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The Schoolcar Experience


mediccjh

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Congrats! The signal exam is easier than one thinks. There is just so much hype to that exam since you can't get anything wrong. The second practical should be easy now that the hard part is done.

. Sadly people have gotten answers wrong and have failed it. It's always easy once you get through something... Edited by RTOMan
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One failed in my class.  YX is going good for me.  Only thing about it is your tours and/or RDOs change from week to week, so thats a bit tricky, but at least it is only for 3 months.  They will *try* to keep you close to where you live.

 

Actually after you are out on your own and extra extra they can continue doing it.

 

Yet they do try to keep you close to home which is cool (I know they try to in the B Div)all bets are off if you are on the board though esp on your Friday.

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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!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well. I have a question about Yard Posting.  It suppose to be where a trainer shows me the yard and gets me familiarized with how to make moves right ? I was given a checklist of what the trainer should show me (barn, track layout, car wash, loop, different little nuances of the particular yard etc)Though there were a couple of days in which I got trainers who are lazy as hell. I mean to the point where I did ONE move and he didn't explain anything to me. When I tried to ask him questions he gives me one word answers and felt like he didn't want to teach/tell me anything. It looked like he just wanted that 2 hours overtime and be done. I saw him for 20 minutes while doing the move then for 2 minutes at the end of the day to sign my papers. So I kind of felt cheated out of that day.  I wanted to work and do as many moves as possible to learn the yard because I am assuming during my 3 months in the yard by myself I am expected to do some kind of moves.  I don't want to look like I am useless over there because I am not, I was never shown how to do anything during posting.  I know I have to ask many questions if asked to do a move alone but without me even doing moves in the first place I can't even picture in my head of what I am doing.

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You aren't going to remember the yards when you post, you may learn a bit when you do the 3 months in the yards. The time you will really learn each yard is when you come out as extra extra train operators. If you pick the midnight or AM tour, you will be doing a lot of put ins and usually you will get the same ones frequently, especially in the beginning. Before long, you will able to put the job number to the track you are doing the put in from as there is a pattern and a flow to it. For example, 2 picks ago, I had F115 on Fridays which is the last midnight job in CIY. My Put in was always on Track 91 in Ave X yard.

 

Those who pick the PM tour will do a lot of Layups and you will get familiar with those as well.

 

DONT WORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will come to you eventually....just learn the job and how to control your train at all times.

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One thing I noticed during posting is every time I try to do it school car way the trainer looks at me with a "wtf are you doing" kind of look. The most common response I get is "if you do this in the real world you will be here forever, delaying service and everyone else"  This is primarily for preparing train for yard movement, revenue service, cuts/adds. Its crazy, none of the people that I have been with do it the school car way, not even remotely close.  Though when I am on my own I will continue to do it the school car way each and every time man because I feel uneasy doing it any other way.

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Knowing that you're brand new, no one will be expecting miracles. You will become faster over time without compromising safety, especially when you become familiar with the characteristics of certain lines and yards. Remember you're posting with people who have picked up many bad habits and become complacent over the years. If you split a switch, derail, collide, miss a handbrake, or get to your first stop and doors won't open because you never checked them, you'll be going downtown to face severe penalties. You may also be taking a handswitchmen, tower op or c/r down with you. Do your job the way you're supposed to do it. You here someone telling you about all the stuff they don't do, tell yourself that you're going to do it anyway because it's how you were trained and put them out of your mind.

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I will add though, if you have the capacity pay attention when someone is showing you something "not schoolcar". I'm not saying do it that way when you are on your own, but just be aware that another way exists...because it's something you may see in the field and just knowing what's being done and why may save your bacon someday, particularly if you're working in the yard and you have to troubleshoot an unexpected problem...since when there's an incident in the yard BOTH partners go downtown if it's reported or causes a delay to service.

 

There are a lot of silly reasons for people getting in trouble down here ranging from leaving the reverser in the controller at the terminal to applied handbrakes to not knowing where you're going to not knowing basic troubleshooting.

 

The more knowledge you have the more likely you can nip something in the bud (particularly in the yard) before it becomes a big problem.

 

With that said, never do anything you're not comfortable with on your own. Just because a crew room lawyer type tells you a "safe" shortcut doesn't mean you should do it, especially if you're not familiar with the rationale. In time your operation will get more efficient over time all on its own - just read my thread about timers in the employee section, all good operators know that already...yet knowing that in depth will probably save you about 2-5 minutes running time on any given line, and everything in there is completely rule book compliant.

Edited by SubwayGuy
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Oh and let me add to you new folks.... THERE IS NEVER A STUPID QUESTION!!! Swallow yer pride and ask ask ask if you aren't sure..... It will save you lots of useless drama...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited by RTOMan
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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

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One thing I noticed during posting is every time I try to do it school car way the trainer looks at me with a "wtf are you doing" kind of look. The most common response I get is "if you do this in the real world you will be here forever, delaying service and everyone else"  This is primarily for preparing train for yard movement, revenue service, cuts/adds. Its crazy, none of the people that I have been with do it the school car way, not even remotely close.  Though when I am on my own I will continue to do it the school car way each and every time man because I feel uneasy doing it any other way.

 

I do things the Schoolcar way, and I'm usually on time (as long as there's no flagging going on). I do things the Schoolcar way when I have a put-in; I blame the OCD, but I know that at the end, the train is good for revenue service.

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