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| Re: [PHOTOS] ''A'' Division Oldies (1549360) | |||
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Re: [PHOTOS] ''A'' Division Oldies |
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Posted by randyo on Sat May 30 21:35:21 2020, in response to [PHOTOS] "A" Division Oldies, posted by Bill Newkirk on Sat May 30 19:57:33 2020. Regarding R-16s on the Culver middle, they were used for M/M training for what was then the “qualifying practical.” A train of R-17s was used on the middle tk of the Jerome Line in the Bronx. Candidates who lived in Manhattan and the Bx took the test on the Jerome. Candidates who lived in Bkln Qns and SI took the test in Bkln. Those candidates who passed the written test were required to take a qualifying practical which was not graded but merely rates on a pass or fail basis. Candidates were required to make 3 stops after accelerating the first time and when asked by the examiner they were to indicate the speed they were going by stepping on a pedal in the cab. At that time trains had no speedometers so M/M were expected to be able to judge the speed of their trains within a few MPH. The actions were recorded on some sort of a device equipped with a tape like an oversized lie detector. I don’t know exactly what happened the day I took my test but the tape got pretty badly tangled up but at least we didn’t have to retake the test because of it.The M/Ms’ list was published in the Chief since the practical had no effect on the candidates’ test grades and initially, we were all appointed provisionally pending the results of the practical. A few candidates who scored high on the written test, failed the practical and when the list was made permanent the following year, the ones who failed dropped in seniority behind those who passed. The test was in 1968 and we were made permanent by the summer of 1969 and from what I was told, that was the last M/Ms’ test that had a qualifying practical. Candidates who passed the next written test were made permanent and went through a period of “acclamation” which was basically the same as before but did not disqualify a person from being a M/M unless he was so horrendous that there was no hope at all. Also since AFAIK there was no recorder to actually measure the candidates’ performance who passed of failed was left more to the discretion of the Motorman Instructor. |
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