Conductor- The Heart & Soul of the Railroad

by Robert L. Bryan

  PROLOGUE

  As a New York City boy, aside from a set of Lionel trains that I owned as a young child, I had no interest in the railroad as a career or a hobby. During most of my adult life I have lived in the shadow of the Long island Railroad, the largest commuter railroad in North America. Despite my close proximity to the LIRR, I hardly ever utilized the railroad. Because I stilled lived in the New York City borough of Queens, during my entire career with the New York City Police Department, I either drove to and from work, or utilized the city subway or bus lines.

  My interest in the railroad commenced long after my retirement from the NYPD, and had its roots in an unspeakable personal tragedy. On December 19, 2011 I was involved in a vehicular accident in which a driver under the influence of cocaine drove through a red light at a high rate of speed and T-boned my vehicle. My daughter Meghan was a senior at college and I had been driving her to school for one of her final examinations. As a result of the collision my neck and back were broken, all my ribs were broken, most of my teeth were knocked out, my right hand was shattered, and I experienced damage to the peroneal nerve that requires me to wear a brace on my left leg. Simply stated, I was in bad shape. Ultimately, however, I recovered to the point where I could continue normal life activities. My beautiful daughter Meghan, however, was killed.

  Once I was home from the hospital and rehabilitation facility, I had many months to recover physically and emotionally. When an average day at home consisted of sitting on the sofa doing nothing, my mind was constantly searching for things to do to stay active and to keep from obsessing on my recent tragedy. My son, Bryan, was finishing up his second year of college. Bryan had not shown any great interest in any particular profession, nor did he seem enthusiastic about following me into a law enforcement career. One of my regular activities during this time period was to surf the Internet in search of potential career opportunities for Bryan. One day I chanced upon the Long Island Railroad job board and noticed that the position of Assistant Conductor was open. As I previously mentioned, I knew very little about the LIRR, but I did know that the position of Conductor was highly sought after because of its good pay and benefits. I was surprised to see that the only formal requirements for the job were a high school diploma, with some college and cash handling experience preferred. Bryan had worked at a supermarket for the prior three years, so I quickly threw together a resume for him that highlighted his two years of college and cash handling experience at the supermarket. I emailed the resume and went on to any other activities that I could find to pass the time. I never even mentioned to Bryan that he had applied for the job.

  Several weeks later I received an email, or should I say Bryan received an email inviting him to take the Assistant Conductor test. In retrospect, I believe there was divine intervention on Bryan’s behalf because I have subsequently read numerous stories of people who have been applying for LIRR jobs for over a decade, and have never been called for any further consideration. Approximately two weeks later Bryan reported to the LIRR’s Hillside Support Facility and completed the process, which included testing in vocabulary, math, a cognitive test, and a preliminary interview. Bryan returned home feeling that he had performed well on the tests, but no one had told him if he had passed or what the next step in the process was going to be.

  Four days later I received an email inviting Bryan to the Signals and Definition overview. Even though I had absolutely no idea what a Signals and Definition overview was, I knew this was good news as they would not be calling Bryan back if he had not passed the initial tests. When Bryan returned from the overview he was carrying a booklet that contained numerous railroad definitions and drawings of signals, along with their meanings. Bryan explained that he had a month to study these materials before returning for a test. This did not seem so bad to me, but then Bryan continued that if he got one signal incorrect, he failed. He further stated that all the definitions had to be written out verbatim. I scanned the pages and definitions and noticed that some of the definitions were several sentences in length. I questioned if he had understood the LIRR personnel correctly regarding having to write these lengthy definitions word for word. Bryan insisted that he was correct, and he elaborated that one of the LIRR instructors said that if an answer was 99% correct, it was actually 100% wrong.

  Bryan must have realized what a great opportunity he was being given, because he really buckled down and put in the time and effort to learn those signals and definitions to the point where he could spit them out verbatim with no problem. I was a nervous wreck the day he took the test as I waited for his call. I was elated when he called with the news that he had passed. Little did I realize that this was just the beginning of my stressful waiting periods for his calls.

  Over the next several weeks Bryan was notified to appear for medical and physical testing, and then there was nothing more to do than wait. Finally, on June 3, 2013 Bryan received a letter offering him appointment as an Assistant Conductor on June 19, 2013. The eleven week Assistant Conductor training course was intense. During my twenty year career with the NYPD I experienced all different varieties of specialized training programs, from the recruit training at the police academy to the management and leadership training provided to newly promoted captains. Frankly, I don’t know if I could have passed the Assistant Conductor course as Bryan did. The amount of information that had to be memorized was staggering. Every few weeks, the class had to take a test, and if you failed the test….you were out. That’s right…fired, terminated, gone. If a police recruit fails the academy, they are placed in a “holdover” program, receive additional training and another opportunity to pass the test. During the weeks of training I would sit with Bryan almost every night and drill him with flashcards on the hundreds of definitions and signals that he had to learn word for word. For example, a typical definition was:

  Explain Rule 261

  On portions of the railroad and on tracks specified in the timetable, trains will be

  governed by block signals whose indications will supersede the superiority of

  trains for both opposing and following movements on the same track

  Trains MUST NOT clear or enter the main track at a switch not equipped with an electric lock without Form L authority.

  Learning the definition of Rule 261 may not appear overly challenging, but try memorizing the definition word for word along with several hundred additional definitions. I still vividly remember those test days, waiting for the call from Bryan and letting out a huge sigh of relief when he quickly blurted out that he passed. As Bryan’s training progressed, a strange thing began to happen. As he learned about the railroad and the job of Assistant Conductor, so did I. I began to develop a strong interest in the inner workings of the railroad and the job that Conductors actually perform. I wanted to know what the abstract terms that I helped Bryan study, like Absolute-Medium-Clear, Approach-Slow, and Block-limit actually meant in the day to day life of a conductor. I also became interested in the different types of trains, or equipment, as they are known to railroaders, used by the LIRR. What was the difference between M-3’s and M-7’s, and what different types of locomotives were used? As Bryan began to actually work on the trains, I became increasingly curious about the various roles performed by the Conductor. What specifically does the Brakeman do? What was the role of a Collector? Who was actually in charge of the train – the Conductor or the Engineer?

  Bryan’s new career with the railroad had spawned a new hobby for me. I certainly was not at the point where I was standing on station platforms taking videos of the various locomotives and trains, but I had definitely developed an interest in the
railroad, and in particular the position of Conductor. Meanwhile, Bryan’s studying never stopped. Federal Railroad Administration regulations require that all Conductors be fully qualified, so to progress to the title of Conductor, all Assistant Conductors have to pass a series of tests that are far more rigorous that the tests administered during the initial training period. Bryan had been an Assistant Conductor for about three years when he finally completed his qualification. As with the initial training course, those who could not pass a qualification test were ultimately terminated.

  My son Bryan is now well into his career with the railroad and I am well into my hobby. I have done a lot of reading on the role of the railroad conductor, and my research is contained in the remainder of this book. I have found the railroad conductor to be a slice of Americana and a fascinating position, and I hope you do too.

  Introduction: Picture the Conductor

  “Time to be traveling again,” says Ringo Starr in his role as Shining Time Station’s Mr. Conductor. He pulls out the chained pocket watch that has become so characteristic of the profession. When he’s not telling tales of his adventures as a conductor, he’s making sure the trains run on time, one of the many responsibilities entrusted to this classic profession. Whether portrayed by Starr, Carlin, Baldwin, or another, Mr. Conductor is both sage advisor and gatekeeper to a magical world in which sentient trains participate in grand adventures. As a conductor, he is considered an authority on trains and a figure demanding of respect. This was my introduction into the world of conductors as Bryan fell in love with the characters on Shining Time Station as a young child.

  Train conductors have taken on a unique role in popular culture as a profession that is at once contemporary and antiquated. Even today, they may be seen wearing the trademark vest, hat, and watch that one might have expected a conductor to wear a hundred years ago. They are romanticized and, in some ways, frozen in time. However, that does not change the fact that these professionals are still fulfilling their duties on trains across the world. The job of a train conductor is a very real and very important one.

  In this book, we will discuss the ins and outs of this storied career, where it started, how it influenced transportation in North America and across the globe, and where its future lies. We will look closely at a profession that symbolizes both professionalism and adventure, punctuality and freedom.

  Chapter One: The Railroad

  Without trains there would be no train conductors. This may seem like an obvious statement, and it is, but it also leads us to an important truth. Before we can fully appreciate the vital job of the train conductor, we need to take some time to explore trains, how and why they came about, and the significant role they play in our history and our lives.

  Picture the American “Wild West.” It’s rife with cowboys and saloons. But that’s not all. The westward bound railway, complete with workers, conductors, and fancy ladies with parasols, was a fixture of the west and symbol of westward expansion. Sure, it was an easy mode of transportation and an effective way to expand. But let’s not underestimate the tremendous power and influence that things which are “easy” have over the course of history.

  American railroads made it possible to grow a young country at an unprecedented pace, making it easier to bring goods and people from one end of a continent to the other. While some may argue that the railroad made it easier to push aside native people, no one can deny the awesome influence the railroad had in shaping modern America and the modern world.

  In both America and Britain, railroads made it easier to mine goods faster, feeding factories and, therefore, their respective economies. In many ways, the history of the railroad is the history of “easy.” Its legacy is the tearing down of barriers in the path of progress and expansion. It was the first step in making an unfathomably large world an intimately connected one.

  The Invention of the Modern Train

  Rail transport refers to the movement of cargo from one location to another on vehicles that run on tracks. These tracks, though limiting the possible routes a vehicle could take, are designed to reduce friction and make the conveyance of goods or people faster and easier. It may surprise you to realize that using tracks or rails to improve transportation has been in practice since several hundred years B.C., evolving over the years to cover greater distances and carry heavier loads.

  Many credit wagonways as the earliest railroads. These pathways date back to ancient Greece where they aided in the transport of carts by providing grooves in stone roads within which wheels could run more smoothly. Over time, these wagonways evolved and became raised and wooden. They made it easier to deliver heavy loads and were frequently used to transport fully laden wagons downhill with the help of gravity.

  Although these ancient methods of improving transportation definitely stemmed from many of the same scientific principles that modern railroads take advantage of, the railroad as we understand it got its start around the Industrial Revolution. Up until this time, most rails were wooden. The Industrial Revolution inspired the use of iron to reinforce these tracks and, in many cases, eventually replace them.

  Toward the end of the Industrial Revolution, the first mechanized rail transport appeared in England. British inventor Thomas Newcomen invented the steam engine, but it was James Watt, a Scottish inventor, who further developed it, creating the first steam powered reciprocating engine. The significance of this can’t be overstated. This reciprocating engine, or piston engine, could power a wheel. If we take a moment to appreciate the significant role the wheel has played in the evolution of civilization, we can see how applying a powerful engine to one would quickly become a game changer.

  Watt went on to patent the design for a steam locomotive in 1784. However, the first life sized version of the locomotive wouldn’t be built until 1804. The design continued to improve over the 19th century, eventually coming to the United States in the late 1820s.

  The Railroad in the United States

  Remember how I asked you to picture the Wild West? Conjure that image again in your mind. The American Revolution may have taken place about a century before, but what you are seeing is the continued birth of a nation. The railroad was so integral to the creation of the United States as we now know it, that the two are largely entwined. And there’s no better way to appreciate the significance of the railroad than by looking at the impact it had on America’s future.

  The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is among the first ever built in the United States and the first “common carrier.” Up until this point, railroads were built for specific purposes by specific companies. They each served the needs of the organization that built them. A common carrier railroad is a railroad that does not serve a single entity. It can be used by any private or public entities who pay for the privilege.

  Following the creation of the B and O Railroad and the testing of the first American steam locomotive, the Stourbridge Lion, the United States experienced a railroad heyday. During this time, several lines were laid down in the northeast and some in the south. Railroads quickly became a popular way to travel, replacing canals as the primary mode of transportation in the mid-1800s. This enthusiasm for railroads would continue until about 1873 when a depression swept Europe and North America, ceasing the growth of railroad development.

  The depression of the mid to late 1800s was not the only roadblock to further railroad development. American railroads found opposition in a variety of places, not the least of which were the canal and stagecoach companies whose business they threatened. Even taverns and inns decried the building of railroads. They too felt threatened as faster transportation would make for less need to seek their services during long journeys. These critics would site safety reasons among others to dissuade people from using the new method of transportation. But the economic benefits of railroads were undeniable and safety was being seriously addressed.

  As railroads developed in the United States, they saw many improvements to make railroad travel safer
and more efficient. In the mid-1800s railroads began using electric telegraphs to convey messages. This made it possible to give orders that would adjust train movements, making it easier to keep track of where trains were in order to avoid collisions. In fact, the practice of telegraphy in conjunction with the railroad system was so successful, it continued into the early 20th century. Shortly after the introduction of telegraphers, railroads began implementing manual blocking systems that eventually became automatic block signaling (ABS), a practice still in effect today. This communication method worked by dividing railroads into sections and using signals to control the movement of trains within each section. Doing so not only made the tracks safer, but also made it possible for trains to travel at greater speeds and with greater efficiency.

  Despite the lull in railroad development around the mid to late 1800s, building eventually picked up again and the American railroad system was largely complete by the early 20th century. However, by this time, the railroad companies were already finding competition in even newer methods of transportation. Trucks and planes would threaten the usefulness of the railroad system, but, as we’ve seen today, American railroads would remain alive and well.

  The Transcontinental Railroad

  Although we’ve already spent some time looking at the overall evolution of the American railroad system, we left out one very key piece of the puzzle. In and around improving transportation and shipment in the east, America was hard at work using railroads to press westward and expand the country’s foothold in the western half of the continent.

  Prior to the development of the first ever Transcontinental Railroad, traveling out west was a lengthy and dangerous proposition. Whether you decided to hazard the journey by land or attempt to make a shorter trip by sea, you were exposing yourself to disease, hunger, and any number of other perils associated with the great outdoors. It should come as no surprise that there was tremendous interest in building a railroad to unite the young and sprawling country. Congress, therefore, passed the Pacific Railroad Act to fund the building of a railroad that would stretch clear to the Pacific coast. However, it was not the government itself that was to build the tracks. Instead Congress allowed for the issuance of land grants and government bonds to railroad companies. In essence, they wanted the companies to build and own the railroads, they were simply incentivizing them to do so.