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MTA NYC Transit Train Operator FAQ


Y2Julio

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MTA Train Operator FAQ

Thanks to Jah for helping with this FAQ.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Ok, I’ve taken the exam, now what? When will I get called?

A: After you take the test, you will receive a letter stating you list number. This could be anytime after taking the test, one month and could be up to one year. This is the same for everyone no matter what you scored.

 

Q: What's this A division and B division I keep hearing about?

A: The A division is the numbered lines: (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). The B division is the lettered lines: (A)(:)(C)(D)(E)(F)(G)(J)(L)(M)(N)(Q)(R)(W)(Z).

 

Q: Can I pick what division I want to work in?

A: When you first start in school car you may have a chance to pick which division you want to work in or you may be told which division you will work in. Once in a division you are stuck there until you have enough seniority to pick a job in the other. Usually at least 2 years but this time varies from 1-5 years.

 

Q: I don't know anything about trains, can I still be a train operator?

A: Everything you need to know in order to pass school car and become a T/O will be taught to you. The "hardest" part of the training to most is the signal test because you must get a perfect score or you fail out of school. This causes alot of stress for some students but you will have plenty of chances to learn the signals and you will take a practice test which is basically the same test.

 

Q: How long is school car? What would I be doing?

School car for a T/O is 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for about 6 months in the B division and about 3 months in the A. During this time you will be qualified on all of the equipment in the division that you are working in, all of the lines in the division, and all of the yards in the division. You will travel around the entire system so that you can learn where all of the dispatchers offices, crew rooms, and crew reporting centers are.

 

Q: Can you fail school car?

A: Yes some people fail school car, being a T/O isn't for everyone.

 

Q: Ok, I've passed school car, now what? Do I get to pick what hours I work or what lines I work?

A: Once you finish school car and become a fully qualified T/O you will be what is called road extra or extra extra. You now belong to the crew office who will assign you a tour of duty to work either Midnight (2200-359), A.M. (400-1159), or P.M. (1200-2159), and they will also assign you days off. Both of these can change by the week if the needs of the service call for it but usually you will stay the same for most of the time. You will get your job assignments 2 days in advance through an automated phone number. You will be working jobs that are open for the day for various reasons like the regular T/O is sick or on a medical. The tour of duty that you work means that your jobs will start anytime within that tour. For example you can work an a.m. job that starts at 4:30 or one that starts at 11:50.

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how come your midnight shift is only 6 hours and your PM shift is 10?

 

That's what Jah gave and it doesn't matter since your shift can start in any tour. You can start as AM and finish in the PM tour.

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how come your midnight shift is only 6 hours and your PM shift is 10?

 

That's just how the tours are set up. It isn't necessary to be 8,8,8 like for the police because we don't actually work the tour those are just the hours that your job can start between.

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What would be a brief summary on what are your day to day duties in School car from start to finish.(K)<R>

 

You do different things everyday. There is alot to learn in a short amount of time. Alot of time will obviously be spent on messing with trains in the yard, learning everything about them and practicing what you just learned.

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

other than the signals test are there any other tests?
Oh HECK yeah!Yur gonna get tests weekly.These tests give yur TSS's an idea of who's slacking or picking up the information.If you fail these little tests(Quiz) they'll give you a second chance.After that you qualify for tutoring which you get paid OT for....Yur gonna get a midterm and a final.Yur gonna get a Yard practical exam,brake-pipe rupture practical,road practical.(all HANDS on)I'm telling you, once you pass schoolcar it's a BIG relief!
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Oh HECK yeah!Yur gonna get tests weekly.These tests give yur TSS's an idea of who's slacking or picking up the information.If you fail these little tests(Quiz) they'll give you a second chance.After that you qualify for tutoring which you get paid OT for....Yur gonna get a midterm and a final.Yur gonna get a Yard practical exam,brake-pipe rupture practical,road practical.(all HANDS on)I'm telling you, once you pass schoolcar it's a BIG relief!

 

Lets hope he doesn't get bothered by the dik TSS ahaha :cool::(

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Hey if you don't get him you get someone like him. He on the (A) Line now got bounced from the (V)
If that's the same one we're talking about on the (A),he wrote up a C/R because he/she didn't ask "partner you got the line-up?" But...the T/O told the C/R "Partner we got the line-up" BEFORE he/she could ask!This SOB wrote the C/R up and said "tell yur mother I wrote you up!"(C/R mom is a TSS) Straight up sucka move...:tdown:
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If that's the same one we're talking about on the (A),he wrote up a C/R because he/she didn't ask "partner you got the line-up?" But...the T/O told the C/R "Partner we got the line-up" BEFORE he/she could ask!This SOB wrote the C/R up and said "tell yur mother I wrote you up!"(C/R mom is a TSS) Straight up sucka move...:tdown:

Can't someone file a grievance against him with the union? I know I would.

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Oh HECK yeah!Yur gonna get tests weekly.These tests give yur TSS's an idea of who's slacking or picking up the information.If you fail these little tests(Quiz) they'll give you a second chance.After that you qualify for tutoring which you get paid OT for....Yur gonna get a midterm and a final.Yur gonna get a Yard practical exam,brake-pipe rupture practical,road practical.(all HANDS on)I'm telling you, once you pass schoolcar it's a BIG relief!

 

I thought the TA did not want T/Os trying to fix things like brake pipe ruptures and other things that took more then resetting a curcit breaker?

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Can't someone file a grievance against him with the union? I know I would.
If he keeps finding little things to write you up for then you can...You have to have history with this guy and write down dates,statements,times etc. to build a case.One incident like this is kinda petty and WOULD get thrown out anyways.TA got BIGGER fish to fry!NOW...if a bunch of people get together and write him up then they'll see that possibly he could be the problem.Supervision hardly gets in trouble tho...the worse thing they'll do is kick you out the area.
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I thought the TA did not want T/Os trying to fix things like brake pipe ruptures and other things that took more then resetting a curcit breaker?
It's a double edge sword!They wan't you to know how to do it BUT in most cases,they'll tell you to wait for an RCI and TSS.Heck,you wan't a break right??Why try to figure out a problem when they pay people BIG bucks to trouble-shoot these things..lol I'd wan't the train taken out of service so I can chill.It won't hurt to know what's going on tho!This seperates the T/O's from Motormen...NYCTA(NO YOU CAN'T TOUCH ANYTHING!)
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Ah how the times have changed. I read that back in the 50's and 60' and even before then M/M took pride in fixing their trains before and RIC would show up. Isn't the rule now that if you can't fix it with your vapor key or cab key, you can't fix it. Now what kind of problems on the road would RCC tell you to fix?

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It's a double edge sword!They wan't you to know how to do it BUT in most cases,they'll tell you to wait for an RCI and TSS.Heck,you wan't a break right??Why try to figure out a problem when they pay people BIG bucks to trouble-shoot these things..lol I'd wan't the train taken out of service so I can chill.It won't hurt to know what's going on tho!This seperates the T/O's from Motormen...NYCTA(NO YOU CAN'T TOUCH ANYTHING!)

Isn't this only in regards to NTT? Can't T/Os still try to fix SMEE trains?

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Isn't this only in regards to NTT? Can't T/Os still try to fix SMEE trains?

 

When it comes to revenue trains they don't want you to fix anything these days. They let the crews cut out doors and that's pretty much it.

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