i wanna job on the right track

[Anonymous]

Not sure how far it will help you,but if you are friends or somethign with somebody who works for the RR rite now he can give you some insight and tell you trutfully how hard RR life can be and so forth, also send you to the rite people too.

[Anonymous]

Will it help me if I know some one already working for the RR? Thanks for the advice.

[PaulWWoodring]

I think that T&E crew people dislke fans more than management. They can't understand why anyone would want to be around the tracks on a nice sunny day when they would rather be golfing, fishing, hunting, etc. If you are low-key about it you might not get too much grief for being a fan when they eventually figure out you are one (and believe me they will).

As for subjects to take, it has more to do with aptitude and willingness to put up with a lot of crap (like rude callers who get their jollies waking you up at 3am). The standard screening tests are set for 8th or 9th grade level, so if you do well in high school you should do well on their entrance tests. They tend to like to hire veterans, because they are used to the odd hours and days away from home.

I would not even consider paying over $4,000 right now to go to one of the conductor schools because just about every major railroad in the country has people on deep furlough - AND THEY ARE TRAINING AGAIN! I don't know why, the hard core cynics are saying that they are doing it just to get the tuition money. What I am fairly certain of is that if you go through the training now you will not work for a major Class I for several years, if ever.

[Anonymous]

Iam 16yld snd want to work for BNSF when I graduate. What courses should I take when in school? I heard that railroads don't like railfans or model train guys. Is that true?

[Anonymous]

I was conductor for six months before i went to Choo Choo U.After hundreds of trips and all hours of the day calls,Book of Rules tests I finished my student engineer program.On my first solo to Cleveland I hit a truck ending the lifes of two people.I still see that ladies face.Thats part of the job also.It may not happen to you but close calls put a shiver in you everytime.One of my instructors told me iy was easier to be a pilot.Get a hold of a copy of Norac rules ,signals,timetables,and run atrain while your conductor is asleep[never right?]and all you want to do is the same.Or just sit on asiding for 4-10 hours during the summer.Glamor!

[Anonymous]

IF YOU WHERE LIKE ME, AND WANTED TO BE A LOCOMOTIVE ENIGNEER, FIRST THINGS FIRST. LOOK ON THE INTERNET FOR CLASS 1 RAIL ROADS, AND FIND INFORMATION ON HOW THEY HIRE NEW PEOPLE. CSX HIRES PEOPLE FROM THE CONDUCTOR SCHOOLS THAT THEY SET UP IN DIFFERNT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. YOU WILL START OUT AS A CONDUCTOR WITH ANY CLASS 1 RAIL ROAD BECOUSE OF THE NATIONAL UNION AGREEMENTS WITH THE UTU (UNITED TRANSPORTATION UNION) AND THE BLE (BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS). IF YOU GET HIRED, IT WILL BE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFOR YOU BECOME AN ENGINEER. THEY WILL CALL YOU INTO ENGINEERS SCHOOL WHEN THE COMPANY IS READY FOR YOU. IT MAY BE A FEW YEARS..OR AS IT WAS IN MY CASE WITH CSX, AS SOON AS I WAS DONE WITH THE ON THE JOB TRAINING PART OF BEING A CONDUCTOR. THE MASTER PLAN WITH CLASS ONE RAIL ROADS IS FOR A MERGING OF THE T&E (TRAINMEN AND ENGINEER) CRAFTS, MAKING CONDUCTORS AND ENGINEERS INTERCHANGABLE JOBS. SO AS LONG AS YOU GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR, AND STICK IT OUT, YOU WILL BECOME AN ENGINEER!...BUT LET ME WARN YOU...IT IS A VERY DIFFERNT LIFE!!!

[BRAKIE]

bamabayou,thanks for bring up railfanning. That is the very last thing you will want to do while on the job.Ofcouse you can watch a train by,but you are not looking at the cars or engines for fun.you are watching for any problems the passing trains may have.After all your follow railroaders life might hang in your hands.Remember HEADS UP!

[Anonymous]

Well I just hired onto the I.C. railroad 3 months ago and I will tell you if you want a life stay at what you are doing. I love the railroad but alot of people that have been there 40 years will disagree. They have missed their kids lives and their marriages have went to crap. I am single and have no kids so it doesnt bother me YET. First you will start as a brakeman then a conductor and if your lucky in 5 years you will get a chance to get into engine service. But make no mistake I agree with the rest of the railroaders THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH JOB. If you have problems with your personal life you need to leave them in your driveway before you leave for work. This job is all about your job not your personal life. If you make a mistake you could kill someone. My point is when your at work you think of nothing but your work. I am a fourth generation railroader and it's kinda the only thing I know so if your someone who likes to spend time with your family and friends I would not get this job. But if this is what you REALLY want to do go for it. REMEMBER RAILFANS CAN QUIT WHEN THEY WANT TO GO HOME-WE DON'T.-LOL

[BRAKIE]

waba***hat is true.Railroading is a heads up job.One mistake can be fatal.While workinr on the PRR,I saw a green kid get ran over.His mistake? Gave the back up hand signal and for some unknown reason started across the tracks.I saw what was going to happen and gave a washout signal,but the engineer could not stop in time.That young lad was 19 years old and been on the PRR for 6 months.Never could figure out what he was thinking or if he was thinking at all.Make no mistake railroading is heads up at all time.

[wabash1]

larry

i drove a truck before going to the railroad and have worked my way up thru the ranks to engineer. i would not give up my job witht he railroad for nothing. i missed alot of time with the family and kids thru the years but its been worth it. im glad that i was not hire out of high school when i first tried couse i be dead by now. ive seen some of the kids the railroad hires and the common sense they lack. remember this you miss time at home and you work evey weekend and holiday as a new guy and with out common sense you wont live long even today you will get hurt.

[BRAKIE]

Railroading was never for the faint of heart.You get called at all hours of the day and night,never home,spend hours at some division terminal waiting for your return trip to your home terminal,missed your kids birthday,some holidays just to name a few things.The pay,very nice,time off not so great.If I was young again would I do it again? You better believe I would!Make no mistake,railroading is not for everybody.

[Anonymous]

I was hired as A conductor for the BNSF out of Los Angeles two years ago. First being A railfan and working for the railroad are two totally different things! The good ol' days on the railroad are over! They are run by profit driven jerks whos only intention is to screw you over and try and fire you! Yes I am bitter and yes I love railroading, I just hate the company politics, and all class 1 rr's are the same. If you are still interested each class 1 has A web site and they have employment sections. You will probably have to relocate. The vocational schools are A waste of time, each class 1 has there own training / brainwashing program and they prefer non railfans. They do like people who are on time and don't miss work. If you or anybody else have questions about working for the railroad you can e-mail me at [e-mail] Good luck !

[thirdrail1]

You make the assumption that the only employers of railroad personnel are the Class I railroads. There are over 500 Class II and Class III railroads out there as well as hundreds of industrial plants with their own tracks and locomotives.

[wabash1]

first you dont drive trains you run them. driving one you haft to steer and since there is no steering wheel that is impossible. the next thing is the schools you are refering to wont help you in getting a job with the class 1 railroads. it will actually keep you from getting a job. the big railroads want to train you the way they want it done. the best advise to tell you oon gettign a job is when they have the hire sessions is be early they like that have pull someone already working for that railroad in good standing. a good work history and low absent record. and dont let the interviewer think you know anything about railroads. like i said they want to brainwash you and mold you into what they want. then after a few years of conductoring then you might get a chance for engineer school and engine service.

[thirdrail1]

There are two advertisements right on this website for schools that train conductors and engineers. Look at "Classified Ads", "Find Classified Ad" and category "empolymnet" in ths search function.

[Anonymous]

Paste this link http://www.vcn.com/~alkrug/home.html

Try this site and go to railroad facts & figures.
There is a good article on what it takes to become a locomotive engineer. Check the photo essays for pics & stories. This is a good site.

[Anonymous]

i love trains, i really wanna drive a train for a career, can anyone help me, tell me what i gotta do to get a job on the tracks????
-dennis
[e-mail]