The Railway Educational Bureau

The Railway Educational Bureau can trace its roots back to the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1909, Union Pacific's president, E. H. Harriman hired D. C. Buell to develop training materials for the railroad. Buell was later appointed the Director of Union Pacific's Educational Bureau of Information. Within a few short years Buell and the Union Pacific realized other railroads could benefit by the training programs it developed. The division was spun off as The Railway Educational Bureau and Buell later became the owner. After years of proven success, The Railway Educational Bureau was purchased from the Buell estate by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation in 1968.

Today, The Railway Educational Bureau continues to offer a wide variety of training options to suit the needs of its customers. The Railway Educational Bureau has provided training services for the railroad industry including Class I railroads, short line roads, railcar repair facilities, and private industry with a need for rail-related training. Our training methods include:

Independent study. With over 140 correspondence study courses, independent study is the perfect opportunity for employees to receive training at their own pace in their own home. We offer courses covering:

• Introduction to Railroading
• Freight Car Inspection and Maintenance
• Brake Systems
• Locomotive Electrical & Mechanical
• Locomotive Operating
• Metal Trades
• Track maintenance

By taking advantage of independent study course, students and companies save time and money due to eliminated travel and its associated expenses.

Technical workshops. Technical workshops are hosted by The Railway Educational Bureau at a location we select--usually at our Omaha office. The topics and curriculum are chosen by The Railway Educational Bureau based on the perceived needs of our customers. Our customers gain the advantage of receiving training from highly-qualified professionals for a handful of employees without incurring tremendous investments in training development. Examples of technical workshops include:

Basic Track Inspection
Freight Car Inspection
Derailment Investigation

Site-location training. Site-location training gives customers more freedom to work with us on the curriculum and allows the customer to choose their own location for the event. The two important points to remember regarding site-location training is that the customer receives a tailored curriculum and an overall cost-effective training alternative when weighing expenses for travel, lodging, meals, and employee downtime. Some examples of site-location training programs we've delivered for customers include:

• Inbound/Outbound Freight Car Inspection
• Single Car Air Brake Tests
• Air Brake Component Identification and Function
• Basic and Advanced Principles of Track Maintenance

Customized training packages. Customizing a training package to a customer's specific need is the newest service we provide. This method of training picks up where the other methods stop. Customizing a training program for our customers requires a more intimate relationship. Typically, we work with the customer to develop a strategic plan to specific problems the customer faces. This includes counciling the customer on what form of training delivery is best suited to their situation, developing the curriculum from scratch, and deploying employee assessment.

The Railway Educational Bureau has many ways to help with your training needs. To learn more please visit our website, email us at studentservices@sb-reb.com, or call us at 1-800-228-9670.

Simmons-Boardman Books, Inc.

Simmons-Boardman Books publishes and sells books, videos, maps, charts, and more to the railroad, marine, and aviation industries. Founded in 1982, the company initially offered a wide variety of books, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reprints, videos, charts, maps and more to the railroad industry. Since then it has grown to include books and videos for the marine and aviation industries as well.

The products we offer for the railroad industry are as diverse a collection as can be found anywhere. As part of the Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp., we are the world's largest publisher of railroad material.

Through the years, the Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation has produced a number of collector's items. Most notably is our exclusive line of Cyclopedias and Dictionaries, which have been serving the industry since 1879. From a historical perspective, these meticulously assembled references provide a comprehensive view of rolling stock during their respective years of coverage.

Simmons-Boardman established the Transportation Specialty Bookstore and Library in 1994. The bookstore and library are located on the first floor of our Omaha office. This has provided a convenient location for customers to visit and browse through the diverse array of products and reference volumes.

Our website, www.transalert.com, was launched in 2000. It offers our existing customers another way for us to serve them while at the same time providing a way for new customers to find out about our products and services. The website allows visitors to enjoy the benefits of shopping online and to explore the depth and breadth of products they've come to associate with us.