A locomotive engineer operates a train consisting of one or more locomotives that pull passenger or freight cars. They inspect and adjust the locomotive’s mechanics, control its motion, and maintain communication with other railroad employees. Locomotive engineers require experience in other railroad operating occupations and must maintain high standards of fitness.
A locomotive engineer, or railway engineer, is a freight or passenger train operator. The train consists of one or more locomotives that pull the passenger or freight cars, and the locomotive engineer is responsible for the locomotives. The locomotives that power the trains are usually run by a combination of diesel and electricity. However, there are some locomotives that run on electricity only.
A locomotive engineer’s job includes inspecting the mechanical condition of locomotives before and after completion of each trip. They are trained to make minor adjustments to machines when necessary. Upon completion of the pre-trip inspection, the locomotive engineer awaits instructions to begin the journey from the onboard railroad conductors.
Once the train is in motion, the locomotive engineer controls the acceleration and braking of the train by operating throttles and air brakes. They should also keep an eye on amperage, air pressure, and battery gauges. Another important part of the locomotive engineer’s job is maintaining communication with other railroad employees, such as conductors on the train and staff at the traffic control center. The locomotive engineer is also responsible for keeping daily records of physical train conditions and procedures followed on each trip.
In addition to the skills of inspecting and adjusting the locomotive’s mechanics and controlling its motion, the locomotive engineer must have a comprehensive understanding of the railroad and the routes they travel, including the terminals. They also need to know the condition and composition of the train and the condition and geometry of the route the train will travel. This is extremely important because the train’s acceleration and braking capabilities depend on the grades and condition of the track, as well as the weight of the cars the locomotive is pulling.
Because the job of a locomotive engineer demands the most skills of any railroad worker, locomotive engineer positions are almost always filled by workers with experience in other railroad operating occupations. Most railroad workers start out as yard workers. Because an improperly operated train can have disastrous effects, locomotive engineers maintain high standards in terms of fitness, specifically in the areas of dexterity, vision, hand-eye coordination and hearing. As a result, locomotive engineers are frequently tested.
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