Signal and Track Switch Repairers

What Does a Signal and Track Switch Repairers Do?

Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Inspect and test operation, mechanical parts, and circuitry of gate crossings, signals, and signal equipment such as interlocks and hotbox detectors.
• 2Inspect electrical units of railroad grade crossing gates and repair loose bolts and defective electrical connections and parts.
• 3Test and repair track circuits.
• 4Drive motor vehicles to job sites.
• 5Install, inspect, maintain, and repair various railroad service equipment on the road or in the shop, including railroad signal systems.
• 6Tighten loose bolts, using wrenches, and test circuits and connections by opening and closing gates.
• 7Inspect switch-controlling mechanisms on trolley wires and in track beds, using hand tools and test equipment.
• 8Replace defective wiring, broken lenses, or burned-out light bulbs.

Required Skills

• Troubleshooting
• Equipment Maintenance
• Repairing
• Quality Control Analysis
• Critical Thinking
• Operations Monitoring
• Equipment Selection
• Maintenance management software
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
• Web browser software