Prototype Railroading: Hostlers Exam

This week is the half way point in the conductor training program.  On Monday of this week, we took the Hostlers Exam.  This was the first exam that we have had to take so far where our employment depended on getting a passing grade.  The Hostlers Exam was to qualify all of us as Hostlers, which really does not mean much for us, in Glendive, but it is the promotion below Conductor.  A Hostler, or more properly, a Locomotive Servicing Engineer, is qualified to operate locomotives which are not coupled to cars, within locomotive servicing facilities and yard areas.  In order to be able to pass the exam, we had to know by  memory how to conduct locomotive air brake tests, brake pipe leakage tests, and the sequence for changing operating ends on locomotive consists.  We also had to have a knowledge of some basic signal indications, and an understanding of how switches and derails operate and what the blue flags indicate.

The test consisted of 60 questions, which were multiple choice.  Some of them were simply questions with a variety of answers.  Others required filling in a blank in the question, and others were grouped together, and all of them together went over the various steps for air brake tests and changing operating ends.  On many questions, there would be a right answer, and another answer which appeared to be right, but on a second read through it, it would become apparent that one word was either added or missing.  It was very important to read all the answers carefully, and it certainly did not hurt to read them all twice, just to be sure.

The grading scale on the exam, and all exams for that matter, is a bit different than most people are accustomed to in schools.  The lowest passing grade for the Hostlers Exam is a 90 percent.  That means what most schools would consider a high B grade, would still be a failing grade on the railroad.  Hostlers are responsible for moving only locomotives, at low speeds, in limited areas.  However, when you place someone at the controls for a vehicle which weighs over 200 tons, you want them to know their stuff well!  Knowing only 70 percent of the rules just is not good enough!  Some would argue that 90 percent is not enough, but I think is sufficient for safe operations.

In the event that someone fails the exam, that person would be allowed to retake the entire exam one time.  If they still failed it, they would be allowed to continue through the training program.  When we take our final, that person would also be required to take the Hostlers Exam again.  At that point, passing it would be required to continue employment.  Similarly, the final exam requires a 90 percent to pass.  If someone gets between an 80 percent and a 90 percent, they can retake just the questions they get wrong.  If they get less than an 80 percent, the whole exam must be retaken.  One retake is allowed, and if that person does not get a passing grade, that is the end of their employment.  Knowing the rules, and knowing them well, is critical for operating safely and avoiding very serious accidents.

For anyone who is curious, everybody in class got a passing grade on the first attempt.  I personally got a 97 percent.  I was happy with that.  Upon reviewing the questions I missed, I found that I had missed them simply because I had selected an answer that was almost right, but upon a closer look both the answers I had chosen, they were some of those that had just one or two words different from the right answer.  I had known the correct answers, but I had just not read all the choices carefully enough.