Skip to main content

Short-line engineer training gets an overhaul

November 17, 2016

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College and the National Academy of Railroad Science (NARS) have combined efforts to design an intensive, eight-day course that will provide short-line engineers with training on locomotive and freight car air brake systems, locomotive mechanical systems and basic train handling. Students will have the opportunity to discuss how the content applies to real-life situations, and will participate in approximately 12 hours of hands-on Type II locomotive simulator training. The curriculum will now focus more on EMD instead of both EMD and GE.

"We are planning on launching the new course in January," said Tony Lacy, JCCC program director. "It's now an eight-day course instead of 10 so you'll have less downtime and get your people back in the field quicker."

Only the best for BNSF

Years of partnership with the BNSF Railway and a professional environment along with state-of-the-art tools and simulators make the learning experience second to none, according to Preston Claytor, training consultant to Central Maine & Quebec Railway.

"Other parties do offer training but they show up to conduct the class with a projector at a local Holiday Inn or at an office," he said. "They have none of the professional environment or tools that is offered at Johnson County Community College. The quality is the finest outside education that can be found for a non-class 1 railroad."

Employees realize that when they are invited to attend JCCC they are being recognized as employees who are furthering their careers; thus they appreciate the investment being made in them. 

"Our chief operating officer, a former BNSF manager, would not accept substandard training and that's why I worked with Tony Lacy to get the class up and running again," Claytor said.

The class will be limited to eight participants and registration will fill quickly.

For more information, email Lacy or call him at 913-469-2460.

###