Industrial Railway Locomotive Operations Training

Many Industrial Railways are now responsible to do their own switching inside their gates. The service carriers will drop off and pick up rail cars from designated tracks and it is up to the industrial railway to provide the switching necessary to position the rail cars for loading or unloading and then place them for pick up by the service carrier.

In these cases, the industrial railway needs to follow railway regulations and safety practices to do the switching safely and productively. Typically the industrial railway will use either a locomotive engine or a rail car mover for this purpose.

This course is for employees who move rail cars operating a locomotive engine. This is a 3 to 4-day course depending upon the complexity of the operation and experience of the participants.

Module 1 – Core Safety

Introduction
Job briefings/tool box meeting
Yard safety
Handling Switches

Handling Derails
Track Protection
Working around equipment
Entrain and detrain stationary equipment safely and properly

Entrain and detrain a locomotive safely and properly
Entrain and detrain moving equipment properly and safely
Crossing over stationary equipment
Riding equipment

Module 2 – Freight Car Inspection

Introduction
Reporting Defects
Identifying defects

Module 3 – Car Securement

Introduction
Vertical Wheel Handbrake
Car braking systems

Module 4 – Car Air Brakes

Introduction
Components
Operation
Working with car air brakes
Background information

Module 5 – Locomotive Inspection

Explain the Locomotive Inspections that are required
Conduct a proper Pre-use Locomotive Inspection
Perform a proper Locomotive Brake test
Conduct a Cold Start Locomotive Inspection

Module 6 – Locomotive Operation

Identify and explain the key components of the locomotive braking system
Demonstrate the positions on the Automatic Brake Valve Handle
Operate the Automatic Brake Valve to effectively and safely slow, control, and stop movements

Operate the Independent Brake to effectively and safely slow, control, and stop movements
Recognize a penalty application
Recover from a penalty application
Recover an emergency application

Safely start a locomotive diesel engine
Safely move a locomotive
Safely stop a locomotive under normal operating conditions
Safely shut down a locomotive engine

Module 7 – Switching Operations

Preparation
Communication
Initiate the movement
Controlling a movement
Coupling
Shove movement
Spotting cars

Industrial Railway Operating Rules

The operating rules are presented in the context of the yard operation.
A separate written test is administered as part of the training.