Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators

Wages
In 2021, the average annual wage in Alabama was $39,740 with most people making between $38,180 and $44,140.
Wages by Industry
  • Rail Transportation $47,350.00
  • Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction $34,420.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Construction/Heavy Equipment/Earthmoving Equipment Operation
About the job

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.

What you'll do
    • Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad 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.
    • Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.
    • 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.
    • Push controls to close grasping devices on track or rail sections so that they can be raised or moved.
    • Spray ties, fishplates, or joints with oil to protect them from weathering.
    • String and attach wire-guidelines machine to rails so that tracks or rails can be aligned or leveled.
    • Turn wheels of machines, using lever controls, to adjust guidelines for track alignments or grades, following specifications.
Things you need to know
    • Mechanical – Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Transportation – Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Building and Construction – Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Public Safety and Security – Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • English Language – Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Operation and Control – Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
    • Operation Monitoring – Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
    • Repairing – Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
    • Troubleshooting – Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
    • Equipment Maintenance – Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
    • Quality Control Analysis – Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
    • Monitoring – Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.