THE WORLD OF RAILROAD RADIO BY VINCENT REH Technicians Getting the Job Done
RAILROADS HEAVILY DEPEND ON radio commu- nication equipment — transceivers, walk- ie-talkies, end-of-train devices, antennas, generators, and more in, on, and around loco- motives, cabooses, rolling stock, automobiles, offices, shops, yards, stations, buildings, tow- ers, poles, and other points too numerous to mention. Behind the installation, repair, test- ing, maintenance, improvement, commission- ing, and decommissioning of all this gear is an army of people made up of railroad employees and private contractors. Without them, rail- road communications — and railroad opera- tions — would come to a halt. In times past when railroad work rules
were stringent and radio communications involved only VHF radios, induction tele- phones, and related antennas, railroad B&B (buildings and bridges) departments were often in charge of installing antennas on tow- ers, buildings, stations, bridges, and other railroad structures. C&S (communication & signal) personnel, including signal maintain- ers, often handled radio equipment installa- tions on pole lines and within wayside equip- ment shelters. Various shop crafts including electricians usually handled deployments in locomotives, cabooses, and vehicles. However, in recent times as work agree-
ments have become more flexible and an explosion of radio links and methods has re- placed nearly all pole lines, any number of groups, including private contractors as well as employees, are now responsible for install- ing, maintaining, and repairing a vast array of radios and antennas. In addition to the classic signal maintainer, workers engaged in radio communications now perform their jobs under titles such as “electronics technician,” “instal- lation technician,” “electronics maintainer,” and “telecommunications maintenance.” As in any of today’s fields driven by tech- nological advances, the skills needed to work in the railroad radio field have increased tremendously in just a few years. Today’s railroad communication technicians need to have at least a rudimentary understanding of information technology, computers, electri- cal principles, electronics fundamentals, data communications, signal and wave propaga- tion, and many other important areas — in both the analog and digital realms. The technician also needs to have good troubleshooting and repair skills, and be able to work independently in isolated areas under all weather conditions for days, or even weeks, at a time. He or she might be called upon to climb towers and poles, dig trenches, pull, lay, and splice metallic and fiber optic cables, lift heavy objects up to 75 pounds, and use a va- riety of specialized power and hand tools and electronic test and measurement instruments. If that isn’t enough, the worker needs to
work safely and know the rules covering himself and others in diverse subject areas including general safety, train operations, and wayside signaling. Periodic drug testing is required, as is training to keep up with all the latest technological developments. Of course, no job would be complete without fed- eral requirements — most jobs involving radio transceiver work require the worker to pass
a written test to obtain an FCC commercial radiotelephone license. And if the worker is going to drive a truck, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is also mandated. Because of the knowledge and work de-
mands of a radio communications technician, the pay is not bad — usually around $25 to $30 per hour to start with basic training and a decent benefits package to boot. On organized railroads, union membership is normally re- quired after a time, as is an apprenticeship period wherein the candidate might have to perform some of the more undesirable tasks as well as getting unwanted shifts in less-popular locations. Perhaps not surprisingly, a survey of employment advertisements reveals that many entry-level positions are available only in the more isolated areas of the country. How- ever, for those wanting a more captive work experience, most major yards and locomotive and car repair shops feature an in-house repair depot where locomotive and vehicle radios, as well as end-of-train devices, are repaired. If you’re interested in finding radio techni-
cian work at a railroad, the good news is that many railroads don’t require anything more than a high school diploma or the equivalent to get your foot in the door. However, they do require that you demonstrate sufficient tech- nological knowledge by taking a proficiency test during the application process. While this might seem to be an overwhelming ob- stacle for those not involved in electricity or electronics as a vocation or hobby, it’s not that difficult and can even be fun to learn the fundamentals. There are numerous free pro- grams available online as well as tons of rea- sonably priced print resources. It is very help- ful to remember that electrical fundamentals haven’t changed since they were developed in the 19th century; in other words, the old electrical principles book you find at the flea market for a nickel will be just as good as any contemporary work. For those already having an electrical/elec-
tronics background, many resources special- izing in communications technologies used on the railroads can be found through a web search. Information, books, and coursework geared toward obtaining an FCC radiotele- phone license can also be found online. To take the licensing exam, you’ll need to report to the nearest volunteer examiner adminis- tering the test. Fortunately, examiners exist in even the most isolated areas — in these cases, the volunteer often works in a locomo- tive repair shop or at a railroad yard. Recently, BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, and
Florida East Coast were hiring electronics/ communications technicians, the latter at West Palm Beach for installing, maintaining, and repairing railroad radio and other com- munication equipment according to layout plans, schematics, and/or FRA and FCC regu- lations. In addition, the job calls for maintain- ing defect detectors, AEI (automatic equip- ment identification) systems, and end-of-train (EOT) and head-of-train devices. These tasks are typical of those required of most railroad communication technicians. If you’re interest- ed in electricity, electronics, and the railroad industry this could be just the way to go.
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Baltimore & Ohio Railroad 3:
Rails Across the Heartland
This edition in a series of high- quality hardcover B&O books
covering the 1960s into the 1980s features spectacular photography showing more than just trains. Explore towers (inside and out), interlockings, junctions, stations, bridges and signals, plus a wealth of operational details, freight schedules and maps of major cities.
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US $5, Canada $9, all others call or email for rates.
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WhiteRiverProductions.com 61
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