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The Schoolcar Experience


mediccjh

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If I could add to the already great advice above for people in schoolcar now....it's something you'll be able to work on down the line and may come handy when you're road posting.

And that is, learning how to properly follow trains ahead of you, especially during the rush hour. You guys already know (or are at least starting to know) how the signal system works.

Well, a green does NOT always mean wrap it up. And I'm not talking a green aspect where there's flagging, or slow speed order signs, or requests from RCC to go RSEC, or people on the tracks.

Example; say you're a R train on local 2 track at 34 St on the BMT Broadway line. A N train pulls up on express 4 track beside you. It leaves first, and your partner has holding lights while the N is departing. Here is where the N crosses back over to the local track during regular weekday service.

After a brief time, that red ahead of you clears to green and you continue to 42 Street. Another green lies at the leaving end. So you wrap it, then you turn that curve to 49th street and what do you see all of a sudden? Yellows and reds and that N train that passed you earlier, standing still at 49!

Having kept it wrapped, you freak out and take a hard brake, not wanting to risk and bang a signal and going to yourself, WTF? 

The more experienced train operators in this situation know how to handle this. And most people should have enough time to react. But for someone new, this can be nerve-wracking. Schoolcar doesn't really teach you how to develop this particular skill, at least not in depth.

Another perfect example is coming into 14 Street/8Ave on the express northbound--which is kinda a fast station--seeing that green automatic at at 30+, only to find yellow and red hooligans waiting in the station after rounding that curve! Likely because you didn't realize you were following another train.

What an "Oh S**t" moment

It's happened to me, and thankfully I didn't have to learn that lesson the hard way. Just something to think about for later on when you come out on your own. 

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  • 3 months later...

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Learn to gap yourself in between stations, especially if following your leader.  

Given the example above with the November cutting the Romeo at 34st, there is absolutely no reason to wrap it up following another train.

Especially if the tower operator is new and doesn't clear home signal for like an experienced professional, you will just be rushing into an approach signal stuck at red.

Like wise, as insubordinate as it sounds, read the signals as far as you can before leaving a station.  Why move the train on a yellow aspect when you have to stop with atleast one car or even the entire train itself can't clear the block? Now you are stuck between stations and your follower can't even breach the platform.

As for wrapping it up and encountering a train ahead around curves... Very few revenue trains are capable of stopping safely given that kind of space and reaction time, and currently I only trust the 68A live up to that kind of performance.  Don't bother trying to challenge the signal, the terrain or the train itself.  Doing so will prove nothing when the conga line appears at certain choke points, like Continental, Brighton Beach, Columbus Circle, Dekalb Avenue, etc.

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On 2/17/2021 at 7:10 AM, Dave2836 said:

Like wise, as insubordinate as it sounds, read the signals as far as you can before leaving a station.  Why move the train on a yellow aspect when you have to stop with atleast one car or even the entire train itself can't clear the block? Now you are stuck between stations and your follower can't even breach the platform.

Especially important for new train operators.    Stop chasing yellows. 

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3 hours ago, Late Clear said:

Especially important for new train operators.    Stop chasing yellows. 

Def! You learn how to "sense" when a train is ahead on a curve. Hell, I no longer wrap it on long curves with green automatics anymore bc u never know if a train just went bie in the station ahead and they haven't called it in yet.

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FYI... Train Operators...

DO NOT LET the Dispt rush you to make service if the train comes in late and you have to go right out..

DO YOUR PRE TRIP INSPECTIONS...

Seal beams, PA, IC, Trip Cock, Horn, Required Brake Tests (If you are on SMEE equipment).. 

Oh yes and the One most of us just do out of impulse but if forgotten can have serious ramifications if a incident occurs... 

Especially on R142 and Up type equipment..

Make sure that Buzzer Works as designed...

So when one goes down the road and one calls RCC because the Buzzer is BO.. 

Then one wont be explaining why they left the terminal without a working buzzer, good luck trying to explain that....

You will be throwing your CR under the bus along with you and TA loves to do things in Multiples... 

Remember its a team effort not a "Me" Effort...

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8 hours ago, RTOMan said:

FYI... Train Operators...

DO NOT LET the Dispt rush you to make service if the train comes in late and you have to go right out..

DO YOUR PRE TRIP INSPECTIONS...

Seal beams, PA, IC, Trip Cock, Horn, Required Brake Tests (If you are on SMEE equipment).. 

Oh yes and the One most of us just do out of impulse but if forgotten can have serious ramifications if a incident occurs... 

Especially on R142 and Up type equipment..

Make sure that Buzzer Works as designed...

So when one goes down the road and one calls RCC because the Buzzer is BO.. 

Then one wont be explaining why they left the terminal without a working buzzer, good luck trying to explain that....

You will be throwing your CR under the bus along with you and TA loves to do things in Multiples... 

Remember its a team effort not a "Me" Effort...

Hmm. Something happened 

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4 hours ago, MarkGuy said:

So schoolcar followed me up and down Concourse today. @Schecter @beanz if u were there I was the guy who came into the pizza shop offering u advice.

There were 2 school car trains out there today. The one from Concourse Yard to Euclid and Back. 
 

The other was an R160 from Continental Relay to Euclid and Back. 

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13 minutes ago, Danavigata said:

There were 2 school car trains out there today. The one from Concourse Yard to Euclid and Back. 
 

The other was an R160 from Continental Relay to Euclid and Back. 

Yes the former was right behind me but eventually went behind a c train en route to Euclid.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/5/2021 at 9:52 AM, RTOMan said:

If anyone gets CBTC training please let folks know....

I’m in the September induction and we all are going through CBTC right now .. should be the last class ta 91 this week . So far 88,89, 90 have completed in the last three weeks 

Edited by BxJay120
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  • 1 month later...
On 3/8/2021 at 3:10 PM, MarkGuy said:

So schoolcar followed me up and down Concourse today. @Schecter @beanz if u were there I was the guy who came into the pizza shop offering u advice.

I just saw this post. I don't think that was us. Only time we went out on the D we went from stillwell to concourse and right back out, no pizza shop.

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4 minutes ago, MarkGuy said:

Well in any case, how is training going?

We got quarantined a couple of times so we are behind the other classes. Our first practical isn't until this coming Saturday may 1st. I'm feeling pretty good since it isn't my first rodeo. My classmates feel a little nervous as everybody is before their first major test, but i think they will all pass. We have the practical, then a day off, then the signal exam and signal practical, and then the midterm, all within 4 days. A little unnerving for them but i think they are ready. 

Edited by beanz
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3 minutes ago, beanz said:

We got quarantined a couple of times so we are behind the other classes. Our first practical isn't until this coming Saturday may 1st. I'm feeling pretty good since it isn't my first rodeo. My classmates feel a little nervous as everybody is before their first major test, but i think they will all pass. We have the practical, then a day off, then the signal exam and signal practical, and then the midterm. A little unnerving for them but i think they are ready. 

Wait, what about the second yard practical? Are you guys getting a condensed version of schoolcar because of the pandemic? I heard some classes were stalled because of quarantining.

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5 minutes ago, beanz said:

We got quarantined a couple of times so we are behind the other classes. Our first practical isn't until this coming Saturday may 1st. I'm feeling pretty good since it isn't my first rodeo. My classmates feel a little nervous as everybody is before their first major test, but i think they will all pass. We have the practical, then a day off, then the signal exam and signal practical, and then the midterm. A little unnerving for them but i think they are ready. 

They can do it. I was hella confident for the first one and my whole class murked it on the first try. Gd luck.

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Just now, MarkGuy said:

Wait, what about the second yard practical? Are you guys getting a condensed version of schoolcar because of the pandemic? I heard some classes were stalled because of quarantining.

The 2nd one is later in may, i believe 3 weeks after the first one. We got stalled one week, came back for 2 days, and then got sent home for 8 more work days. We are all healthy now and moving on but they are trying to speed things up a little to get us back up to speed with the 3 other classes.

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17 hours ago, beanz said:

The 2nd one is later in may, i believe 3 weeks after the first one. We got stalled one week, came back for 2 days, and then got sent home for 8 more work days. We are all healthy now and moving on but they are trying to speed things up a little to get us back up to speed with the 3 other classes.

Ok. That first one is not too hard, as you likely already know.

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  • 1 month later...
10 hours ago, Djf22 said:

In schoolcar now I have an unrelated question for anyone who wants to answer. Does anyone actually pay for all the extra insurance they try to sell you orientation the disability and the injury insurance?

nah, it's a waste of money

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi. I have  questions to folks who is in school car recently. What's the starting pay rate now? Are you getting just 40 hours a week during the training? How big average gross check? asking because want to figure if I can survive without overtime on training. i will appreciate your answers. you can pm me if dont want to post this info publicly. thanks.

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