Job Description
CAMPGROUND: Golden Spike National Historical Park
DEPT: National Park Service
AVAILABILITY: 4/1/2020–9/30/2020
RV INFORMATION: Volunteers may, depending on availability, have access to shared housing, consisting of a private bedroom and shared communal areas, or an RV pad. Volunteers looking to use an RV pad will be required to provide their own factory-built RV. The park will provide partial hookup, including 50 and 30 amp electric, water, septic, picnic tables, and laundry. There is no cable TV or phone hookup at the volunteer RV site, although volunteers may have success with their own satellite dishes. Government computers are not available for personal internet use. A minimum of a 2 month commitment is required.
DESCRIPTION
Volunteer Activities• Construction/Maintenance • Historical Preservation • Other • Tour Guide/Interpretation • General Assistance Photo Courtesy of NPS DescriptionHelp bring history to life by volunteering with the locomotive crews of the Jupiter and No. 119 at Promontory Summit, UT. Golden Spike National Historical Park is looking for volunteers to assist the locomotive engineers with the upkeep, maintenance, and operation of the park’s two replica 1868 steam locomotives during the 2020 operating season. This strenuous, but rewarding opportunity allows volunteers to experience what it was like to be on a locomotive as a fireman in the late 1860s, in a location steeped in American railroading history, all the while helping to interpret the park’s significant cultural resource to countless visitors. POSITION OVERVIEW: After the volunteer has met all necessary training qualifications set by the park and when the volunteer feels comfortable with firing the locomotives, the volunteer may fully perform as a Locomotive Fireman. Duties will include assisting with prepping locomotives for morning departures, end of day shutdown procedures, oiling and lubricating necessary surfaces, firing locomotive boilers, maintaining operating pressures, operating related auxiliary equipment in two high pressure locomotives, and splitting/collecting wood. Volunteers in this position may also assist the locomotive engineers and other volunteers with: Occasional locomotive maintenance, such as boiler washes General shop projects and upkeep Participation in park interpretive programs, such as reenactments Preparations for and participation in major park events Routine tasks are performed without much supervision after they are learned. Volunteers must have a valid driver’s license to operate park vehicles. All work assignments and tasks will have the direct approval of the supervisor or Volunteer Coordinator. Demonstrated railroad experience is preferred, but not required for volunteers. Training is provided and is ongoing throughout the one’s time as a Volunteer Fireman. Applicants to this position must be at least 18 years of age. PERSONAL CONTACTS: The incumbent will have, depending on the frequency of volunteering, contacts with the visiting public, other park personnel, cooperating association personnel, and park neighbors. These persons represent a cross section of the nation and of other world countries. Visitors are of all ages, and from all social, ethnic, and economic groups. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This position requires significant physical effort with frequent moving and lifting of weights up to fifty pounds. The work also requires continuous standing, walking, bending, and reaching. At times may require working in uncomfortable or awkward positions for extended periods. Mental stress and physical fatigue may occur due to high volume of personal contacts and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. WORK ENVIRONMENT: The position has the possibility of working in extreme temperatures that can range from over one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and below zero degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. The incumbent will be expected to work above ground on platforms, locomotives, or in maintenance pits in the Engine House with poor lighting and exposure to slippery surfaces. The incumbent will also be subjected to high levels of noise, vibration, smoke, and fumes. Must be able to climb stairs and ladders, work on uneven surfaces, and be on their feet for extended periods of time. The incumbent will be exposed to hazards of moving equipment, vehicles, and cutting tools. HOUSING: Volunteers may, depending on availability, have access to shared housing, consisting of a private bedroom and shared communal areas, or an RV pad. Volunteers looking to use an RV pad will be required to provide their own factory-built RV. The park will provide partial hookup, including 50 and 30 amp electric, water, septic, picnic tables, and laundry. There is no cable TV or phone hookup at the volunteer RV site, although volunteers may have success with their own satellite dishes. Government computers are not available for personal internet use. A minimum of a 2 month commitment is required. AVAILABLE DATES: This position requires at least one of the following two month options. It may be possible to extend the position to an additional term. Volunteers are asked to provide a minimum of 32 hours a week during the time period they select. April 1, 2020 – May 31, 2020* June 1, 2020 – July 31, 2020 August 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020 When applying for the position, please specify which time frame(s) you are interested in. *This time frame involves the final month of the maintenance season in which the locomotives are readied for the operating season. Volunteers at this time will be asked to assist with final preparations, such as: simple repairs, routine maintenance, brass polishing, and locomotive test runs. This time period also includes the annual May 10th Celebration commemorating the 151st anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. HOUSING & AMENITIESType: Trailer/RV PadsDescription: Volunteers may, depending on availability, have access to shared housing, consisting of a private bedroom and shared communal areas, or an RV pad. Volunteers looking to use an RV pad will be required to provide their own factory-built RV. The park will provide partial hookup, including 50 and 30 amp electric, water, septic, picnic tables, and laundry. There is no cable TV or phone hookup at the volunteer RV site, although volunteers may have success with their own satellite dishes. Government computers are not available for personal internet use. A minimum of a 2 month commitment is required.