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Locomotive Engineer - Working conditions

Mataaro Rerewhenua

Working Conditions

Locomotive engineers work in the driver's cab at the front of the train. This is a confined and noisy space.

Vic Hodgson at the controls of an urban passenger train

Locomotive engineers spend most of their time in the driver's cab of trains

Equipment

Equipment locomotive engineers may use includes:

electric or diesel trains
two-way radios
uniforms or protective clothing such as earmuffs
tools and general equipment for breakdown and emergency situations
detonators (used to warn relief drivers they are within close distance of a train that has stopped for some reason)
couplings, for linking wagons together.

An Auckland commuter train at a suburban station

A commuter train used in Auckland

A locomotive, used to pull passenger carriages or freight wagons

Hours

Locomotive engineers do shift work that includes evenings and weekends. Drivers of freight trains may work through the night.

"Driving freight trains means working right around the clock. It can be a bit disruptive to your social life, so you have to learn to get around that."

Warren Reeves - Locomotive Engineer

Contact with people

Locomotive engineers work independently, but may have contact with:

shunters
train guards
passengers
train controllers.

"Sometimes you can go out and not talk to a train controller for your whole shift; other times you may be in contact two or three times, but they are always there if we need to communicate with them."

Warren Reeves - Locomotive Engineer

Previous page - How to get into the job

Next page - Pay and progression

Updated September 2009

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