Prerequisite Requirements:

No prior experience in railroading or transportation is necessary to volunteer as a crew member on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. Certification is a commitment that requires classroom and on-the-job training which the railroad provides.

Volunteers Crewmember Requirements:

• must be at least 18 years of age
• have a willingness to work as part of a team
• have a safety minded attitude
• be willing to follow company policies, state statutes, and federal regulations
• submit to and pass a pre-employment drug screening as well as random tests while operating as a crew member for drug and alcohol use
• pass medical, hearing, and vision testing
• submit state and federal driver’s records for review
• submit to criminal background check
• pass written and practical tests

The administrative side of these requirements, as well as testing, will be addressed and completed during training.

Railroad crew training (Brakeman, Conductor, Engineer) are offered in February through April each year.  See information below for more training details.

Path to Certification

Students are required to attend 48 hours of classroom and hands-on training spread over three different weekends in February and March. Students then take written exams before proceeding to “on the job” (OJT) training. OJT training consists of a minimum of 100 hours over the course of our operating season.  The first portion of OJT training is in a controlled environment with instructors.  The remainder of OJT takes place with NSSR crew members on actual scheduled passenger trains.  New volunteers are expected to complete the 100 hours of OJT within a year.  How fast you accumulate hours is based on your availability.

When students feel confident, and management feels they are ready, a check ride takes place allowing students to demonstrate knowledge and the ability to work safely as part of the NSSR team.  A successful check ride allows the newly certified member to sign up as a conductor or brakeman on scheduled trains.

If a crew member’s eventual goal is to be a locomotive engineer and operate the train, this course is the first step in that direction.

How do I sign up?

Click here for more info or to register for the training classes.  An email will be sent confirming your registration in the class.  During the first session, learning and testing materials will be provided.  Students are encouraged to bring a large 3-ring binder as the material given out will be punched for binder use.

I want to volunteer, but I’m looking for something else:

If you don’t think this train crew class sounds right for you, but you’d still like to volunteer for the North Shore Scenic Railroad or Lake Superior Railroad Museum, please reach out to us at liam.hoffmann@duluthtrains.com. We are always looking for volunteers in our maintenance shop, museum, and archive library. No prior experience is required for these positions.  We are always looking for individuals with skills in woodworking, welding, metal fabrication, data storage, and archive work, etc. We encourage you to apply.