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Here are a few basic truths about working on the railroad. 1. The railroad is a difficult place to work, but the compensation is significant when compared to many jobs at a similar level with other industrial concerns. 2. Railroads have high turnover in certain areas particularly train and engine service. I have heard figures as high as 90% quit in the first 5 years. In my experience it is not that high, but it is higher than many jobs because of the nature of the work. (24/7 call, on the road and away from family, no social life, etc) 3. It takes a certain independent kind of woman to be a railroad wife. My wife refers to herself as a "Railroad Widow". 4. Other jobs on the railroad have issues too and pay is not as good as TY&E. Take for example the Signal Maintainer having a large district. Called out in the worst weather to fix signals and interlockings or make sure the switch heaters work. MOW folks laboring in the hot sun or extreme cold with heavy steel and ties, always looking over your shoulder to avoid that pasing train... The Dispatcher struggling to keep the railroad fluid with too much territory to ever know. Even the Train Master and Roadforeman with too many employees to supervise and unrealistic demands and quotas passed down from more senior management. Working on the railroad is no picnic and it isn't always as good as it looks. That said, where else can someone with a high school level of education reach a position to earn $80,000+ annually (in the past this could be $100,000+, but new employees don't have many of the old agreement rights that pre-85 hires have. Even that is changing in the most recent agreements with trip rates and other new methods of pay. There is also, of course the side benefits of getting to run the train, not that anyone would hire out for that...[;)] LC
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