Train Conductors

Today I thought about train conductors. They seem to be a bit of a legend around here. I think back to when I was a kid. It is almost as though the train conductor is a family friend or a sunny day's entertainment. You can always depend on a conductor to give a friendly wave. Why are they so friendly? What does it do for them? How does one become a conductor? Does it require a lot of training? Is it a small or large job market? Isn't it a crazy idea that trains are given such a limited path to travel on? If a conductor passes thier stop they must reverse and put how many people on hold. If their train is long they are affecting potentially hundreds of people. There is no quick fix. Even though everyone seems to find a train a bother when it holds them up during driving, when they pass you can't help but feel respect and even sentimentality towards the conductor. What a paradox...