New York State of Opportunity

Railroad Inspector (Motive Power & Equipment)

Written Test To Be Held
March 17, 2018*
You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday.
Please refer to the information below.
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
January 31, 2018

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
26-479 Railroad Inspector (Motive Power & Equipment) $47,085 G-15 $35

*Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either Saturday, March 17, 2018, or Sunday, March 18, 2018, to take your test. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request a day in advance or change your scheduled day.


IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before March 17, 2018, you must have:

Either 1. four years of experience in the construction or maintenance of railroad rolling equipment; or inspecting such equipment for a public regulatory agency;

Or 2. an associate?s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering or mechanical engineering technology and two years of the experience listed above.

Continued employment as a Railroad Inspector (Motive Power & Equipment) is dependent upon acquisition of various federally mandated certifications pertaining to rail safety programs. Failure to obtain and maintain these certifications may result in termination of employment.

The duties of the position require extensive travel within a designated area of assignment. Appointees must be able to respond to the work requirements of the job in a timely and responsible manner. Individuals who do not live within reasonable proximity of the work assignment will find it extremely difficult to satisfy this condition of employment.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2018, you can be admitted to the written test, but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirement to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview. Failure to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2018 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes

  1. Your degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the NYS Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. If you are applying on the Internet, you must mail the independent verification of equivalency to the New York State Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S2LSS.
  2. Physical/Medical Requirements: Your physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that you are able to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. A complete statement of the physical and medical standards is available at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/ehs/forms.cfm. A medical examination will be required prior to appointment. Appointees to this position may be required to undergo periodic medical examinations to reassess their ability to perform the essential duties of the position. Eligibles will be called to the physical/medical screening in score order as needed to fill existing and anticipated vacancies.
  3. The duties of this position require considerable field work. At the time of appointment, and continuously thereafter, you will be required to possess a valid New York State driver?s license or otherwise demonstrate the ability to meet the travel requirements of the position.
  4. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
  5. New York State residence is not required.

The Positions

These positions exist in the Department of Transportation in Albany, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, and Syracuse.

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Duties

As a Railroad Inspector (Motive Power and Equipment), you would monitor the condition of locomotives and railroad transportation equipment to determine adherence to New York State Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration standards for safe operating conditions. You would inspect equipment in repair shops, rail yards and on sidings; check air-brake equipment, safety devices, couplers, wheels and all rolling stock; make internal and external examinations of locomotives and of diesel engines, applying knowledge of construction, composition in installation, stresses and deterioration of diesel locomotives and accessory equipment; investigate the cause of accidents to determine whether faulty equipment was a cause of the accident. You would prepare reports concerning your findings and recommendations and evaluate rail capital equipment improvements for safety effectiveness and contract compliance.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

  1. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
  2. Operation, maintenance, and inspection of railroad rolling stock - These questions test for knowledge of the procedures, principles, materials, tools, and equipment used in the operation, repair, and maintenance of railroad cars, locomotives, other rolling stock, and safety equipment.
  3. Laws, rules, regulations and standards related to railroad rolling stock, equipment, safety appliances and railroad employee safety - These questions test for basic knowledge of pertinent federal and New York State laws and regulations governing railroad rolling stock safety and railroad worker safety, including the Code of Federal Regulations 49 and McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York, Book 48 - Railroad.
  4. Understanding and interpreting diagrams, charts, graphs and tabular material - These questions test for the ability to read and analyze visual and numerical information presented in technical drawings and various types of graphic and tabular presentations, and to perform related simple computations. All the information needed to answer the questions will be provided in the drawings, graphs, charts, tables or related written material.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

This announcement is for viewing purposes only.

If you do not receive a number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT processed.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/TC3 LSS-dah
Issued: 12/29/2017

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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