All Aboard! Welcome to Ted's Union Pacific Train.

My job as a conductor, to me, has been interesting and challenging. A conductor is in charge of the train (freight), and is responsible, along with the engineer, for the the safe and efficient handling of the train from your point of origin to your destination. The conductor handles all of the train documentation, including hazardous material movement and documentation, which is strictly monitored by the Federal Government. The conductor also handles all of the ground work, such as switching cars, spotting, or placing cars, at industries and other locations along the way. I have worked on train routes from Salt Lake City, through or to cities in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, and California, in all kinds of interesting weather. We work on a seven day a week, 24 hours a day "availability" schedule, which really isn't a schedule, but it is how the railroad operates their trains. That doesn't mean that we are working 24/7, but we can be called to work anytime to go to work on Pacific Railroad. The two pictures of me were taken at Faust, Utah, which is a railroad siding, and what used to be a town 60 miles southwest of SLC. It also was also a Pony Express station during 1860-1861. The picture of me on the train is inside of our engine, sitting on the left side of the engine cab, at the conductor's desk, with a radio microphone in my hand. The engineer sits on the right side of the engine, and runs the train. We were waiting to depart Faust on our way to Salt Lake City, after meeting another train there. The other picture is me standing at the bottom of the stairway to get on the engine. This was also at Faust, Utah. The other picture is actually a favorite scene of mine. This is along the track going to SLC, coming around the curve between Erda, UT, and Lake Point, UT. The freeway (I-80) coming from Wendover is below the tracks at this point. The Great Salt Lake is in full view at this point, with Stansbury Island in the background.