Explore occupational profile

Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
Search the OaSIS

73310.02 – Yard locomotive engineers

Yard locomotive engineers operate locomotives within yards of railway, industrial or other establishments.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Locomotive engineer - railway
  • Yard engineer - railway

Core competencies

  • Operation and Control to control the operations of locomotives and railcars, including adjusting speed and direction, coordinating movements within the yard
  • Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment to closely monitor locomotive instruments, controls and signals, quickly detecting malfunctions or irregularities for safe and efficient rail yard operations
  • Rate Control and Reaction Time to precisely regulate speed while moving trains in tight spaces and respond swiftly to signals, obstacles or sudden changes in the yard environment
  • Auditory Attention to focus on and distinguish critical sounds, such as communication signals, alarms or changes in machinery noise, amidst the operational noise of the rail yard
  • Attention to Detail to carefully monitor switches, signals and track conditions, ensuring precise speed and positioning for safe and efficient movement of trains within railyards
  • Knowledge in Vehicle, Machinery and Equipment Operations to understand and have expert knowledge of operating and maneuvering locomotives in tight yard spaces, ensuring precision in coupling, decoupling and positioning railcars

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Operate locomotives to switch, couple and uncouple cars for loading and unloading
  • Perform switching operations according to written switching orders or dispatched instructions
  • Inspect locomotives, replenish fuel or perform routine maintenance on locomotives.

Additional information

  • Mobility between railway transport companies or between establishments employing locomotive engineers may be limited due to seniority provisions of collective agreements.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Railway traffic controllers (72604.01)
  • Subway train and light rail transit operators (73301.03)
  • Supervisors, railway transport operations (72023)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

7 – Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

TEER

3 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of less than two years; or more than six months of on-the-job training

Major group

73 – General trades

Sub-major group

733 – Transportation occupations

Minor group

7331 – Train crew operating occupations

Unit group

73310 – Railway and yard locomotive engineers

Occupational profile

73310.02 – Yard locomotive engineers

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.