I posted this on ngdiscussion, but got no response, hopefully I will get some responses here.

We are considering issuing ID cards to members. The cards would have the usual info found on driver's licenses, except for home address, and would likely include the following:

Job position in the organization
photo of the holder
date of issue and expiration
date of birth
Height, weight, color hair and eyes and sex
Signature of holder
Signature of appropriate company officer
Annual ride check and stop test approvals

In the event of an incident or accident, the member would show only his or her ID card to proper law enforcement.

This idea was prompted by the need to update our qualification cards, and the perceived need for members to identify themselves without showing a drivers license. We have heard a story of mainline employees being arrested and having their vehicle driver's licenses taken away from them. This in turn had a very negative effect on the individual's insurance and law enforcement record. Mainlines issue ID cards similar to described above with orders to show only the railroad ID and no other.

Thanks for your comments in advance.

Dan Denham,
SVRy Trainmaster

The first rule of RRing is you NEVER show your driver's license to law enforcement. After all, you aren't driving a car.

Your proposed ID cards have a lot more information than my class-1 issued card, though. Mine just has my name, ID #, photo, and expiration date. But it also has a number to call to verify the info, and the all important "if found, drop in any mailbox - postage guaranteed". Mine is also a standard driver's licensed-sized plastic card.

Job position in the organization

How much does that change for members? If you leave that off, you may not have to re-print the card every time they move up the ladder. And do you have any guys that perform more than one job?


photo of the holder

We got that

date of issue and expiration

Expiration, yeah. I don't see the need for date of issue, though. Seems like cards have either one of the other.

date of birth
Height, weight, color hair and eyes and sex

That just seems like a little too much information for my tastes. That info should be in the central file for the employee.


Signature of holder
Signature of appropriate company officer
Annual ride check and stop test approvals

A signature really doesn't mean much. Of all my IDs, only my credit card and driver's license have my signature on them. Rules checks should be on file.

I suggest adding in-case-of-emergency info for your organization:

Emergency responders:
- Fire dept phone #
- Police / highway patrol / sheriff (whichever has jurisdiction) phone #(s)
- Nearest medical clinic / hospital phone # & address

Also, if there is an emergency, where do the emergency personnel go?
- RR shops/yard address
- RR depot address(es)

Good luck!
- Doug Debs

I would say don't put anything on there that isn't any of a cop's beeswax.

Don't put anything on there that would imply or suggest that you've certified or vetted them in some way, because that could quickly become a legal mess if there's anything that could be questioned about your museum's vetting process. For instance if the ID card has a checkbox that a person is checked out on each piece of equipment, and you're standing next to #54 while the cop is noticing #54 on your card ain't checked. (say because somebody's lagging on the paperwork, or because you're the brakeman/conductor, or you're in the museum speeder...)

In other words don't create places for things to go wrong, because they will. Same applies to expiration date.

At the SMRS, I put emergency phone numbers for all the big railroads in southeast Michigan on the back cover of the timetable - the idea being volunteers are also railfans, and will tend be looking at other railroads, and if they spot trouble, they can phone it in.

The rules/qualification list would be a useful ademendum to your organization's rule book.

IRM has a good sytem, where the back of the rulebook has lines for the dates of your rules certification, and another page for the particular equipment you are qualified to operate. Since you are supposed to have the rulebook with you at all times, it allows those who need to know, to be able to check the qualifications, but you aren't necessarily adversiting it either.

I've also noticed a number of other places, whether it be the TSA, or other employees at a local store now only put their employee's first name on their ID tags or badges.

Of course any organization should have a requirement that when members leave (or are asked to) an inventory is in their personal file of what rulebooks they have, keys, badges, etc., so the items can be collected.