CN is hiring locomotive engineers

[Anonymous]

I hired out at CN in 1994 and at that time new hires were told that they were going to become locomotive engineers in the near future . I started my engineer's training in 1996 and became a engineer in 1997 . CN DID hire engineers off the street recently , they are now working as conductors . I am thinking that they will stay on the conductors spareboard and when there is a shortage of engineers they can call them to work as a engineer off the conductors board .

(DUAL CRAFTED EMPLOYEES)

[baberuth73]

If you want to be an engineer in a much warmer climate the government has an opening at Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter, South Carolina. My daughter emailed me the job posting yesterday. You have until 19 December to apply. It is open to civilians. Most of SC is in stage 4 drought so you won't have to worry much about getting wet while walking to your locomotive. We seldom have cold (by northern standards) weather and are rapidly becoming the Desert Southeast.

[al-in-chgo]

This job description of a conductor straight from the CN website may provide some answers (mind you I'm still a bit confused since the conductor description sounds like the traditional brakeman job?).

Perhaps someone who works for CN Rail in Canada could quickly shed some light on this ?

http://www.cn.ca/about/careers/search_apply_jobs/typical_careers/en_Campus_Typical.shtml

<paste website text> 

Conductors switch rail cars, make or split up trains in yards, move cars between yards, sidings or tracks (often using a remote control device called a belt pack), according to instructions originating with yard and train planners. This requires good communication skills involving specific hand signals or radio to facilitate the safe movement of engines and cars. They work on-call with irregular hours, weekends and holidays.

Conductor trainees are provided with in-house training. The Conductor position can lead to promotion to Traffic Coordinator or Locomotive Engineer. Being a Conductor for a 2-3 year period is a necessary prerequisite to becoming a Locomotive Engineer.

Locomotive Engineers operate diesel-electric locomotives, rail diesel cars, interpret train orders, timetables, train signals, and railway rules and regulations to transport freight in a safe and efficient manner. Locomotive Engineers are promoted from position of Conductor.

Thanks!

[Night Freight]

This job description of a conductor straight from the CN website may provide some answers (mind you I'm still a bit confused since the conductor description sounds like the traditional brakeman job?).

Perhaps someone who works for CN Rail in Canada could quickly shed some light on this ?

http://www.cn.ca/about/careers/search_apply_jobs/typical_careers/en_Campus_Typical.shtml

 

<paste website text> 

Conductors switch rail cars, make or split up trains in yards, move cars between yards, sidings or tracks (often using a remote control device called a belt pack), according to instructions originating with yard and train planners. This requires good communication skills involving specific hand signals or radio to facilitate the safe movement of engines and cars. They work on-call with irregular hours, weekends and holidays.

Conductor trainees are provided with in-house training. The Conductor position can lead to promotion to Traffic Coordinator or Locomotive Engineer. Being a Conductor for a 2-3 year period is a necessary prerequisite to becoming a Locomotive Engineer.

Locomotive Engineers operate diesel-electric locomotives, rail diesel cars, interpret train orders, timetables, train signals, and railway rules and regulations to transport freight in a safe and efficient manner. Locomotive Engineers are promoted from position of Conductor.

 

[al-in-chgo]

Going from a condr to engr is a demotion. Even though you keep your ground seniority and can flow back and work as a condr under certain conditions, as engr you are under more rules requirements than a condr, w/auto scanning, pulling the tapes, etc, its almost impossible to hide anything done wrong. Also during engr training you are paid student wages which amounts to nothing for the 6 months you're in class, the few wks spent in KS @ classroom training is a strain in itslf and just like said in an above post, you;re right back on the bottom of the roster, getting bumped and forced asigned throught the seniority districy one works in. Plus depending on the type of service a engr works in, the condr can make more on a daily pay than the engr. Many engrs I work w/have regretted their choice of going to engr service and wished they stayed on the ground.

 

Interesting...you know I just checked the CN rail Canadian website and they quote the following in their "careers" section: "CN is presently building a pool of candidates interested in building a career as Conductors"

Does this mean that they are looking for a group of "candidates" to screen only to choose a select few, or are they hiring on mass? 

Would someone with an engineering degree stand a chance even if they didn't have someone on the inside like a relative or friend pulling for them? 

 

Excellent questions, all.  But I for one am thoroughly confused about the nomenclature.  Does "Conductor" outrank "(locomotive) Engineer" on Canadian freight trains?  If not, is CN trying to build its "pool of . . . conductors" out of people who will tenure-in at Conductor and can have no aspirations to Engineer (or anything else)?  Corporate-speak can be so mystifying. 

Is the post of "Conductor" what used to be called "Fireman" well into the diesel era? 

IIRC the engineer is the boss of a VIA train, unlike traditional American practice in which conductor was boss of a passenger train.  OT, but who's the boss on an Amtrak train? 

I understand that a move from conductor to engineer can be considered a demotion or the equivalent thereof.  But still my basic question remains:  who outranks whom, conductor or engineer? 

 

[Night Freight]

Going from a condr to engr is a demotion. Even though you keep your ground seniority and can flow back and work as a condr under certain conditions, as engr you are under more rules requirements than a condr, w/auto scanning, pulling the tapes, etc, its almost impossible to hide anything done wrong. Also during engr training you are paid student wages which amounts to nothing for the 6 months you're in class, the few wks spent in KS @ classroom training is a strain in itslf and just like said in an above post, you;re right back on the bottom of the roster, getting bumped and forced asigned throught the seniority districy one works in. Plus depending on the type of service a engr works in, the condr can make more on a daily pay than the engr. Many engrs I work w/have regretted their choice of going to engr service and wished they stayed on the ground.

 

Interesting...you know I just checked the CN rail Canadian website and they quote the following in their "careers" section: "CN is presently building a pool of candidates interested in building a career as Conductors"

Does this mean that they are looking for a group of "candidates" to screen only to choose a select few, or are they hiring on mass? 

Would someone with an engineering degree stand a chance even if they didn't have someone on the inside like a relative or friend pulling for them? 

 

 

[Murphy Siding]

The national labor agreements state engineers source of supply is from the craft of condr. If a engr training class is posted and there are fewer bids than  the number of openings, the unopened positions are forced assigned from condrs working at that location. Now what CN is doing may not be all that bad, that will leave alone some condrs who don't want go to eng school.

Do they assign the conductors with the most senority, or the least?

[Murphy Siding]

 they're looking for help for Superior, Duluth, or Pokegema.  

I thought I was reasonably familiar with Midwest geography, but where in the devil is Pokegema? I tried asking Google Earth, and the only thing I came up with was a road in Rice Lake WI. 

It's a yard in Superior, Wisconsin.  Perhaps, and  DW&P yard?

[coborn35]

Everyone Ive talked to is afraid to hire out on CN, for the simple reason that the only place any smart person would hire out of is Proctor, and CN may very well transfer them to Pokey and other points anyway, not to mention that the Missabe is getting screwed with the IC units that are not equipped for that type of operation.

[jeaton]

For the record, the my weather bug says the current temperature in Duluth is 10 degrees and forecast to go below zero overnight.  I'd guess that CN is screening out applicants from Florida. 

[wjstix]

 they're looking for help for Superior, Duluth, or Pokegema.  

I thought I was reasonably familiar with Midwest geography, but where in the devil is Pokegema? I tried asking Google Earth, and the only thing I came up with was a road in Rice Lake WI. 

Pokegama Yard is where the Duluth Winnepeg and Pacific (owned by CN) moved their Duluth MN yard to when the yard was taken for a interstate expansion project a few years back. It's a CN crew change point, just outside of Superior WI.

 

[CNW 6000]

I talked to a CN conductor last night.  He works out of a yard somewhere near Lake Winnebago.  Got some good advice on what to do with my application.  I'll keep you folks posted!

[Dakguy201]

 they're looking for help for Superior, Duluth, or Pokegema.  

I thought I was reasonably familiar with Midwest geography, but where in the devil is Pokegema? I tried asking Google Earth, and the only thing I came up with was a road in Rice Lake WI. 

[SFbrkmn]

Going from a condr to engr is a demotion. Even though you keep your ground seniority and can flow back and work as a condr under certain conditions, as engr you are under more rules requirements than a condr, w/auto scanning, pulling the tapes, etc, its almost impossible to hide anything done wrong. Also during engr training you are paid student wages which amounts to nothing for the 6 months you're in class, the few wks spent in KS @ classroom training is a strain in itslf and just like said in an above post, you;re right back on the bottom of the roster, getting bumped and forced asigned throught the seniority districy one works in. Plus depending on the type of service a engr works in, the condr can make more on a daily pay than the engr. Many engrs I work w/have regretted their choice of going to engr service and wished they stayed on the ground.

[CNW 6000]

We aren't under the national agreement. They are supposed to promote from within, unless it is an "emergency" situation, which is what they are claiming this is, which is crap because there are many many conductors here that want to take the demotion to engineer. Also we have openings in Fond du lac, Neenah and Stevens Point for both conductors and engineers.

How would I go about applying to hire out of Neenah?

[Anonymous]

The reason for calling it a demotion has to do with giving up the seniority and going back to the bottom and moving all around from place to place every month or so. And for the record, some of us do stay awake, mainly to blow for the crossings the engineers are passed out/sleeping for.

 

...there are many many conductors here that want to take the demotion to engineer....

You must be the only person who considers being an Engineer a demotion, unless it means working less-desireable hours, jobs, or locations.

Of course, being an Engineer means you have to actually stay awake while on the clock.

[zardoz]

...there are many many conductors here that want to take the demotion to engineer....

You must be the only person who considers being an Engineer a demotion, unless it means working less-desireable hours, jobs, or locations.

Of course, being an Engineer means you have to actually stay awake while on the clock.

[Anonymous]

We aren't under the national agreement. They are supposed to promote from within, unless it is an "emergency" situation, which is what they are claiming this is, which is crap because there are many many conductors here that want to take the demotion to engineer. Also we have openings in Fond du lac, Neenah and Stevens Point for both conductors and engineers.

The national labor agreements state engineers source of supply is from the craft of condr. If a engr training class is posted and there are fewer bids than  the number of openings, the unopened positions are forced assigned from condrs working at that location. Now what CN is doing may not be all that bad, that will leave alone some condrs who don't want go to eng school.

[al-in-chgo]

Quote from Doublestack (partial): 

"Here's the catch - they're looking for help for Superior, Duluth, or Pokegema."    

Does this mean the qualified engineers must all be U.S. citizens?  - a. s.

 

[SFbrkmn]

The national labor agreements state engineers source of supply is from the craft of condr. If a engr training class is posted and there are fewer bids than  the number of openings, the unopened positions are forced assigned from condrs working at that location. Now what CN is doing may not be all that bad, that will leave alone some condrs who don't want go to eng school.

[vlmuke]

Funny if you look at the openings one ad says two years experience and another says one year class 1 experince

[Mudekk]

I'm surprised. I would have thought that the Union would require that the Carrier hire & train engineers from their conductor ranks.

[Doublestack]

Saw an ad in a career tabloid - CN is hiring experienced loco engineers - 1 yr of Class 1 exp reqd. 

Here's the catch - they're looking for help for Superior, Duluth, or Pokegema.   Nothing against my brethern in the NW corner of my beloved Badger State, but when its cold over here by the Bay, its usually a lot colder along the big lake. 

 It said see  http://www.cn.ca/about/careers/en_index.shtml