Section Laborer

POSITION SUMMARY:
This position will work as part of the section gang to lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. This work includes using ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• 18 years of age or older.
• High School diploma or GED required
• Must possess a valid state-issued driver’s license
• Available to work system-wide, extended and frequent travel required
• Able to work in a team environment, and possess verbal and written communication skills sufficient to coordinate work and relate track conditions to co-workers, typically via telephone and radio.
• Manual labor experience in an outdoor environment required.
• Prior railroad experience preferred
• Must have requisite color vision acuity
• Able to use hands to perform activities involving holding, grasping, turning and pulling.
• Able to work in conditions that include loud noise and fumes, work on and around heavy and moving machinery, bend, lift, work, walk, stand and sit in confined spaces for extended periods of time and use hand and power tools.
• Follow safety policies and procedures and wear the required personal protective equipment required for the job in a safe manner.

JOB DUTIES:

• Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.
• Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.
• Operate track-wrench machines to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.
• Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.
• Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.
• Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.
• Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.
• Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.
• Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.
• Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.
• Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.
• Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.
• Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.
• Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.
• Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.
• Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.
• Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.
• Drive graders, tamping machines, brooms, or ballast spreading machines to redistribute gravel or ballast between rails.
• Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.
• Push controls to close grasping devices on track or rail sections so that they can be raised or moved.
• Turn wheels of machines, using lever controls, to adjust guidelines for track alignments or grades, following specifications.
• String and attach wire-guidelines machine to rails so that tracks or rails can be aligned or leveled.
• Spray ties, fishplates, or joints with oil to protect them from weathering.
• Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.
• Paint railroad signs, such as speed limits or gate-crossing warnings.
• Available to work a 40 hour work week subject to overtime, on-call and alternate shifts that may include weeknights, weekends and holidays.

UNION MEMBERSHIP: This position is governed by a collective bargaining agreement and the successful applicant will be required to join the union. Monthly union dues are required and will be deducted from the employee's paycheck.  Based on an employee's seniority, an employee may be able, or in some cases required, to work in positions other than the one for which s/he applied.

The duties, responsibilities and qualifications in this posting are representative categories to be used by an applicant in deciding whether to apply for the position. These general guidelines do not constitute an exhaustive list of qualifications or essential functions of the position. In addition, these general guidelines bear no relation to, nor are they intended to modify or conflict with, any collective bargaining agreement provision. Questions about the collective bargaining agreement, if any, governing the position described herein should be directed to the appropriate union organization.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer/Veterans/Disabled. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.