Tunnel Visionaries

As a child, Steve Earl would go with his father to a rail yard near Union Station to watch trains load, unload and depart--trains that looked to him like giant robot worms.

Now Earl, 47, of Los Angeles, no longer has to watch from a distance. He is one of about 140 subway train operators working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He will pilot trains into North Hollywood and Universal City when those stops open to the public beginning Saturday.

“I can’t wait. It’s going to be exciting,” he said.

Earl joined the MTA as a bus driver in 1986, and made the transition to train operator about a year ago, “when I was ready for a new challenge,” he said.

“It looks easier, but it’s not,” Earl said. “You have to be on the lookout and you have a lot more people you are responsible for, 800 during rush hour. That’s a lot of people to care for.”

His day usually begins about 3 a.m., sometimes as early as midnight. His first task is to “make the sweep”--operate an empty train for a few miles to check that the rail is clear and all signals are operating.

He gets on the train singing “oldies but goodies” songs. He especially likes a Prince song that says, “Hey there, bus driver, take me for a ride,” he said. “But I always change the words to ‘train operator.’ ”

He makes a point of keeping passengers informed, picking up a small microphone and announcing with a deep radio voice: “We are approaching Hollywood Boulevard, [Ripley’s] Believe It or Not and the Wax Museum.”

“You need to tell them where they are, because when you are underground you kinda lose direction,” Earl said.

A few months ago he received the MTA’s Best of the Best award, for going five years with no accidents or passenger complaints, MTA spokesman Gary Wosk said.

While he enjoys his job, Earl said he might one day like to operate larger trains, like the ones he used to watch with his father.

“You have to pursue your goals and be the best at what you do,” he said. “Never put all your cookies in one jar.”