Ahoy, friends! Today we are going to talk about heritage railroading, a subject that is dear to my heart. I love trains, and even more so, I love working with them. I also enjoy working directly with the public, which is a key component of working in the coaches of a passenger train, or as a motorman on a trolley. So, in today’s post, I will give you six tips that will aid you as you wear the “penguin suit” out on the rails. Whether you are a seasoned train crew veteran or just starting, these tips will surely get your head in the railroader mindset. Ready? All aboard!
- Look the part
- Know your railroad
- Engage the guests in appropriate ways
- Know the safety and emergency procedures
- Understand your railroad’s equipment
- Maintain situational awareness
Look the Part
When you are in view of the public, you will be expected to always look professional. For a train crew member such as yourself, that means wearing black shoes (preferably safety shoes), blue or black trousers (no cargo pants), a white button-down shirt with a collar, a blue or black vest, a blue or black blazer, a black or otherwise railroad-themed necktie, and a trainman cap with a badge appropriate for your role. For example, if you’re a car host, avoid wearing a badge that says ‘Conductor.’
If you are ever in doubt as to what to wear, refer to your organization’s uniform policy. If no policy exists, refer to vintage photos of conductors and trainmen, and model your uniform after those. Some companies sell vintage-style trainmen uniforms, badges, and caps for heritage railroaders, such as New England Railroad Uniforms in the USA and Railwayana in the UK and Europe. Please note that these are not official endorsements.
In addition to your uniform, you also need to carry the appropriate tools, including a ticket punch, a pen and paper, and a watch, either a wristwatch or a pocket watch. A pocket watch is more traditional, but a wristwatch is also good. Smartwatches are not advised, as they break the vintage feel of heritage railroading, and their communication capabilities may make them illegal to use while on duty at some railroads. Finally, carry a communication device issued by the railroad, usually a portable radio. Carry your cell phone only if you oversee the train or trolley as Conductor or Motorman, as it will be critical to contact first responders in emergencies.
Know Your Railroad
It is critical to be able to always orient yourself, either when in the yard or out on the main line. This means getting to know all your railroad’s characteristics, such as grades, crossings, switches, fixed derails, signals, close clearances, and mileposts, along with as many other features as possible. You will need this knowledge to maintain your situational awareness, which I will cover in more detail later in this post. Knowing where you are and where your train or trolley is going is crucial to responding to emergencies, such as a derailment or medical emergency.
Here’s an example that happened to me. On my first day of steam locomotive service, we were steaming along when we spotted a downed tree blocking the line. After stopping the train and alerting our Conductor, we attempted to remove the tree but were unsuccessful. Our Conductor then called our Maintenance of Way director to have him send a team up to get that tree cleared. We needed to give our MOW director that tree’s location, otherwise they would have wasted time looking for it.
Another important lesson is being aware of the location of close clearances inside of a yard. For example, you are riding the back of a shove movement to put cars onto a siding. You are riding on the outside of the car. What might hit you, the rider? Fixed signals, maybe? Perhaps the side of a building? Be mindful of those hazards to protect yourself! It could very well save your life. After all, your body is the softest thing on the railroad.
Engage the Guests in Appropriate Ways
At my railroad, we greatly value customer engagement to enhance the guests’ experience. That includes minor things such as wearing a friendly smile, or more overt gestures such as waving to guests on the station platform as the train arrives. There are a variety of ways to engage guests without being overbearing or otherwise intrusive.
As an example, your train has just departed from the station, and it is time to punch guests’ tickets. As you punch tickets, you can ask guests questions such as ‘Where are you all from?’ or ‘What’s your interest in trains?’ If the guests you meet are a family with small children, you can ask if the children are riding a train for the first time, and if they are, congratulate them! As the train continues up the line, you can walk up and down the aisle and talk to guests, especially if they have questions for you. What you want to avoid is spending too much time with one guest, or trying to engage a guest who is not engaging you back. In that case, it’s okay to say, “Enjoy the ride,” and walk away.
Now let’s say you are a motorman at a trolley museum. All the guests have boarded the trolley and are seated. At this point, take a moment to introduce yourself. Say your name, how long you have been volunteering, and what you love about trolleys. After that, introduce the trolley. Give the car’s name or number, where it was built, where it operated, and any other details you want to share. Ask the crowd if they have any questions before departing. Once you’ve answered any questions, get the trolley ready to roll. I guarantee the guests will think highly of you and your organization if you give a professional introduction.
Understand Safety Procedures
As a train crew member, be it as a car host, brakeman, trainman, or conductor, your daily tasks will involve a lot more than punching tickets. Your duties will likely include using the train’s public address system. Understanding how a PA system works will be beneficial to your work and will help you troubleshoot the system should it malfunction while you’re out on the line. You will use the PA system to give a pre-trip safety speech to the passengers, give a tour during the run, and deliver instructions to the guests in an emergency. Referring to my story about the downed tree, the car host had to get on the PA microphone and alert the guests of the situation. This action reassured the guests that the train was not in any danger due to the sudden stop.
You may also be expected to help make up and break down trains during a typical workday. Those procedures will involve coupling and uncoupling cars to and from each other, along with helping the locomotive couple onto the train. This is one of the more dangerous procedures on the railroad, so make sure that you always follow safety precautions when coupling cars together, such as only going between the cars to attach air hoses when the engineer has informed you that it is safe to do so! Rules like that one are, as we sometimes say, written in blood. Someone had to get hurt before the rule was put in place.
When trouble strikes out on the line, you and your fellow train crew members are the first line of defense. Trouble could take a variety of forms, such as a medical emergency, a derailment, a fire, or even a hot wheel. Your organization should have procedures in place for responding to these kinds of scenarios, and you must follow them. These procedures are designed to protect the company, you, and the guests. For example, on one run at my railroad, we had a passenger accidentally injure herself. Being nearby, I was alerted by another guest. Following my company’s procedures, I informed my Conductor of the situation, and he came to the scene. The Conductor called 911 and had an ambulance meet us at the next station stop. The situation had a good ending, as the injured woman got the care she needed.
Understand Your Railroad’s Equipment
The equipment that your organization has in its fleet or collection most certainly has a storied history. Being able to tell the story of your organization’s locomotives, coaches, and trolleys will be hugely beneficial to you as a train crew member. I can guarantee that you will be asked about your train or trolley’s history by a member of the public. Such questions may include ‘What year was the locomotive built?’ ‘How old are these coaches?’ ‘What does the engine run on?’ I have heard all those questions multiple times over the years, and I happily answer each time.
Knowing your railroad’s equipment extends beyond answering questions about it. You will also be working with it each operating day, so it’s important to understand the more technical knowledge. For example, you may be expected to use the generators on certain passenger cars, especially if the locomotive can’t provide power to the train. This is particularly true for steam locomotives, which often don’t have generators powerful enough to provide electricity to the whole train. Therefore, you must be knowledgeable about servicing your train’s generators (i.e. fueling them), their startup and shutdown procedures, and the procedure for transferring from shore power to train power.
In addition to the coaches and locomotives, you also need to understand how your organization’s infrastructure functions. This includes track, signals, fixed derails, and overhead wires (if your route is equipped with them). You must follow the rules your organization has about safely using switches, for example. Under my railroad’s rules, this includes knowing where your train needs to go, which switches it must pass through, and how those switches need to be lined up. A train or trolley passing through an improperly lined switch will result in a costly derailment, which could easily ruin the plans for the day. When you use a switch, make sure it is lined and locked properly!
Maintain Situational Awareness
Being aware of what has happened, what is happening next, and what is going on in the present is paramount to safe railroading. Situational awareness, in a nutshell, means being aware of what is always going on around you. How does this tie into railroading? Here’s a real-world example: You are aboard an excursion train and it’s your job to give a tour over the PA system by pointing out sights alongside the line. By maintaining situational awareness, you are aware of where your train is along the line at any given moment, allowing you to know when the next landmark will appear outside the train so that you can talk about it to the guests. This allows you to give an effective tour without missing any of the landmarks or other talking points along the line.
Now let’s say for instance that you and your crewmates need to make up a train and couple on the locomotive. After having your job brief, you all set out to make up the train. By being aware of what’s going on around you, you are mindful of any movements that the locomotive and cars need to make, paying particular attention while those movements are in progress. If you are on the ground in charge of the movement, you are mindful of where the cars are going, how close they are to a hitch, and especially of where you are standing, which must be well clear of the track. Your train may not be the only one moving in the yard, so you need to be aware of what other trains are doing, and to stay out of their way, both with yourself and the train you are working with. Failing to do so could easily result in a collision, damaging equipment, or worse, harming a person.
As another example, you are deboarding guests from your train at the end of an excursion. In this scenario, you want to be aware of how guests are climbing down from the coaches. Are they using the handrails? Are they moving at a safe pace? Does someone need assistance getting off the train? Ask yourself these questions during the deboarding process to protect your guests from injuring themselves or others. It also helps to say out loud ‘Please watch your step and use the handrails.’ This will remind your guests to be cautious. Additionally, you will be keeping an eye on your guests during this process so that in the event of an injury, you are a witness, and can both respond accordingly and help record the incident.
Conclusion
By following these six tips, you will be setting yourself up for success in the heritage railroading industry. Working out on the rails comes with risks, but it is well worth the reward of keeping the legacy of railroading alive and well. Indeed, I know people who have been in the industry for over fifty years, and they will tell you that seeing your guests smile and delight in being aboard a vintage train makes all the effort worth it. Working with vintage trains is a labor of love. So, my fellow railroaders, look sharp, be kind, and stay safe, and you will make many memories working on the high iron.
Do you have any further questions? Curious about working with trains and the public? Ask away in the comments! If you enjoy my content, please subscribe to get notified about new posts. As always, thanks for reading!