ac1987 Posted April 21, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 21, 2011 I had recently applied for CAM ( car apperance maintainer) and was wondering what the job actually consist of and what are the hours they work. Also if they require a test to get in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak7 Posted April 21, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 21, 2011 I had recently applied for CAM ( car apperance maintainer) and was wondering what the job actually consist of and what are the hours they work. Also if they require a test to get in. Basically a car cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ac1987 Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted April 26, 2011 Does anyone on this board work as a cam or has more info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIengineerBob Posted May 1, 2011 Share #4 Posted May 1, 2011 Does anyone on this board work as a cam or has more info? I started on the LIRR in 1988 as a Car Appearance Maintainer or CAM (politically correct name for a coach cleaner). I have been an engineer since 1991. Your job as a coach cleaner is exactly what the job title says......to maintain the appearance of the INTERIOR of the care....both diesel and electric cars. To be a little more specific, you will be required to be able to sweep and mop the cars. Lift buckets of water, soaps, cleaners onto the cars from ground level. Carry full garbage bags considerable distances though busy rail yards to deposit into dumpsters. Perform heavy duty scrubbing of the interiors. And you might also want to have a strong stomach, because some of the clean ups you'll do involve some pretty nasty and horrific things (use your imagination)....people can be animals sometimes. During the winter months, you'll be required to do snow removal and other bad weather duties within the confines of the yard. The only item I wouldn't worry about on the official job description is the icing of cars....they stopped doing that in the 1960's. I don't know why it is even still listed there! Your work locations can be anywhere from West Side Yard to Montauk. As you gain seniority you'll be able to pick better and better jobs. Be prepared to work weekends, holidays and all weird hours. Welcome to the real world of railroading....not the fantasy world alot of buffs like to make up. The job can be used to get in the door and allow you to move on to other positions as you see fit. Normally, CAMS become car inspectors, but you are free to apply to any job the LIRR has to offer, as long as your qualified for the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted May 1, 2011 Share #5 Posted May 1, 2011 How does one get hired by the LIRR? Do you have to "know" someone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIengineerBob Posted May 2, 2011 Share #6 Posted May 2, 2011 How does one get hired by the LIRR? Do you have to "know" someone? No you don't need to know someone. That is basically urban myth. It might have been true many eons ago, but no longer is. I knew no one when I hired out in 1988.....just sent a letter (yes, a letter you had to write and mail with a stamp!!) expressing my interest in working for the LIRR. All you need to do is keep your eye on the MTA web-site for job postings and apply for one or any that you think you might be qualified for. It's a lot like entering the lottery...you got to be in it to win it! Keep in mind, right now, the LIRR, and most likely the entire MTA in general (except for management positions :confused:......they can never seem to have enough of those!!) is not doing much hiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted May 2, 2011 Share #7 Posted May 2, 2011 To be honest, I have always been suspcious of the hiring practices of LIRR and Metro North because anytime you don't have a test, like you do at NYCTA, it opens up the door to cronyism. I applied for a 3rd railman position at MNR a few years ago and was told I was going to be the NEXT person to be hired. That was the last I ever heard from them. When my father worked for NYCTA, he knew dispatchers and motor instructors who applied to LIRR. Only one got hired, and her father was a LIRR superintendant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak7 Posted May 2, 2011 Share #8 Posted May 2, 2011 Your work locations can be anywhere from West Side Yard to Montauk. Really? I thought only WSY, Jamaica, VD, BABYLON, KO, and Hillside have employees. The rest are only used by train crews who turn there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIengineerBob Posted May 2, 2011 Share #9 Posted May 2, 2011 Really? I thought only WSY, Jamaica, VD, BABYLON, KO, and Hillside have employees. The rest are only used by train crews who turn there. Yes, at every terminal where trains are layed over, there are coach cleaners, and other M of E employees to maintain and inspect the equipment. There may be only one or two cleaners out in the Eastern terminals, but they are there.....usually at night to clean the equipment that sits in the various eastern yards overnight so the morning commuters have a clean ride into work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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