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Locomotive Firers

Also called: Locomotive Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Assistant Passenger Locomotive Engineer, Fireman

What they do:
Monitor locomotive instruments and watch for dragging equipment, obstacles on rights-of-way, and train signals during run. Watch for and relay traffic signals from yard workers to yard engineer in railroad yard.
On the job, you would:
  • Observe train signals along routes and verify their meanings for engineers.
  • Monitor trains as they go around curves to detect dragging equipment and smoking journal boxes.
  • Receive signals from workers in rear of train and relay that information to engineers.

Knowledge

Transportation
  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road
Safety and Government
  • public safety and security
Engineering and Technology
  • mechanical
Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills
  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Controlled Movement
  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
  • quickly decide if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part
Attention
  • pay attention to something without being distracted
  • do two or more things at the same time
Verbal
  • listen and understand what people say
  • communicate by speaking
Hand and Finger Use
  • keep your arm or hand steady

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Independence
  • Integrity

Technology

Examples of the technology used in this career will be available soon.

Education

Education: (rated 2 of 5)
high school diploma or
some college
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Below Average Outlook
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Salary
$44,720
per year, on average
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about locomotive firers.