Tommy John

I will be honest here. I finished my 2nd week and I do feel overwhelmed. My brain is all over the place. So is the rest of the class.

LexAveExp5, thanks for the explanation. Its nice, simple and easy to remember !

SubwayGuy, this is the best Christmas present that I can receive seriously ! Thanks for the gifs. Now I can visualize it at the comfort at my own home.  It was rough yesterday trying to retain all the info he was saying outside with a wind chill in the teens.  I wish they would of told us the day before that we would be outside literally the whole day so we would be more prepared and dress for the occasion(long johns, thermals etc).  Everyone was freezing their ass off.

Thanks SubwayGuy for the in depth response. It helps me greatly.

Today we met our TSS for the first time. TSS Alesso and TSS Barnswell.  Anyone have them ? I did a search and their names didn't come up in this thread.  TSS Alesso did all of the talking/teaching. He seems like a strict instructor. He took us around the entire Coney Island yard. We 'read the iron'.  Got confused a little with reading the iron. I know trailing the point you can split the switch and if your facing the point the worse thing can happen is you go to the wrong track but you cant split the switch.  I got a little confused on if your looking at the switch if you should be going to the left, right or straight depending on the layout. I will ask him to explain it again next time in class. I was kicking myself for not getting it right away.

Thanks Etrain for the supportive words. You are right in terms of classmates make great support and feels like family already. Putting them on flash cards is a great idea ! Im glad there is a forum like this and new/veteran TO's sharing their experiences. It really helps people out like me.

Thanks Beneka for the heads up. Yeah I am definitely going in there knowing jack crap about anything because that is the truth. lol. The last person that is going to act like a big shot is me..believe me.   I for sure going to take all the quizzes and tests seriously and study like I need to get a 100 on those as well.

Finished Day 3. Was at the TWU Union Hall today on Montague St.  Tom is first day at 248.

BrianRichards, once again thanks for the post man. It helps me greatly. I just finished the 1st day of orientation and yeah it was exactly like you said. A lot of people in the room. T/Os and Special Inspectors.  Man I am excited and nervous at the same time but I am glad there is a forum like this with posters like you and others. It eases my mind a bit.. Thanks again !

Andrew, thanks for the tip.  I keep reading about the signal exam and how that is the main one that people are worried about because you have to get 100% (not to say the quizzes, midterm, final is not important). It would be crazy if one lets say gets 100% on all the quizzes, midterm and final but gets a 99% on the signal and gets canned.  <<== That would be mentally detrimental.

Thanks for the tip. What exactly do you mean when you say "respect" the yellows, switches, stop arm and signals ? Do you mean that is what people mess up on if they do mess up ? 

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write this out. Means a lot to mean.  Your explanation is exactly what this rookie is looking for. Much respect.

I am about to go to school car. I am both excited and nervous. For the people who recently pass school car you can pretty much know how I feel right about now. For you guys looking back was school car harder or easier than you expected ? I come from a sales background and never had any "hands-on" type of work but this is a job I always wanted. I am reading all these jargon words being used in this thread which I have no idea what they mean. lol. Thanks for any feedback.

You never stop learning down here.

 

By the time you are released from schoolcar you should feel comfortable handling a train and operating in any environment. The rest is familiarization (there are literally thousands of obscure moves that you could be asked to make down here, and no one person knows them all). So you will continue learning for the rest of your career. If you don't, or you stop learning...you're doing it wrong.

 

By 3-4 months out of schoolcar you should have mastered operation of the lines in your division along the "regular" service patterns, but you'll still have much more to learn, and it will stay that way as long as you work here...even if you promote, or even if you just stay a T/O for the rest of your time.

Thank you SubwayGuy for the response.  Yeah I figured the learning will never stop, ever, just wondered in terms of what you said 'mastered the operations in my division'. You put it better in words than what I tried to convey. Thanks again man, much respect.

Questions for all you T/O's. How long did it take you personally(after school car) to become used to the job ? Meaning you go to work and you are familiar with everything like the back of your hand and everything becomes routine or 2nd nature to you?  I know everyone will be different but just curious.  For example my brother in law is a yellow taxi driver and he told me it took him about 1 year on the job to feel comfortable at it meaning he knows how to go to 95% of destinations, knows the ins and outs of traffic signs, where cops hide(lol) to give you a summons and all the little nuances of the job itself etc stuff like that.. Thanks guys for your feedback.

Thanks again guys for the advice ! Really means a lot ! Subway guy thanks for the in depth detail of this.  Man this is a lot to absorb !!

A division training is 4 months and B division is 6 months also for now they are having train operators do 3 months in the yard halfway thru training in addition to the regular training. As far as the signals quiz dont worry about it you will have time to prepare for it I belive they give it to you before they sent you to the yard for 3 months. Dont get to far ahead of yourself, as long as you study and pay attention you will be fine.

Actually, A Division training is 7 months and the B Division is 9 months

30 mins a day, every day, and that Signal Exam will be cake.

 

Congratulations, and welcome to RTO.

Thank you guys for the responses. Appreciate you helping a rookie out.  Seems like they increased the training right ? From what I read on here people said it was 3-5 1/2 months before or am I mistaken ?  Man I am excited for this new venture !

Sorry, I have these questions I hope someone can help me answer.

1) From what I read A division is around 3 months training and B division is around 5 months of training more or less because B division you have more train types to learn correct ? If so I assume the B division exams, quizzes will be harder because it covers more material ? There are no advantages of choosing B division ?

2) When exactly is the signal exam?  I read someone said its right in the middle of training but I also read from somebody else that it is at the very end of training ?

Thanks again guys and gals for answering my rookie questions. Damn I hate being a rookie in anything. lol.

Anyone else going to medical before the 16th?

You will get a signals booklet. Study that. Over and over and over..

 

 

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Thank you brother.

For people who took the signal exam do you recommend I start reading Chapter 3 on the Rules and Regulations book before I start school car or am I going to receive some other book for the signal test material ? Thanks

Tommy John. Congrats! Question about eye test. I wear glasses and contacts. Have been wearing since I was 12 and now I'm 42. So vision is my concern. On a scale from 1-10 how would you have rated your vision B4 the exam. And would you rate it differently after the exam. Obviously this is your own assessment. Thanks for the detailed info. Glad to hear you got it. Good luck

Hi. Thanks man.  I went to the eye doctor after the D/T and before medical to have them checked. She said my eye sight is about 1 level below 20/20 and I really didn't "need" glasses.  Though I told her I want it perfect because I might need to take an eye test for a job and she gave me a prescription where I got some glasses. I was tested with and without glasses. Without glasses I was right around the passing line on the test which is a 7. I would say I read line #6 perfectly and most of line #7 but got some wrong. (my previous post I mentioned the eye exam you have lines 1 to 12, 12 being the furthest).  With glasses on I was able to read line #9.  You must have some superman vision to see lines 11 and 12 because I couldn't make out squat on those. I concur on what previous posters said about the eye exam that it was no joke.  A girl in front of me failed the exam. She could see line #10 perfectly but she got only 1 right on the 3-D hologram portion. Hope this helps. Good luck man.

Well done. See you were getting anxious and everything worked out. Thank u 4 the heads up. Can u please be more specific on the blood pressure n EKG please?

Thanks brother, appreciate it.  Ok,  the EKG took about 30 secs literally. You go into a small room and take off your shirt and any metal objects on you (belt, phone, shoes if you have metal buckle, coins etc) then you lie down and the nurse attached a few "nodes" on your chest, arm, leg and the computer next to you prints out something and that was it.  The blood pressure is done first thing. Nurse took blood pressure on both arms.  Oh I forgot to mention after when you go see the doc for the results the doc checked your heartbeat with a stethoscope, front side then on your backside. Doc also checked my reflexes and asked me series of questions (kind of like the questionnaire you filled out in the beginning of medical at the computer)

Congrats! When do you start?

I start on the 16th of Dec. Thanks man !

I passed medical ! Got out around 2:30pm.  Everyone who described medical is spot on.  Here is my breakdown and hope it helps somebody out here going for medical. I want to give back to this forum like how other people give back after their experience. 

1) I got there like 6:30am. Be sure to get there early like everyone stated because around 7am there is a FLOCK of people following the HR person up the elevator.  If you went for the D/T already you should know how that lady from HR looks like because if you don't follow her up the elevator you will be like #50 on line even though you were the first one there.  This crap happen to me when I went for the D/T.  The security guard wouldn't let me up to the 5th floor until the HR lady came. He told me I can go up AFTER the FLOCK of people followed her up. So I was like #50 on line which pissed me off. First one there yet I was like #50 on line.  When you first get your ticket # the front desk will give you another packet to fill out. Its for your primary beneficiary in case you died on duty and other miscellaneous forms.

2) The eye and hearing test for ME was no joke.  It was a lot tougher than expected. Especially the eye test. You have 3d holograms that you have to pick which of the 4 circles are 3-D.  There is a distance test (that one was tough for me).  There are lines 1 to 12. Passing is minimum line #7.  I just made it to line #9.  Then you have to see in your peripheral vision either left or right side of your eyes are the lights turned on. The eye exam is pretty thorough.  The hearing they put you in like a sealed "box" where you put on headphones and listen to directions from the headphones.  You press like a button (same like the game show Jeopardy) everytime you hear a sound. They test you thoroughly both left and right ears for me.  There was times I didn't hear any sounds for like 15 secs and I started to get paranoid. I am not sure if they do that on purpose or if I really couldn't hear the beeps.  Luckily I passed that. My hearing wasn't perfect from what the doc said but well in range for the job.  My suggestion IF you don't have perfect vision or cant see perfectly from far GET GLASSES.  I passed the ekg and blood pressure with flying colors.  The wait for the results from the doc was the most excruciating wait of my life.  I bit my fingernails down to the skin during the wait. LOL.

3) Got done with medical around 12pm. Then went back to the other side and handed in my booklet to the front desk, then waited till around 1pm. Sat down with investigator and went over the 21 page booklet.  Like everyone said on here DISCLOSE EVERYTHING.  I wrote like a mini novel on the 21 page booklet and she was like since you wrote a story I don't have any questions for you.  I was as specific as possible which led to her not having to question me at all.    Then sign more forms, then was sent to fingerprinting, then came back to her office, signed more forms, got my new employee books and packet, got sworn in and hired !  Afterwards got my picture taken for my ID which I will get 1st day at orientation.

If anyone has questions feel free to ask me as I am glad to help.

Quick question to the people who handed in their 21 page booklet.

Literally on day of medical when did you hand in your 21 page booklet?  Immediately when you got there? After medical? Before medical?

The reason I ask is I want to ask them for another booklet because I made some mistakes by writing on the wrong line, crossing it out and it looks sloppy. I don't want to hand in something looking like that. It doesn't look professional. I wanted to go today but it was closed.  I was hoping they would give me a booklet and I have time to rewrite it on the new one.

Thanks.

What does TOS stand for in transit?

I think it means "Terms Of Service"

No letter yet. But I'm anxiously checking the mail everyday. I realize a letter is just the beginning and from the look of thing I'll be taking multiple DTs seeing that they are only at 1600 and I'm in the low 2100's but it will feel good to get an opportunity at a position like this.

 

Congrats to Tommy John. Keep us updated on what happens next week. If I read u right I'm some what worried about the job history. I'm over 40 and have had multiple jobs over the years. To many to list here but I have done everything from teaching high school to driving a tractor trailer. I'm gonna be filling that booklet up and then some with jobs and explanations of resignations and terminations. I am going with the mind set that I have to give them what they ask for and let them decide. I would rather know I didn't get the position as early as possible than get it and find out during school car or probation that a check comes back and they terminate me. I don't think there is anything in my history that would cause that but I rather err on the side of caution. I'm a pessimist. Well good luck to everyone out there and thanks to those guys that are in training and done with it that keep us people informed. All the info is greatly appreciated. Peace and happy turkey day to all

Thanks Axelt.  Don't congrats me just yet. I am a pessimist too.  Once I pass medical and pass the one year probation period then I can breathe a sigh of relief. Good luck to you too man ! Happy Thanksgiving to all !

You are welcome, I was in your shoes a year ago  so I know what your going thru right now and know every bit of help goes a long way.

I'm glad that you are kind enough to help us that are in the position where you were a year ago. Speaks volume. Much respect.

Be honest with your answers, because they do check up on things and I have seen people get terminated this year for not disclosing things in their background check which is what the 21 page booklet is about.  You do sit down with an investigator after you pass your medical and he or she will ask you questions regarding what you put on that booklet, that will give you a chance to explain yourself and let them know your side of the story if they even ask you about it.  Unless you have a pattern of just quiting all of your other jobs I wouldn't worrry about it but if you dont disclose it and they find out they will not be very considerate of you no matter how well you being doing so far.  So be truthful and you will be fine. Congratulations and good luck.

Thanks Etrain for your sound advice man. Greatly appreciate it !