Locomotive Engineer Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals, and railroad rules and regulations.
Locomotive Engineer is Also Know as
In different settings, Locomotive Engineer is titled as
- Locomotive Engineer
- Passenger Locomotive Engineer
- Railroad Engineer
- Through Freight Engineer
- Train Engineer
- Trainmaster
- Transportation Specialist
Education and Training of Locomotive Engineer
Locomotive Engineer is categorized in Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Experience Required for Locomotive Engineer
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Education Required for Locomotive Engineer
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Degrees Related to Locomotive Engineer
- Bachelor in Railroad and Railway Transportation
- Associate Degree Courses in Railroad and Railway Transportation
- Masters Degree Courses in Railroad and Railway Transportation
Training Required for Locomotive Engineer
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Related Ocuupations
Some Ocuupations related to Locomotive Engineer in different industries are
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
- Subway and Streetcar Operators
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation
- Ship Engineers
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- Transportation Inspectors
- Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Air Traffic Controllers
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
- Hoist and Winch Operators
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Aviation Inspectors
- Traffic Technicians
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
What Do Locomotive Engineer do?
- Monitor gauges or meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, or air pressure in brake lines or in main reservoirs.
- Observe tracks to detect obstructions.
- Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
- Receive starting signals from conductors and use controls such as throttles or air brakes to drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas turbine-electric locomotives.
- Confer with conductors or traffic control center personnel via radiophones to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, or oncoming trains.
- Operate locomotives to transport freight or passengers between stations or to assemble or disassemble trains within rail yards.
- Respond to emergency conditions or breakdowns, following applicable safety procedures and rules.
- Check to ensure that brake examination tests are conducted at shunting stations.
- Call out train signals to assistants to verify meanings.
- Inspect locomotives to verify adequate fuel, sand, water, or other supplies before each run or to check for mechanical problems.
- Prepare reports regarding any problems encountered, such as accidents, signaling problems, unscheduled stops, or delays.
- Check to ensure that documentation, such as procedure manuals or logbooks, are in the driver's cab and available for staff use.
- Inspect locomotives after runs to detect damaged or defective equipment.
- Drive diesel-electric rail-detector cars to transport rail-flaw-detecting machines over tracks.
- Monitor train loading procedures to ensure that freight or rolling stock are loaded or unloaded without damage.
Qualities of Good Locomotive Engineer
- Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
- Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
- Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
- Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
- Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
- Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
- Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
- Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
- Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
- Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
- Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
- Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
- Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
- Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
- Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.
- Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
- Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
- Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
- Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
- Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
- Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
- Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Tools Used by Locomotive Engineer
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Adjustable widemouth pliers
- Automatic track switching systems
- Car coupling devices
- Claw hammers
- Desktop computers
- Diesel freight engines
- Diesel passenger engines
- Electric freight engines
- Electric passenger engines
- Freight car air brakes
- Gas-turbine-electric engines
- Locomotive air brakes
- Manual rail switches
- On-board computers
- Personal computers
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Socket wrench sets
- Steam engines
- Straight screwdrivers
- Tape measures
- Two way radios
- Two-way end of train devices
- Warning horns
Technology Skills required for Locomotive Engineer
- Electronic train management systems ETMS
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Route mapping software
- Time tracking software