Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

What rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators do

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 railroad bed tamping machine operators.

Typical tasks

1. 1Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
2. 2Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
3. 3Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
4. 4Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
5. 5Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
6. 6Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
7. 7Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
8. 8Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
9. 9Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
10. 10Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.

Technology used

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software

How to become one

Experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Training

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.