"Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator"

Job Description - Part 1

Basic Job Description:

Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and road bed tamping machine operators.

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Duties / Tasks	Activities	Skills	Abilities	Knowledge / Experience

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Job Duties and Tasks for: "Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operator"

1) Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, and align track, according to specifications.

2) Clean, grade, and level ballast on railroad tracks.

3) Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.

4) Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points and frogs, using portable power grinders.

5) Drill holes through rails, tie plates, and fishplates for insertion of bolts and spikes, using power drills.

6) Drive graders, tamping machines, brooms, and ballast cleaning/spreading machines to redistribute gravel and ballast between rails.

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7) Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.

8) Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.

9) Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.

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10) Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.

11) Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.

12) Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.

13) Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.

14) Operate track-wrench machines to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.

15) Push controls to close grasping devices on track or rail sections so that they can be raised or moved.

16) Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.

17) Repair and adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.

18) Spray ties, fishplates, and joints with oil to protect them from weathering.

19) String and attach wire-guidelines machine to rails so that tracks or rails can be aligned or leveled.

20) Turn wheels of machines, using lever controls, to adjust guidelines for track alignments and grades, following specifications.

21) Clean and make minor repairs to machines and equipment.

22) Clean tracks, and clear ice and snow from tracks and switch boxes.

23) Lubricate machines, change oil, and fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.

24) Paint railroad signs, such as speed limits and gate-crossing warnings.

25) Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.