>>2034919>>2034922To add to this what a conductor does en route varies greatly by location. If you work out of some terminals you literally step on a train and head out on CTC (dispatcher controls all your signals and switches) all the way to the next terminal and you only do switching to do an odd pick-up or set-out of a car, but it's really rare, mostly you do a little paperwork on the way.
In other territories you may take a van 30 miles outside of town and get on your power there and start building your train... then guess what? Conductor is the only one who can lace the air hoses, open the angle cocks, and inspect the air brakes because it's in some outlying yard without carmen. Might take half of your 12 hours just doing that.
Another conductor could work in completely dark territory where they'll copy track warrants over the radio many times a shift and have to get out to hand line switches into sidings, wait at the switch while his 7000' train pulls in at 10mph until it gets in the clear so he can re-line and lock the switch behind him, then walk all the way back to the head end.
And other conductors will work locals and road switchers that will work territories like the above, but will switch & service every industry along a territory, basically being the lowest priority train on the line.
Depending on railroad-specific labor agreements, the conductor's role can vary even more. CN has some pretty unusual labor agreements defining the conductor's role, I don't know if those guys like it or not but they voted for it.
Anyway, the job "varies by location" is a good way to put it.
