It takes more than scheduling to keep trains running. In a country as large as Canada, railway lines employ an army of technologists to ensure that equipment is operating safely and that the communications network is not only constant, but efficient. Jim works as a Signal and Communications Technologist for CN Rail. Currently, his primary responsibility is overseeing the thermal imaging system used for defect detection of rolling stock in Western Canada. If the axle bearings overheat on any train in Western Canada, the office receives an automatic warning. A train with a hot bearing - called a "hot box" - is inspected after being stopped, either by the field equipment or by contact from the office.

Jim's main function is to ensure reliability in the system through monitoring the office statistics of the field equipment's performance. Jim also maintains detailed communications plans and records on the computer. He is continually busy with developing and testing improvements to the system's performance.

There are duty rotations with his fellow technicians every couple of years. Alternate possible assignments last approximately one to two years, and may be in the areas of Data Communications (WAN/LAN Networks over Fiber/MUX/Satellite), Signal Systems, and Radio Communications. A technologist may also be assigned to the Call Desk where outages are logged and routed to expedite restoration, or to a special project or a specific system.