Have you ever been asked to work for the railroad?

[Anonymous]

hehehe... trainmaster asked me all the time if I was going to go to work......

Virlon

save your ticket....the P.E. will rise again.

[arbfbe]

Well, yes. I was 'caught' by a trainmaster while 'visiting" a dispatching office one evening. One question lead to another during the course of my observations of that railroad's system and after a couple of hours the trainmaster made the suggestion I apply for one of the open DS positions they had available at that time. It was tempting but I was busy with another career path at that time so I did not take him up on his offer. I later returned to the industry but as an engineer.

It is always flattering to get asked.

[AntonioFP45]

I seriously considered a railroading career but went to work for a transit bus company instead.

If I were to work for a railroad, I would prefer the locomotive/car maintenance shop. I enjoy working on large vehicles.

[jrw249]

Yes, for the past four years for CSX and am still on there active list. Have not signed on yet because of:
1. I have a good job.
2. Married.
3. Present Engineer for a Tourist Line.
I will probably get called again in the next few months but I'm still not sure what to do!!!

[pat390]

I wish

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

Scott: I see from your profile you're another expat of CU architecture. One of the more miserable semesters of my life was spent in that puzzle palace, which I was fortunate to bail from and land in a construction management job at a big architectural firm.

I am acquainted with at least 250 railfans who went to work for a railroad and made an entire career out of it. And, I'm acquainted with at least 250 railfans who decided after some period of time at the railroad they could make more money someplace else, or get better working conditions for the same pay, or have more fun doing something else. It's a totally personal decision, and there's no right or wrong answer.

If you're a railfan, the question of working for a railroad is harder to answer than if you're not, because to the railfan there's more to it than the prosaic factors such as pay, time at home, job security, and safety. The additional factors that apply to a railfan are emotional and difficult to quantify. Some people have to do it just to get it out of their system. Others would rather not have the fantasy ruined by the reality. If adventure and a varied life you seek, that argues for embarking on an experience even if might not work out. If a steady path toward wealth and security you seek, that argues against any detours. I'll tell you this, which I learned: it's very hard to understand what it's like from the outside, but the experience will change you, and you might not like those changes.

There's no way to just get your toes wet in the railroading game.

Does that mean you are an architect?

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

There are many on this forum I would hire... consider yourselves asked !!!!!!
Randy

I wouldn't mind working in operations or marketing

[coalminer3]

Yes - but got a better offer in another line of work.

work safe

[Anonymous]

I am and always have been a so called rail fan and I worked in the railroad industry for 53 years in engine service both as an engineer and a General Road foreman of Engines-Trainmaster. I was asked by a Superintendent to hire on the railroad as he used to see me along the railroad and in locomotive cabs (got caught many times by the trainmaster ) and near his office a lot and saw that I was responsible to safety. I didn't go on the railroad for the money as a supervisor the engineers made more that I did and had better hours but I had a challange of running a division and many commuter trains this is what I wanted and still do today at 70 (a lot smaller railroad today) . I remember that superintendent saying to me that he was happy I came on board after my Army time in Korea as an engineer in the 724th TBRO.
Yes they were long hours and my wife brought up the kids but I have had a great railroading life. I have 56,000 railroad slides movies videos and a huge book collection, You see rworking for a railroad just made a bigger railfan. as a manager I had to be a closet railfan as a rail fan was not looked up to by top managment. I still did my thing as I am doing today just got 3 rolls of film back and I am doing a lot of digitel great life huh?
Hogger

[fuzzybroken]

My brother works for Canadian Pacific, and told me last year that there were job openings on CP. I applied, and as it turned out I would have started my training during the weeks that I had picked for vacation from my employer, UPS, so things could have worked out very, very well.

But they didn't. CP didn't hire me.

So, I took it as a "sign" that a railroad career was not for me. I still like my part-time job at UPS, which is really just a stone's throw away from a railroad job anyway, both figuratively and literally (CP runs right across the street). Since then I got another part-time job, so financially I'm doing almost as well as I would on the railroad, with a tremendously more flexible schedule.

I've also been encouraged to be a UPS driver as well, but that's more long hours and less flexibility too.

Happy with what I've got,
-Mark Hintz
Milwaukee, WI
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

There are many on this forum I would hire... consider yourselves asked !!!!!!
Randy

Mechanical department, that is where I would perfer to work.

Yea !!!! We got it made.
Randy

That is what the guys at the Mechanical Departement at the local UP yard tell me. Every one of them that I have talked to said he likes his job. Only a few of the guys in the Transportation Department have said the same. Plus I like to work on machinery.

[Randy Stahl]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

There are many on this forum I would hire... consider yourselves asked !!!!!!
Randy

Mechanical department, that is where I would perfer to work.

Yea !!!! We got it made.
Randy

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

There are many on this forum I would hire... consider yourselves asked !!!!!!
Randy

Mechanical department, that is where I would perfer to work.

[ericsp]

I have been told that I should apply. I have applied and my application is being reviewed. I have not decided if I will take the job if it is offered to me.

[Randy Stahl]

There are many on this forum I would hire... consider yourselves asked !!!!!!
Randy

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

I have been asked by many non railfans why I don't go work for a railroad. I always tell them "Because I want to keep liking trains". After working 10-12 hours on the railroad you want to relax by doing something completely unrelated to work.I would rather have railroading as a hobby.

I've heard something similar to that many a times from railroad employees....
It goes something like....

"The novelty of riding on trains wears out mighty quick."

[espeefoamer]

I have been asked by many non railfans why I don't go work for a railroad. I always tell them "Because I want to keep liking trains". After working 10-12 hours on the railroad you want to relax by doing something completely unrelated to work.I would rather have railroading as a hobby.

[Anonymous]

About a month ago I was talking to an engineer for BNSF while he was waiting on a siding to move on and he told me that I should apply to either BNSF or UP because they are both so desprate for warm bodies to work. I considered it, but I think that I should probably find a job in my degree field and just stick to watching trains from the sidelines.

[Trainnut484]

OH yes, that "roll the eyes" question has been asked to me on many occasions. Of course, the ones who asked were nonrailfans and don't know how a railroad works. My answer was and still is no. My father worked over 30 years as a trainman for Santa Fe, and an uncle of mine worked as a track welder also for Santa Fe. I like my spare time, and having free weekends for me and my wife to plan for. My father had a pager right before he retired. I knew he threw it in the lake the moment he retired[^].

Take care,

Russell

[Anonymous]

I was asked to work for the railroad some years ago, and I did. It has never been dull.

LC

[Anonymous]

I too have been asked and still get asked by some. Why I would not change, well my job is very good, I do complain (and who doesn't complain about work) about it but the beni's are good, very good pay, as much time off as I can afford, and as much overtime as I want. Why would I want to live by the ring of the telephone? The other thing that keeps me away from being a railroader is the rapid use of remote control locomotives, which is not good since railroads work via seniority , so the young guys get bumped.

[Anonymous]

I wounder. Has anyone ever been asked by a RR worker to go work for the RR?
I was. No.1: I will not,why? Because being a railfan WILL interfear with the job knowing that the job is no place for railfans in the first place.