What did a railroad brakeman do?

What did a railroad brakeman do? A railroad brakeman is in charge of the coupling and uncoupling of freight or passenger train cars. Some work as part of train crews, which means they travel from station to station. However, other railroad brakemen are confined to a single station.

What was life like for a railroad worker?

Railroad workers put in long hours; a 1907 law restricted train crews to 16 hours work out of every 24. Well into the twentieth century, work was unsteady and unsafe. One railroad worker in every 357 nationally died on the job in 1889.

How do trains slow down?

Train brakes work off of air pressure, he said. Each car in the line has a pipe running along its undercarriage, and those pipes are connected by hoses where the cars meet. Then, before the train departs, that pipe system is pressured to 90 psi, said Udolph, who was a train engineer earlier in his career.

Is a switchman a hard job?

Their job duties involve operating the switches and brakes, inspecting important parts of the trains, attaching and detaching freight cars, and moving cars. This career requires excellent physical strength and stamina, so switchmen have to undergo a medical exam and a physical exam.

What is a train man called?

A train driver, engine driver, engineman or locomotive driver, commonly known as an engineer or railroad engineer in the United States and Canada, and also as a locomotive handler, locomotive engineer, locomotive operator, train operator, or motorman, is a person who operates a train, railcar, or other rail transport ...

What do you call a train pulled by two locomotives?

In railroad terminology, double heading indicates the use of two locomotives at the front of a train, each operated individually by its own crew.

What did railroad workers eat?

Working on the Railroad Teamsters and graders received the least, while the iron men got the healthiest sum of anybody save their foremen. Like their Irish counterparts on the Central Pacific, the Union Pacific men had a staple diet of beef, bread, and black coffee.

Why do trains honk 2 times?

- One long whistle-like sound can be heard when the train is coming to a halt, and the engineer applies the air brakes. - Two long honks mean that the train has released the brakes and is ready to continue its journey.

What is the difference between a brakeman and a switchman?

Generally speaking a brakeman works the road and basicly helps the conductor make pick ups and set outs on the road. A switchman works the yard, performing the duties of switching out trains, building trains and pulling and spotting industries that are in the general vicinity of the yard.

What is a railroad boss called?

Conductor. In charge of train in its entirety, and of the train crew at large.