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RailwayEngineer Skills Test (49 CFR 240.127)
Twenty flashcards on the hands-on skills test: who gives it, on which train and what it covers.
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20 cards
- What does the skills test check?
- Whether the person can safely operate locomotives or trains, applying the railroad's rules and practices.
- In which class of service is the candidate tested?
- The most demanding class or type of service the person will be permitted to perform.
- Who conducts the skills test?
- A Designated Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers.
- Must that supervisor be qualified on the territory where the test runs?
- No, the rule says the supervisor does not need to be qualified on its physical characteristics.
- How many subjects must the skills test cover?
- Four.
- What are the four subjects?
- Operating practices, equipment inspection practices, train handling practices and compliance with federal safety rules.
- How long must the skills test last?
- Long enough to effectively evaluate the person's ability to operate trains.
- On what equipment is the test done?
- At the controls of the type of train normally operated on that railroad or segment.
- Can the skills test be done in a simulator?
- Yes, a Type I or Type II simulator programmed to respond like that type of train.
- Who writes up the skills test?
- The designated supervisor, in writing.
- What three things must the skills test record contain?
- Facts about the train operated, the constraints on its operation and the factors observed for the evaluation.
- What must the railroad's program say about failing the skills test?
- The types of action the railroad will take after a failed initial examination or reexamination.
- What must the program describe about scoring?
- The scoring system: the skills tested and the weight or possible score of each skill.
- Is the skills test required at recertification too?
- Yes, before initial certification and before every recertification.
- After failing, when can the person run a locomotive as an engineer?
- Only after passing a reexamination of performance skills.
- May a designated supervisor test his or her own skills?
- No, the rule forbids it.
- How does a railroad name its designated supervisors?
- In writing, choosing people who showed the knowledge, skills and ability through training, testing or experience.
- What must a designated supervisor be, by trade?
- A certified engineer qualified on the physical characteristics of the part of the railroad they supervise.
- What if a railroad has no designated supervisor and wants to hire one?
- Its chief operating officer must determine in writing that the person has the required performance skills.
- During yearly monitoring, how is the engineer's train handling observed?
- The supervisor rides along for a reasonable time, or an event recorder electronically records the train handling.
Official sources
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), via eCFR
49 CFR Part 240: Qualification and Certification of Locomotive Engineers
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