Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
<ul><li>Patrol assigned track sections so that damaged or broken track can be located and reported.</li><li>Repair or adjust track switches, using wrenches and replacement parts.</li><li>Weld sections of track together, such as switch points and frogs.</li><li>Observe leveling indicator arms to verify levelness and alignment of tracks.</li><li>Operate single- or multiple-head spike driving machines to drive spikes into ties and secure rails.</li><li>Operate track wrenches to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.</li><li>Cut rails to specified lengths, using rail saws.</li><li>Clean tracks or clear ice or snow from tracks or switch boxes.</li><li>Lubricate machines, change oil, or fill hydraulic reservoirs to specified levels.</li><li>Drill holes through rails, tie plates, or fishplates for insertion of bolts or spikes, using power drills.</li><li>Raise rails, using hydraulic jacks, to allow for tie removal and replacement.</li><li>Adjust controls of machines that spread, shape, raise, level, or align track, according to specifications.</li><li>Clean, grade, or level ballast on railroad tracks.</li><li>Dress and reshape worn or damaged railroad switch points or frogs, using portable power grinders.</li><li>Grind ends of new or worn rails to attain smooth joints, using portable grinders.</li><li>Clean or make minor repairs to machines or equipment.</li><li>Operate single- or multiple-head spike pullers to pull old spikes from ties.</li></ul>