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Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

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. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.

Tasks
26 tasks17 core, 9 supplemental
Family
Construction & ExtractionOne of its 65 occupations
Code
47-4061.00SOC 2018: 47-4061

Read the 26 tasks Download this record as JSON

What the work is made of

17 core tasks and 9 supplemental, each quoted as published, with the survey it came from.

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Core: central to the jobSupplemental: done by some, not all

  1. Task 1. Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.Core taskTask 13643Rated by 64 people who do the job, July 2015
  2. Task 2. Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.Core taskTask 13645Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  3. Task 3. Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.Core taskTask 20798Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  4. Task 4. Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.Core taskTask 13654Rated by 64 people who do the job, July 2015
  5. Task 5. Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.Core taskTask 13655Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  6. Task 6. Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.Core taskTask 13653Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  7. Task 7. Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.Core taskTask 13648Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  8. Task 8. Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.Core taskTask 13646Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  9. Task 9. Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.Core taskTask 13651Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  10. Task 10. Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.Core taskTask 13644Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  11. Task 11. Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.Core taskTask 13658Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  12. Task 12. Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.Core taskTask 13649Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  13. Task 13. Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.Core taskTask 13650Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  14. Task 14. Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.Core taskTask 13647Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  15. Task 15. Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.Core taskTask 13657Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  16. Task 16. Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.Core taskTask 13652Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  17. Task 17. Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.Core taskTask 13660Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  18. Task 18. String and attach wire-guidelines machine to rails so that tracks or rails can be aligned or leveled.Supplemental taskTask 13665Rated by 61 people who do the job, July 2015
  19. Task 19. Engage mechanisms that lay tracks or rails to specified gauges.Supplemental taskTask 13656Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  20. Task 20. Drive graders, tamping machines, brooms, or ballast spreading machines to redistribute gravel or ballast between rails.Supplemental taskTask 13659Rated by 63 people who do the job, July 2015
  21. Task 21. Drive vehicles that automatically move and lay tracks or rails over sections of track to be constructed, repaired, or maintained.Supplemental taskTask 13661Rated by 61 people who do the job, July 2015
  22. Task 22. Turn wheels of machines, using lever controls, to adjust guidelines for track alignments or grades, following specifications.Supplemental taskTask 13662Rated by 60 people who do the job, July 2015
  23. Task 23. Push controls to close grasping devices on track or rail sections so that they can be raised or moved.Supplemental taskTask 13664Rated by 60 people who do the job, July 2015
  24. Task 24. Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.Supplemental taskTask 13666Rated by 61 people who do the job, July 2015
  25. Task 25. Paint railroad signs, such as speed limits or gate-crossing warnings.Supplemental taskTask 13667Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015
  26. Task 26. Spray ties, fishplates, or joints with oil to protect them from weathering.Supplemental taskTask 13663Rated by 62 people who do the job, July 2015

Where this comes from

Quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor, and credited. Nothing on this page is written by us.

How we copy and credit sources
  1. Published by
    O*NET 29.0, U.S. Department of LaborEmployment and Training Administration
  2. Classification
    Standard Occupational Classification 2018, 47-4061
  3. License
    CC BY 4.0Free to copy and reuse, with credit
  4. Changed by us
    Nothing.

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