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The Schoolcar Experience


mediccjh

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Got our tools, manuals, vests etc. yesterday. Good thing I invested in a strong backpack. Already have to study for quiz on Tues. Yeah they gave us off Monday. Kinda sucks, but we're newbies, so I understand. One thing I want ask is, what is the best method of holding the keys. Keyrings on a bigger clip? Keep the keys seperated? What was some of the methods used?

 

Oh yeah, we're also doing track safety & getting radio's & masks on Tues too.

Edited by WestEndMan
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Keyrings on a karabiner. Make sure you keep your MDC and R-9 key on one ring. Reverser and new tech keys on the other. Ask your instructors if they can order you guys the brake handle holsters or find out from other TSS's who know the folks who make them to place the order. Transit doesn't pay for them, but they will help you a lot, even though they'll cost you some they will make your life a lot easier. Besides the brake handle, your cutting key can also go in the holster or you can just carry it elsewhere on you. The reverser can fit in there also, but in my opinion it's easier to accidentally forget you left in the controller when it's standalone, and plus you will still need a place for your tech keys so it makes sense to put all of those things together.

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Thanks @SubwayGuy. I want to walk into school on Tuesday (early too) looking to show......I'm taking this job serious. I've got some of the signals down, but.I'm having my wife draw up.test cards to give me quizzes at home. Plus she is making me write out what signals do what & what procedure to do when encountering some signals

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Congrats to everyone who just started schoolcar.  It was just a few short months ago that I was in your shoes so I know exactly what you guys are feeling. One thing that has helped me a lot was to take good notes.  I write down everything that is important that comes out my instructors mouths. Even if they do not write it on the board I still write it down. I speed write.  They, atleast my instructors explained things in layman terms which will make it easier to understand than reading from the book. In other words, reading your notes on how they teach it will make it much easier to understand what the book is saying, atleast it did for me.  As you guys know already this forum has great senior vets who take their time to help out newbies (like me and you) which I know they don't have to but they do ! Much props to you guys again!

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Thanks @SubwayGuy. I want to walk into school on Tuesday (early too) looking to show......I'm taking this job serious. I've got some of the signals down, but.I'm having my wife draw up.test cards to give me quizzes at home. Plus she is making me write out what signals do what & what procedure to do when encountering some signals

 

Excellent, this is good practice. Make it a point to include any automatics that can be "keyed" - regular red automatic, red with circle K, red with "NO KEY BY". Also include a call on at the home signal. And remember that there are things that aren't signals that can be asked on the signal exam also...like what are the 6 points of restricted speed and extreme caution? Just remember 10 / 2 / half / F / S / U (to remember F-S-U just remember...Florida State University!)

 

10 mph or less

Stop 2 car lengths from any obstruction

Be prepared to stop within half your range of vision

Be preared to make a Fast, immediate stop

Read Switches and signals for your route

Do not pass anything Unsafe

 

If you get all of that stuff down pat, word for word, you will be off to a great start. Your class will keep coming back to those as it prepares for the write in section of the signal exam.

Edited by SubwayGuy
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This is great info. F.S.U, never thought to look at it that way. I can easily remember that. Signs and meanings came easily for me. WD, GT, ST, T, green R. I got those down. I just have to get the word for word meaning of the AK, K, No key by signals down. I keep getting the procedures mixed up. I guess I still have time, but time goes by so quickly. Honestly I've been studying since I received the Rule book at processing.

 

@Tommy John - Since day one, I've had a notebook on hand and have been writing down certain things.We have our groups but we haven't met our TSS yet, but there was a TSS sitting with us while we were waiting for our tools and we were going over signal do's & donts and the differences between the signals like identifying the plates on them. When we were taking breaks, lunch, I came back early, & even though he's not going to be my TSS, I made it my business to ask him questions, and pick his brain on studying techniques. Plus myself and a couple of the guys in my group have already been coming in early and doing study sessions.

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For anyone in my Aug class, remember what the TSS's said......this is our last 3 day weekend for a VERY long time. Enjoy your Cook outs / bbq's.....but remember NO drinking after Sunday. We have to have clean systems come Tuesday. Take this seriously. They can random you at anytime.......even in school car. STAY SAFE.

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Just make sure you get the procedure in  accepting that Call On right!!!!!

 

 Some Folks out here doing YX have just totally forgot that simple thing...  :(


Anyone going to the A division, enjoy a large portion of grade 'A' rice with beans, some plantains with baked or fried chicken with a soup and salad on the side by New Lots Station by the bus stop.

 

Heh good food...

 

Unless yer on Lunch take that with you back Uptown though!

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OK I'm going to keep this as simple as possible in that somewhat complicated scenario. Assume for the example you are posting on the #6 line and reporting to Pelham Bay (PEL), and are posted with a trainer who has a job with a layup who clears in Westchester Yard (WES).

 

AT LOCATION #1 (Original Report)

-0600 report for work at PEL.

 

Dispatcher at Location 1 puts you on the manual from 0600 at PEL to 1400 at PEL. No one is available or willing to take you as a student yet, so you are told to sit down in the crew room and wait for someone. You SIGN IN ONLY, and leave the "out" blank.

 

-0800 someone agrees to take you as a student.

 

Dispatcher at Location 1 calls you back and you meet your trainer who has a job (let's call the job 218) from 0800 at PEL to 1600, but clears at WES. You don't fill out any overtime slips yet. You meet your trainer, give him/her your name and pass # for his/her overtime slip, and that's it. In the comments on the manual where you signed in, the Dispatcher or you will write something along the lines of "Student Posting 6-218."

 

That's it for location #1.

 

Now....

 

AT LOCATION 2 (CLEARING LOCATION):

 

You've posted on the entire job and it's time to go home. The Dispatcher at Westchester Yard will not have you on the manual since it's a different location. You will need to be added to the manual. You will probably have to show the Dispatcher your posting paper.

 

The manual should match the manual at the original location (Pelham Bay) exactly. Your reporting location should read PEL 06:00 and your clearing time and location should read PEL 14:00. And your comments should read "Student Posting 6-218", and "SQ" in the remarks, EXACTLY like Pelham Bay.

 

You will NOT be signing in again. Place a bunch of X's (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) on the IN line of the manual at Westchester Yard and sign OUT only.

 

Now you will be filling out your overtime slip - at the end of the day. Here is what it should have on it:

 

Regular assignment: Student posting 6-218 Report: 0600 Relief: 1400 Date: The actual date Actual OT Date: The date the overtime on the slip counts for.

 

A quick word on date/actual OT date - this only comes into play usually when working midnights or a PM job that clears after midnight. If you're filling out a slip for a PM job on 8/25 after you clear at 1am on 8/26, the "actual OT date" will be 8/25, while the "date" will be 8/26. Just make sure you fill out the dates correctly.

 

THEN....

 

First Code = 40 (Late Clear)

Line/Location = Line you posted / location you are filling the slip out at. Sticking to the example, Say it's the 6 line. You reported to Pelham (PEL) at 0600 and picked up a job that clears at Westchester Yard (WES). Line/Location = 6/WES.

Run No. = 6-### (job number you posted on) and add the word POST after if posting. So if it's 218 job, 6-218 POST. You NEED to do this so your slip does not get mixed up with your trainer's should a situation arise where both of you are filling out a slip for the same thing, so it's good practice to always do it when posting. Any discrepancy, they will only pay one of you and since your trainer's name is on the job you might end up "S.O.L."...

Second Code = 49 (Deadhead)

Line/Location = 6 / WES -> PEL

Run No. = Still 6/218 POST.

Comments: = "Student posting on #6 line. Reported to PEL at 0600 as per posting papers and posted on job 218 which begins at 0800. Posted entirety of 6-218 which clears at 1600 in WES. Added deadhead allowance back to PEL."

 

And that's it.

 

I had a weird one today. I had to report at 0500 at Concourse Yard to post on the Charlie. I got paired with a guy who started at 440 and finished at 1308 at 168 St. How does that go on the sheets? CCY had me signed on at 0500 on the sign in. At the end of the day around 1250ish, I went to sign out at 168 St. Was I suppose to get deadhead? The dispatcher said that I didn't get deadhead time because it was built into the job. I didn't understand that. He said I was just entitled to the 8 minute late clear since the original job ended at 1308. Can you clarify this for me?

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I had a weird one today. I had to report at 0500 at Concourse Yard to post on the Charlie. I got paired with a guy who started at 440 and finished at 1308 at 168 St. How does that go on the sheets? CCY had me signed on at 0500 on the sign in. At the end of the day around 1250ish, I went to sign out at 168 St. Was I suppose to get deadhead? The dispatcher said that I didn't get deadhead time because it was built into the job. I didn't understand that. He said I was just entitled to the 8 minute late clear since the original job ended at 1308. Can you clarify this for me?

 

Sign on at CCY:

 

-Pass, Name, Comment: Student Posting C-### then T/O C, Report 0500 CCY, Relief 1300 CCY, SQ in Remarks - Sign in but not out

 

Sign out at 168:

 

-Pass, Name, Comment: Student Posting C-### then T/O C, Report 0500 CCY, Relief 1300 CCY, SQ in Remarks - Sign out but not in.

 

Fill out an overtime slip (at 168) for late clear 1300 to 1308, and deadhead for the travel time from 168 back to CCY from 1308 to whatever time. Comments: Student posting on C line. Reported to CCY at 0500 hours as per posting papers and posted on job ### which clears at 168 at 1308 hours. Added deadhead back to CCY.

 

This is the correct way to do it.

 

You may still get paid if the Dispatchers who signed you on and off wrote the correct times and locations into the manual sheet on the payroll. However, this is not the best way to do it (even though many TD's and ATD's do it).

 

When you post, your report time is ALWAYS the time on the posting papers, and your clearing time is 8 hours later at the same location. ANY overtime and you need a slip. You also need to make sure you indicate you are a student on the overtime slip, lest they confuse you with your trainer, in which case they won't pay you since they're already paying him.

 

Deadhead is never "built into the job" for students. Remember that. It's built in for your trainer but not you. It's important that you communicate this extremely clearly to any dispatcher, that you are a student, to make sure you get paid.

Edited by SubwayGuy
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Sign on at CCY:

 

-Pass, Name, Comment: Student Posting C-### then T/O C, Report 0500 CCY, Relief 1300 CCY, SQ in Remarks - Sign in but not out

 

Sign out at 168:

 

-Pass, Name, Comment: Student Posting C-### then T/O C, Report 0500 CCY, Relief 1300 CCY, SQ in Remarks - Sign out but not in.

 

Fill out an overtime slip (at 168) for late clear 1300 to 1308, and deadhead for the travel time from 168 back to CCY from 1308 to whatever time. Comments: Student posting on C line. Reported to CCY at 0500 hours as per posting papers and posted on job ### which clears at 168 at 1308 hours. Added deadhead back to CCY.

 

This is the correct way to do it.

 

You may still get paid if the Dispatchers who signed you on and off wrote the correct times and locations into the manual sheet on the payroll. However, this is not the best way to do it (even though many TD's and ATD's do it).

 

When you post, your report time is ALWAYS the time on the posting papers, and your clearing time is 8 hours later at the same location. ANY overtime and you need a slip. You also need to make sure you indicate you are a student on the overtime slip, lest they confuse you with your trainer, in which case they won't pay you since they're already paying him.

 

Deadhead is never "built into the job" for students. Remember that. It's built in for your trainer but not you. It's important that you communicate this extremely clearly to any dispatcher, that you are a student, to make sure you get paid.

 

Ah, okay. That makes sense. The dispatcher at 168 screwed me out of the deadhead time then... 

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He gets deadhead because his report is 0500 CCY, therefore he is entitled to deadhead if he clears anywhere else, provided it is not absorbed by boost time...regardless of what the job does.

 

If it clears at 1308 it's already a penalty job (8h 8m worked), but nothing is "built in" for him as a student posting unless it was written on the manual, which it likely wasn't. If the dispatcher is doing it correctly, it's report CCY 0500, relief CCY 1300.

 

Even if he cleared less than 8 hours away, he'd be entitled to deadhead if the deadhead time exceeded the boost time, in which case he'd only be entitled to the difference (such as clearing at 1259...he'd have to back out 1 minute from the deadhead allowance).

 

He would not be entitled to deadhead time only if the boost time exceeded the deadhead time, IE if the job he posted ended at 1108.

 

Now if he was on his own and worked the job, then pay would be "built in", but it's never built in when you're posting. This misconception is why a lot of students posting end up missing hours.

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Again, what is this Concourse Yard working the (C) business? I thought if you signed in on the manual and they put down what job you are working for example C-203 then you get paid what that job does, what you are writing is since he signed out at 168 he gets deadhead to 207Y which is 28 minutes, So he's only getting paid 8 hours for posting not what C-203 or whatever job he posted pays.

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Again, what is this Concourse Yard working the (C) business? I thought if you signed in on the manual and they put down what job you are working for example C-203 then you get paid what that job does, what you are writing is since he signed out at 168 he gets deadhead to 207Y which is 28 minutes, So he's only getting paid 8 hours for posting not what C-203 or whatever job he posted pays.

 

Oops, I made a mistake. I meant I reported at 207 yard (I was going to Concourse the following day so that was in my brain while I was typing that...)

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Again, what is this Concourse Yard working the (C) business? I thought if you signed in on the manual and they put down what job you are working for example C-203 then you get paid what that job does, what you are writing is since he signed out at 168 he gets deadhead to 207Y which is 28 minutes, So he's only getting paid 8 hours for posting not what C-203 or whatever job he posted pays.

 

OK 207th Yard, that makes a lot more sense.

 

And here I think they're bringing back the CC from Bedford Park to Rockaway Park hah.

 

If you sign on the manual, you do not automatically get paid the job's allowed run time just because of the comments. If the dispatcher matches the start and end times to the job, then he might get paid, but that's really the wrong way to do it. Plus if an overtime slip doesn't accompany the student's time to timekeeping, it may well get spit back by them and he'll just get 8 hours, since there's no justification being provided for the overtime in writing, and the comments would be inadequate since the start time doesn't match his trainer's.

 

gerbils, what you should have got was this:

 

Report at 0500 (the time on your posting papers)

Relief at 1300 (the time on your posting papers + 8 hours)

 

Late clear 1300 to 1308

Deadhead 1308 to 1337 (Deadhead from 207Y to 168 is 29 minutes)

 

Total time worked: 8 hours 37 minutes

Total time paid: 8 hours 56 minutes

Edited by SubwayGuy
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