BLET member enjoys new job working on the railroad
(The following story by Michael Gelbwasser appeared on the Sun Chronicle website on August 23, 2010. David Gookin has been a member of BLET Division 57 in Boston since May 1, 2010.)
NORTON, Mass. David Gookin's new job has given him a fresh perspective of his childhood home on Mansfield's Central Street.
The view is from the driver's seat of an MBTA commuter rail train traveling almost 80 mph.
Gookin, 23, now of Norton, became a locomotive engineer in July after graduating from the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company's year-long training program. The program includes 10 weeks of classroom training in subjects such as electrical systems and railroad operating rules.
Gookin is certified to drive trains to and from Boston's South Station, the terminus of routes that include Providence/Stoughton, Franklin/Forge Park, Middleboro/Lakeville, Framingham/Worcester, Kingston/Plymouth, Needham, Readville, Foxboro Stadium and Greenbush.
Some days take Gookin past Mansfield's Central Street, where he grew up.
"I never really noticed the tracks being next to me. Now I notice the house I grew up in," said Gookin, who moved to Attleboro in middle school.
He was a 2005 graduate of Attleboro High School, where he was on the swim team as a sophomore and junior.
Gookin was a conductor for almost two years before starting engineering school. His uncle, John Gookin, was a conductor, first on freight trains, then on the commuter rail.
"I noticed when I was a conductor, everyone thought I drove the train," he said. "Now I'm an engineer, and everyone thinks I pick up the tickets."
SUN CHRONICLE: So, what inspired you to follow in your uncle's footsteps?
DAVID GOOKIN: He made it sound like the ideal job. It sounded like a very promising future. Prior to it, I had an office job for about a year. I didn't really enjoy it at all.
I never really rode the train a lot or knew any of the positions. Just talking to him at Thanksgiving or Christmas one year, he was explaining to me what he did. He was in charge of the movement of the train, directing the engineer how far to go, when to stop. It just seemed like a lot of fun.
SC: Has he given you any tips?
GOOKIN: He did at the beginning, when I was a conductor: just to act professional.
I knew I was coming in under his name. I never wanted to embarrass him.
SC: People always complain about late trains. How do you deal with that? Are engineers aware of the time?
GOOKIN: We're required to check our watches with the conductor and make sure everyone has the correct time.
We're not allowed to leave a station early. (We could) get in a lot of trouble.
SC: It sounds like you take the train into work. Or, do you drive?
GOOKIN: If the schedule allows it. A lot, I drive.
SC: Has a late train ever made you late for work?
GOOKIN: Not yet. I won't push it if the arrival time is too close. They probably wouldn't accept that excuse.
SC: So, when does your day start?
GOOKIN: It changes from day to day. It could be a phone call at 2 a.m. that says they need me in Worcester at 4 a.m., anywhere they need me. I might come in from Worcester, do a Providence, and finish back up in Worcester.
That's one thing I wondered about when I became a conductor. I thought I was going to go back and forth to Providence 20 times a day.
SC: How do you pass the time?
GOOKIN: There's no time to pass.
You constantly focus on the next signal ahead, or the next speed change. The dispatcher is talking to you on the radio.
SC: How about the bad weather?
GOOKIN: The fall is probably the worst, with the leaves on the rail. It makes for the most slippery rail conditions.
Winter, you get frost on the rail, which makes it a little slippery. You get frost on the brake pads, so you have to plan for that.
Pouring rain, you can't see anything.
SC: Do you ever get tempted to put the pedal to the metal?
GOOKIN: Not really.
Even when I'm only doing 30 around a curve, you look in the mirror and you just see the train behind you and you feel good enough.
But I would like to run one of the Acelas at 150 (mph). That seems like a lot of fun.
It's a good feeling. You make a station stop and you are seeing live people getting off. It kind of puts everything in perspective for you.
