Engineer/Conductor Hours of Service

What is it like to be an Engineer or a Conductor on the California Zephyr - time wise?

The #5 train leaves CHI at 2 pm.

Eight hours later the train would be between Creston and Omaha.

Nine hours later the train is in Omaha and just over 10 hours later in Lincoln.

How many hours of rest does an Engineer or Conductor then have to have per HOS rules before they can work again?

If they get off the train in Omaha the next #6 comes through about 6 hours later heading to CHI.

In this case the engineer changes, or has been the case, at Ottumwa, Iowa. The train crew goes to Omaha, the next engineer to Lincoln, NB. If the run is over 6 hours, then there are two engineers, who must have eight hours rest, although there are some situations that are exceptions.

The crews getting off in Omaha apparently have a long layover.

12 hours of work requires 10 hours off. HOS law is very complicated. 60 hours MAX in a week.

So a CZ Engineer that lives in or near Ottumwa would have what kind of a work week?

KmH said:

So a CZ Engineer that lives in or near Ottumwa would have what kind of a work week?

Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe those jobs are CHI-OTM and some of them are interspersed with QCY runs.

Yes, Thirdrail is correct about Ottumwa, which would be an away from home terminal, or layover point. It is entirely possible that the assignment alternates with another route.

Crew Dispatchers who are still working where I used to on NJ Transit have told me that changes and limitations on extra board crews have been put in place, limiting how they can be called for different shifts. ( tricks )

Amtrak has an interesting Engineer work schedule from Ft. Worth to Del Rio which involves the Texas Eagle ( Daily) and the Sunset Ltd. ( Tri-weekly)

The FTW based Engineers* work between FTW and Austin( AUS), they take #21/#421 South from FTW- AUS,do an overnight 12-15 hour layover, then take #22/#422 back to FTW the next morning!

Some of the FTW based Engineers are also qualified to work FTW-Longview (LVW), as are a different crew of Conductors and ACs.

The San Antonio ( SAS) based Engineers operate between SAS and AUS on #22/#422, do a 8-9 Hour Layover, then take #21/#421 back to SAS.

SAS based Engineers can also be qualified to run #1#421 and #2/#422 between SAS and Del Rio and #1 and #2 between SAS and Houston (HOS).

I have no idea how many hours the Regular Engineers or the Extra Board ones work in a months time? I do know

That it's a High Seniority route for Engineers and Conductors, but with recent retirements there are quite a few Female T& E operating crew on the Extra Board!

*The Conductors and the A/Cs on this route only work between SAS and FTW!