Great artisans are usually capable of:

• Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials.
• Performing precise and skillful manipulation of small objects.
• Being active and proactive in regards to physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Any supervisor should excel at:

• Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment.
• Detecting or assessing problems whether real or potential.
• Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

• Signaling locomotive engineers for starting or stopping trains when coupling or uncoupling cars, using hand signals, lanterns, or radio communication.
• Pulling or pushing the tracks’ switches to reroute cars.
• Observing signals from other crew members so that working activities can be coordinated.
• Inspecting couplings, air hoses, journal boxes, and handbrakes for ensuring that they are securely fastened and functioning properly.
• Raising levers for coupling and uncoupling cars for makeup and breakup of trains.
• Receiving oral or written instructions from yardmasters or yard conductors indicating the tracks’ assignments and cars to be switched.
• Climbing ladders to tops of cars to setting brakes.
• Setting flares, flags, lanterns, or torpedoes in front and at rear of trains during emergency stops for warning oncoming trains.
• Inspecting tracks, cars, and engines for defects and for determining service needs, sending engines and cars for repairs as necessary.
• Making minor repairs to couplings, air hoses, and journal boxes, using hand tools.