Thursday, October 19, 2006

You are a Conductor

This video does a pretty good job of portraying what life on the spare board (on call) is like, and it reminds me of why I usually work nights.

All coductors have spent at least some time on the spare board, and we all remember getting the dreaded middle of the night phone call from the crew dispatcher. I'm usually half comatose when they call me, and I have to fumble around to find a pen and piece a paper to write down the run number. Sometimes I set the alarm clock and try to sneak in an extra hour sleep before getting out of bed and taking a shower. I then drive to work at some ungodly hour in the pitch dark while the rest of the world is fast asleep.

The conductor in this video works for a freight railroad somewhere in the midwest, but the scenery they show is pretty similar to what we see on Metro North. Thanks to conductor Rich Simon and Tom Finn for bringing this video to my attention.

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4 comments:

susieq said...

Who knew they did videos on train conductors? Wow.

Anonymous said...

Great link, thanks

Anonymous said...

Wow...."I'm A Conductor!!"...

Take a gander, for this is how the song should be, and this is a tribute to what all the Metro-North conductors, trainmen, and basically conductors and trainmen everywhere in passenger service go thru....this is for you all!!

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Long, hard days....
Crrrrazy Nights.....
Fare Disputes.....
Even fights.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Sometimes smiles.....
Often frowns.....
Some folks bright.....
Some folks clowns.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Trainmasters watch.....
Inspectors write.....
Harrass us by day.....
And byyyyyyyy night.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Cut them tickets.....
Get themmmmm doors.....
Visit the bar car.....
But pleeeeease, no Coors.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Must not drink.....
Must be aware.....
Sherry's wat-chin' you.....
On you her eyes stare.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Back trains up.....
Brrrrake test done.....
F-R-A be watchin'.....
Un-der moon and sun.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Watch your en-gin-eer.....
Iiiin-cid-ents NOT.....
Watch them station stops.....
Get that goooood spot.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

When in trouble.....
Problems arrrre all you see.....
Pick up that radio.....
Call R-T-C.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

'Tention Train Men.....
Per-form that key-out.....
I want nooooo words.....
From in-spec-tor's mouth.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Watch them train-men.....
Get thaaaaaat switch.....
Beware wrong a-lig-ments.....
Deeeeee-railin's aaa bitch.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

30 days in the street.....
Allllll with no pay.....
Vaaaa-cations are so good.....
Buuuuuuuuut not this way.....

"YOU'RE A CONDUCTOR!!!"

Now it's time to close.....
Innnn this way.....
Do what your sup-posed to do.....
And you'll have-a-saaaaaafe day!!!

And......

Reeeeeeee-mem-ber.....

"YOU'RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE".....

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA".....

"CONNNNN-DUUUUUUUUUC-TOOOOOOOOR!!!!"


Thank you, thank you very much!!
:-) :-D

Unknown said...

Bobby, did you say you are a conductor at Metro-North in NY? My father and I actually designed and built some switch machines that Metro-North bought from us. They are called 3000LP Hydra Switches. They are the push button and solar or 120V powered switch machines.