SubwayGuy

Thank you, SubwayGuy! That was very helpful! Here's another oddball question. I was given a job that has a built in late clear. Can I bank the OT that's built into the job?

No, only unscheduled overtime may be saved as OTO. Any penalty built into a job must be taken as pay.

Additionally, straight bonus is not eligible for OTO either. That means you also can't OTO a "No Lunch" or breaking in a student. You could try, but it will likely get rejected unless they miss it.

Do we get extra sick days in the new year? My balance is bit higher than I thought... Also, when we work RDO's, can we bank any of it as OTO?

No, you don't get anything automatically on January 1 unless you have been with Transit for over a year, in which case you get a PLD.

Every year on May 1 you get 12 sick days. The sick year runs from May 1 to April 30 of the following year. If you are a new employee (who was not with Transit last May 1), you will continue to accrue 1 sick day per month until May 1, when you will get your 12 for the (next) sick year.

When you work RDO's you can bank the overtime as OTO, however, in order to do so, you must bank a minimum of two hours as OTO. You cannot bank less than 2 hours (unless your overtime is less than 2 hours, in which case you must bank the whole thing, or opt for pay). Obviously in the case of an RDO (minimum 8+4 for 12 hours) that does not apply, so you must bank a minimum of 2. But if you'd like, you can bank the whole thing, provided it doesn't put your OTO balance above 72 hours (you cannot carry more than 72 hours in the OTO bank, excess will be paid out to you).

If you have access to "The Crew Room" here, there's a thread in there explaining how all of the major leave balances work.

Hmm, I had been off probation for 2 months before I called out and they still asked for my address. Also, I never got a letter saying I'm in the 70% but I did get a letter saying that since I only used 1 day of sick leave that I could cash out 8 hours if I wanted (which I didn't)

Then you are still on the 30% list. The 30% list doesn't have anything to do with probation, when your sick record puts you in the top 70% of employees, then you'll be removed from the 30% list.

The only thing probation matters for is getting doctor's lines when booking sick (even for 1 day) to avoid getting hassled by schoolcar for booking off without lines.

Wow that seems like a major no no. Is there any way that could've been avoided? I assume so.

Reading iron, stopping before the heel of the switch, getting the switch number that's against you, calling the yard dispatcher/tower, and saying you don't have the iron at switch ###.

^ When you are a new employee, you are placed on the 30% list until you demonstrate a good sick usage record which puts you in the upper 70% of employees with sick records.

The 30% list is N-O-T the same thing as the "sick control list".

However, on the 30% list, you must substantiate any sickness of more than 2 days with doctor's lines, and must provide your address you are staying at when booking sick to Transit. However, since you are probationary, you will want to substantiate every sick instance with doctor's lines, at least until you finish probation.

If you demonstrate a good sick usage record, you will at some point receive a letter in the mail telling you that you are on the 70% list (this is a good thing). These letters coincide with the sick year which runs from May 1 to April 30. While you are new, you will continue receiving 1 sick day for each month of service. On May 1, you will get 12 sick days. Those will be the only ones you get until the following May 1, when you will get 12 more, and so on.

Those employees who are not on the 30% list (aka on the 70% list) must only substantiate any sickness of more than 3 days with doctor's lines, and do not have to provide their address they are staying when calling out. If you keep good sick time, you can look forward to this someday.

Sick control is far more restrictive, and is a separate list for people Transit considers high risk of being sick abusers. They have even more restrictions placed on them, including every sick instance requiring doctor's lines, being subject to home visits, and having to call in and out of the house. You will want to stay off this list during your career, going on it can be a pain in the a*** and it's not always easy to get off. I don't have a copy of the contract sitting in front of me, and can't really go off memory for this question, since I don't want to risk a misquote, but someone else may be able to provide more info about the particulars of what being on sick control entails.

Your AVA will remain in your bank if a day you request that has been approved falls on your RDO. You will not be charged an AVA for the date you requested, since it's your RDO.

Same goes if you pick vacation in days, and one of your vacation days falls on your RDO.

If that happens to you with a vacation day, the next time you request a day off, make sure to use your vacation balances first. Unlike AVAs, unused vacation will be paid out to you around the end of each calendar year (and taxed at supplemental payment rate, or almost half). So you want to use vacation and PLDs first, then OTO, then AVAs last since they roll over.

Anything is fair game for the final, it's not hard. You will see shortcuts out in the field, and it's good to know them because whether or not you love them, hate them, will use all of them, some of them, or NEVER use one...you will encounter them in the field, if not you then someone else doing it, and it's good to know how to protect yourself and your partner if possible.

Many new T/O's are so eager to show off "what they learned" when they come back to schoolcar they'll even answer questions wrong on quizzes and exams based on something they saw in the field. Don't make this mistake!

Same goes for any practical you take as well. When in schoolcar, do schoolcar. When you're on you're own you can do whatever you want, and suffer the consequences for it if you choose unwisely. But you will not make it through schoolcar, if you do other than schoolcar.

And don't forget your signals. Yes, even as write-ins, they have a nasty habit of showing up on the final exam.

@loydmike, thanks for the detailed info re hiring and list movement.  Here's hoping you can get your full medical done in December and start in January's class, so you don't have to re-do the drug screen.

 

@Andrew, thanks for the diet tips.  Diabetes is a huge concern in the general population (and for the MTA as our potential employer, more importantly) and I didn't realize they're testing blood sugar as well as drugs.

 

My hope is that hiring just keeps chugging along with classes going forward each month. 

 

Do any of the veteran train operators have any sense of how many more train operators the MTA will need to hire next year (2015)?

I know there's guesswork involved and anything can happen that changes the calculations - I appreciate any insight people may have.

Hiring is still going on at a rapid rate. They are more short in the A Division right now than the B, but there are quite a few classes slated to come out in the A in the coming months.

As for the B, classes are still coming out for the next couple months at least. They may be heavy on the B side at the moment, but that's in anticipation of all the retirements around the New Year since many employees retire around that time (they get next year's vacation as terminal leave when they do, which helps offset the pain of waiting for the first pension check). You are already seeing a few retirements on the B side the past few weeks, but it's just a trickle compared to what always occurs between December and February. A Division will likely have a similar exodus, and the reinforcements will be coming in around the time that it picks up.

Hiring will continue at these elevated levels until at least after the winter exodus, then they will likely re-evaluate based on retirements what the personnel needs are.

Vets are always willing to help those who are willing to listen....

 

The problem has been with these " oh yeah I know this" attitudes with some of these folks... Or just not even listening at all...

 

Or just plain clueless and its a miracle they got to yd posting.

 

Seen it myself first hand.....

^^^ Yup. New guys wrapping it around as they approach lunar white timers, asking for permission to leave a track when the jack is red/red in their face, disappearing while they're on the clock and not telling anyone where they're going, copping an attitude when someone declines them as a student (it's nothing personal when this happens...some will take you, some won't...and some you don't want to take you anyway), and you try and pull them aside and say, "listen this is how it is, just so you protect yourself" and all you get is a bunch of "I know this, I know that, they told us this that and the other thing, it's not supposed to be that way, i ain't [something or other]" caca...

Attitude is anyone's worst enemy down there. Be humble, know your job, and move in relative silence, not making a name for yourself and you will be fine...

There are humble ones too who are willing to put in their work and learn the job and they will go far...

Heading into my first night of yard posting. My one and only concern is actually getting a senior guy that doesn't want to train me. If I can get someone that is willing to train me, he/she will have my undivided attention... and my gratitude.

Most trainers genuinely do want to help you. The regulars in the yards are usually pretty good and have a ton of knowledge. Some are better than others. I always stress the importance of taking notes during yard posting since you will see a lot of locations in a short time, and that thing that seemed common sense and easy to remember in the first yard you posted in will be a distant memory in a couple weeks as you absorb the rest of them.

Definitely ask questions (there are often things an instructor may not remember to cover), and try to learn the common moves at that location. In yards you'll want to know:

-Where the car wash is, if there is one. And if you have R46/68/142/A/143/160/188 equipment if you must wait for car equipment to bungee the springs before going in (some yards it's OK).

-How to enter and leave the yard. If the yard leads to more than one put in location, how to get to each.

-What tracks you require permission to come off of in the yard

-What tracks you never require permission to come off of in the yard (yes, there are a few locations where you will get lectured over the radio if you ask for permission when you've gotten the lineup instead of just moving out)

-Any areas of the yard where certain equipment cannot go or is restricted (AKA not taking B Division equipment up the IRT flyovers in Concourse or 207 Yard)

-Where the car desk is. Sounds silly, but it's here for a reason. Six months from now you may work a yard job in that location and your partner may be brand new (newer than you) as YX. Now you get the laundry list of moves. First move is to pull something out of the barn. Where's the car desk?

-When you're drilling in the yard (making cuts and adds) where you have to go to get behind the signals necessary to make moves onto and off tracks associated with cutting/adding

-The track numbering scheme in each yard, so if you are given a track number for a put-in, or a yard move, you can find it.

-Any abnormalities of the yard. Derails, tracks without third rail, loop tracks, hand throw switches, circle K signals, mainline jacks, ready to proceed punches, tight tracks, anything hard to see, etc.

Switching you'll want to learn the same things, but in locations where relays are also performed you'll also want to learn the relay moves. There is more than one way to relay at a train at any location, you'll want to learn all the moves.

I cannot stress the importance of taking notes enough. Also everyone in your class will "get" a slightly different posting experience because of different trainers and different days (different moves). If everyone takes notes, you can all compare when you meet back up with your class, and the knowledge gained is greater.

Yes the practice moving the train, and improving your train control, and practicing station stops on layups and put-ins that make use of the mainline may well be good and exciting, but that's not why you're being posted. You're being posted to familiarize with the physical characteristics of the railroad.

Some of your trainers will probably try to show you the non-schoolcar way of doing things. While I will never tell anyone to do anything that isn't schoolcar, resist the urge to automatically block this out. Even if you never intend to do it this way (and I certainly don't recommend taking a shortcut you don't understand), recognize it's something you might encounter out in the field. Even if it's not something YOU did wrong, it could be something a partner does wrong in the future, someday when you're working a yard job. You might want to ask about the shortcut, and even take notes about it because a senior person can usually explain the pitfalls of such a shortcut, and how to troubleshoot them. With so many new people and the YX program, it's entirely possible for you to be one of the more experienced people in the yard on a given day in a few months. You need the knowledge of the equipment to correct silly mistakes that can occur when people take shortcuts. Things like, what happens if angles are pulled in the middle of the train? How will you know what's wrong, and what will the train do to indicate this could be the problem? Or why is there no indication? Or what happens if you want to add a train and the couplers just won't line up? You'll want to get this stuff down as it's fairly basic.

Schoolcar classes are either from 7AM-3PM or 3PM-11PM. You don't have a choice as to what time they will be, and you won't know until training has already begun since the first week is mostly administrative. You won't break up into your individual classes until the 2nd week, and you won't find out what class you're in until Thursday or Friday of the 1st week. So to answer your question, it's impossible to know your hours unless you have a hook with someone in schoolcar, and even if it was, it's still subject to change. My advice: seniority counts. Get down here as fast as you are able. Every class you wait is more people who are leapfrogging you in seniority.

No other hours are offered for classes.

Though schoolcar generally follows this framework, there are changes to it here and there for days which require certain special scheduling...days like fire school, or the simulator may alter the start times. Likewise you will report to various locations with in your subdivision (A - number trains, B - letter trains) so a report time that may be great one day may be terrible the next if it means two hours of travel across 3 boroughs to get to the reporting location. All part of the job...

Once you begin "posting" (aka on the job training with more senior employees) - your schedule will vary from that of your classmates as it's made individually for you, and you will likely rotate shifts.

Between yard extra (working yard and switching jobs on your own) and road "posting" you will also have two weeks of station stop practice where you will work a modified midnight schedule from 7PM to 3AM. Then you will resume "posting", this time in passenger service (aka road posting) - again your schedule will be made individually for you, and you will rotate shifts.

Once you are released from schoolcar, you belong to the crew office, and they will assign your days off and shift based on the needs of the service. Despite this sounding awful, if you show up to work and don't give them a hard time, usually things settle down as more new hires are brought in, and your schedule will (believe it or not) actually be fairly regular at some points, with infrequent changes. They usually won't change you every week, anyway.

This will continue until you are able to pick a job, at which point you choose your days off and hours based on what is available after employees with more seniority than you have already done the same.

Hope that helps.

A couple of questions. The earliest you can request a day off is 20 days in advance? So if I wanted to request a particular Saturday off, the earliest I would call is on a Saturday night at midnight? With regards to certain jobs that finish at less than 8 hours at a different location than you reported at, those particular jobs generally have the deadhead built in?  How does one know how much they're getting paid?

That is correct for AVA, OTO, PLD, unscheduled vacation days, and your birthday. If you want Christmas (12/25) off, you call December 5th at 12:00AM. AKA the night of December 4th. Vacation weeks and scheduled vacation days (which are chosen annually during the fall pick) are the only days you may request off more than 20 days in advance.

Yes, as medic said, the work program displays the time worked and the pay for the job.

-This is a #4 line job that starts at Utica Avenue and ends at Woodlawn, just like the question you're asking.

-To the right, (721) is the time worked. Job works 7 hours and 21 minutes.

-Job pays 833 (far right). 8 hours and 33 minutes. How this is calculated: 7 hours and 21 minutes worked + Deadhead time of 61 minutes from Woodlawn to Utica Ave. (not listed here - but you can calculate it from the work program) = 8 hours and 22 minutes total work. The 22 minutes is overtime (in excess of 8 hours in a day), so add 11 minutes bonus for time and a half = Total pay 8 hours and 33 minutes.

-Underneath you see 619. This is the night differential. 6 hours and 19 minutes of the total job pay will be paid with night differential added. Night differential is paid on holidays, weekends, and time worked on weekdays after 1800 hrs, and before 0559 hours.

-Underneath you see 05. This is radio time. You do not have WAA or boost time at the end of your job, so you will be given 5 additional minutes pay for radio time. So the job actually pays 8:38 when all is said and done. If you see 00 here, your job does not have radio time. If you see a number between 01 and 04, your job has some WAA or boost (but less than 5 minutes worth) so your radio time is reduced by this amount of WAA or boost.

Passed exam & practical. Phew :-) Now I just hope on yard posting, someone is kind enough to share their knowledge. I feel that now....the true learning begins.

Congratulations. Be sure to ask lots of questions and make sure you understand the common moves. And definitely take notes, in time you will forget things that make sense to you when they are explained, but that info will help you down the road later on.

Signal exam & practical this week. A little nervous because I know whats at stake, but TSS gave us mock exam & we all aced it. So I'm confident but never complacent.

Best of luck to you. It's the most stressful part of schoolcar.

Congrats to all who just started & are starting on 12/1. I will give a bit of advice. If for some strange reason 2 classes are at the same yard & one happens to be a senior class, don't let them sway you. Had that experience a while back & just recently we had a new class at a yard with us, but we gave them some advice rather than scare them.TSS' thanked us. When you guys are in the yards, on the tracks on the mainline, please, please, please.....be careful. Watch that 3rd rail & never step on a running rail. Avoid walking in switch points too. Look both ways & keep safe distances from others in case you have to clear up. Be safe guys & study those books.

It's sad you say that - a "senior" class should not be looking down on a "newer" class. You are all still in schoolcar! Seniority doesn't matter yet.

People should be looking to HELP each other down here, and look out for the new people. That's how it was at one time, and that's how it needs to be. It's good that your class took the high road about that, but no one should be getting a swelled head because they have 6 months and another class has 3. You're all rookies! Embrace it and help each other out. It's good that's what your class did, even if the other class didn't.

Until you pass that road practical and come out on your own you're still a "Student" anyway, not even qualified for full work in the job title yet!

Sadly, there are already quite a few "know it alls" in recent classes down here, already thinking they are the cat's meow, and some haven't even worked a day on the road on their own yet. Attitude is everything down here. I keep saying it on this board, but it's true. No one that works here knows everything. No one. Some know way more than others, but no one knows, everything. You can learn something new - maybe not every day - but definitely every week you work here, whether it's moving to a different title, picking someone's brain, getting rerouted or turned at a spot you've never made a move before, filling out an OT slip for something you've never done...whatever. Those who are focused on showing the world that they know everything are often too busy learning ways to do that, than to actually learn things that will increase their knowledge. Sadly, quite a few are already coming out of schoolcar with that mentality.

What's up everyone I'm list #316x. I've been following this post for a while now. Just finished up medical yesterday and start school car on Dec 1st. A few questions I'm sure you guys have the answer for. How long before medical benefits start? I'm assuming 90 days from hire date? Are there school car classes on holidays like Christmas and if so do you get time and a half on those days? Do you get paid for Orientation? And was the last class that went in able to pick their division A or B or was everyone assigned to the same division. Thanks for any answers in advance. I can't wait to get started.

Medical benefits start on the first of the month that follows your completion of 90 days from hire.

-IE if you are hired on Dec 1, 90 days will be March 1, your benefits will start March 1. Were you hired Dec. 10, 90 days would be sometime in mid March, so your benefits wouldn't actually start until April 1.

Schoolcar classes do not happen on TA holidays like Christmas, or New Year's Day. Minor holidays can be an exception. If you ever have to work a TA holiday (and you will) there is no time and a half. Rather, you will receive 8 hours "holiday pay". So if you are working an 8 hour job, it is effectively double time. But it is not double time. If you work a 10 hour job, you will still only receive 8 hours holiday pay. Additional options like declining holiday pay in favor of banking a future day off will be explained to you later, you don't need to worry about that now.

You get paid for orientation at the starting pay rate for your title.

Can't speak to the last class that started being able to pick division, but you should also know that what the last class did doesn't matter for you, or anyone after you. The needs of the service dictate where new hires go (A Division or B). If there is a provision that the class be split, then in seniority order, the new hires will select divisions until one is full, and everyone left will go to the other division.

Yes, that is part of the signal exam. Remember when you are "keying by" to do it schoolcar for the practical. No rolling key by. 2 distinct stops. One 15 feet in advance in the signal, another once you've bridged the IJ while you ensure the stop arm goes down and retains. Then Restricted speed / extreme caution to the next signal.

Hey SubwayGuy, what is the purpose for the timers going Queensbound after Queens Plaza?

Which track? I haven't been on the R in a while, but on the E (express track) those aren't actually timers, they just behave like them. They're approach signals that protect the switches where the the 63 St. tube tracks join the Queens Blvd. line. As long as the lineup is established to the home signal south of 36th, they'll clear off as the train approaches.

There's a signal like that leaving 7th Ave. going Queensbound on the E, as well as one of the homeballs north of 59 on the A (express track) going south. There are several others as well, come to think of it, but these are some of the more obvious ones. You won't see a posted GT sign, or any aspect associated with time, but the signal starts to clear when the train bridges a particular IJ as it approaches. As long as the train doesn't come flying through (and in some cases it can), they clear. However, if the home signal isn't cleared off for the train (IE a train is crossing in front of you), the approach signals won't clear at all.

Leaving Queens Plaza is one of those areas where a T/O has to be careful since you can't "assume" you have the lineup until the approach signals clear (the controlling home signal is around a curve). Leaving 7th Ave. on the E, you can see the home signal, so many T/O's are more aggressive approaching that location, and the approaches will clear off as the train closes in on it.

What ever happened to this thread?

 

I was on an R62 yesterday that ran at 44-45 mph on the northbound Chambers to 14th section. Is that quick? I usually think of the southbound as the faster part. The operator purposefully crawled through Wall and some others to get some space from the leader, worked out well. Had to hit full service to clear a timer under the river, though. 

 

Should also add, textbook example of a broken speedo on the the other week, cleared the downhill on the roller coaster express at "88 mph," felt like Back to the Future...

I've hit 47-48 on that stretch on the 3 before, but there's a timer in Christopher you have to slow down for. It clears at 28 comfortably.

Hanging back when following your leader is always a good strategy. It allows them to get ahead a bit, then when you see more greens you can pick it up and stay close without having to slow down for the yellows and reds. For new people it's smart because they don't run the risk of getting tripped by a hidden red they "didn't" see until the last minute.

The timers in the tube on the 3 are a bit tricky southbound, but northbound they're pretty fair...I would take the first one at about 23, then the last 2 at 26, wrapping it up a few car lengths before the last timer so that it clears green in your window and the train gets up to about 40-41 before the grade changes and goes up hill. Coast at the 20 miles sign (the 20 miles is for the curve, and you'll come into the curve at 20 if you do this) and hold 2 points all the way into Wall St., you'll be doing 15 by the time you reach that sign south of Wall St.

Ques: When do you start to "Post" in School Car, basically you are assigned a Train Operator; how many & how long????

Generally a different one every day. How long depends on what division you are in. For yard and station switching you are supposed to post each location once. For road you are supposed to post each line at least once, but some lines you will see more. In the IRT you should post each line at least twice, some as many as 3-4 times.

Just got done with the yard posting now it's on to YX. Time flies down here before you know it that bag will have rules and tools only. I seen a new class at 239 yd the other day was that anyone in here?

Congrats. Remember to ask questions if you don't know moves! YX will be what you make of it. If you try to learn the moves at locations, write them down, and try to remember them...you'll get a lot out of it - more than those of us who went straight to the road. If you just see it as working a senior job and sitting down watching TV, well then you'll be able to have great convo's about every episode of Maury, and you'll be a master chef from watching the Chew.

But only one of those will be beneficial to your career! Good luck, and all the best.

It depends. If your doctor is in network with United, it's the cheapest. No referrals, no questions asked, everything is paid for in full.

Blue Cross Blue Shield you will pay copays, but you can go out of network if you'd like.

If you get the high option, some people use that for the added dental benefits.

I've always done my dental entirely outside Transit as I don't really like any of the plans they've offered over the years.

There's no one right answer for anyone, it depends on your circumstances, what insurance your doctor takes, etc.

As far what my TSS's say, retirement can be scheduled & from what they know, coming by year's end into next year, you'll see retirements taking place. Also they told us, don't listen to guys in the crew rooms. They look at you(new guys) as the replacements. Just keep doing right by yourself & things will go well.

Don't believe that hype. Experienced employees are one of the best resources to learn the job once you are on your own.

But be careful who you listen to. Ignore the f*** ups and those with attitude. There are lots of people who are willing (and able) to help you if you ask.

This rift between new and experienced workers is dumb and divides us. Each generation has its good ones and its screw ups.

If you answer yes to any of the questions that could indicate a long term health issue, they will ask you if it's a problem, and ultimately, you will be required to get a note from your doctor stating that you are fit work as a train operator.

IE answering yes to "have you ever been an emergency room patient" does not trigger this process. But answering yes to something along the lines of "have you ever had a heart attack" certainly would.

If you can't get the note from your doctor that day, then you will be placed on medical hold until such time as you can produce it. While you are on medical hold, classes will continue to be filled. You cannot be placed in a class until you clear the medical hold and go through final processing and swearing in.

Today was my first day in the yard and real official day of training, it was so much fun. I was talking to one of my TSS' about being extra-extra and getting an assigned route. They said that there would be around 140+ people under me on the seniority list and we would get placed relatively quickly. I assume for that to happen, they would have to hire for December also. But that is just a guest.   

Don't worry about getting a picked run. It matters not how many are behind you, only how many are in front of you, when determining that sort of thing.

Focus on learning all the routes in your division - their nuances, where every home signal on each line is supposed to take you, and where else it can send you if service is  disrupted. Learn the stations and all the equipment, how it handles, and how to troubleshoot it...and gain as good a familiarity as you can get with all the yards and terminals. Once you have that down, is only the time you should worry about picking. Since by then you'll be close to it, and can ask someone to show you how the board works.