but you'll realize that its easier than you originally thought to learn them. I say try to memorize them word for word. You cant go wrong if you give the exact definition that is in the book/signal guide. I know guys who, on the test, put it in their own words and passed...but you gotta realize that you dont know which superintendent will be conducting the test and u dont knkw what mood they will be in!! Hearing protection is provided. A lot of guys dont wear it, but you will find out once u get down here how imperitive it is that you should wear hearing protection!! Train horns are extremely loud....going over switches or around curves makes a really loud screeching sound...when u dump a R62 type train its really loud!! Yard practicals, you will practice practice practice....and practice some more in schoolcar so you should be good And with this title more than others, getting rest and staying focused is extremely important!

Lots of good stuff in what was said here. The best thing for you Justin is to pay attention in schoolcar, pay attention to the tss's and also pay attention to people you post with. You'll learn the right things in schoolcar and you will hear a lot of crap from the "crew room attorneys", but you'll be able to weed out the good from the bad. Oh yeah...ask questions....ask again....and ask again if you're not sure. Then ask again to make sure!! Lol. Some people(rcc, dispstchers etc) might get annoyed with the questions, but let them. Best to ask and be sure than to not ask and mess up As was said by someone else, learn from other peoples mistakes! You will make some mistakes....EVERYONE DOES, but learn from them! You'll learn all about signals, fast stations, where you should brake, lineups etc. when you get out there and you'll develop your own method.

Dude, there's no way youre gonna have the energy to work another job. I thought about keeping my old job as a part time gig(had some killer flight benefits), but its almost impossible...mainly because of scheduling..we as extras almost never start the same time or at the same location 2 days in a row and we definitely dont finish the same time everyday! Yup....and even when you're able to pick a job its almost impossible....with a new pick every six months, you always run the risk of getting picked out of your job...especially with us being close to the bottom on the seniority list!!!

For real!! Everyday they looking for people to work OT or to come in on their rdo. Their supposedly soo short on workers.... Fair warning, when u get to your road operations, you will be going in Sunday evening!

Tss Urbanski is cool. I think he is right under supt Gibbs in schoolcar. Can come off as a jerk, but he's cool as long as you're doing what you should be. The signal test isn't as hard as long as you study your ass off and pay attention, but that doesn't take away the extreme attention that needs to be paid to signals. There are some superintendents that will ask you to explain a write in if its unclear, but I've heard (from the mouth of a schoolcar superintendent) that if you get a multiple choice question wrong, that's it. Remember TA is spending a lot of money on you to train you, so they're not trying to trip you up..but you have to know your signals! Good luck and welcome to all that started today and in previous classes!

Yup, and if you go to tens on your phone, you can download the entire work program. Its very convenient for looking jobs up on the go without having to sign into tens