How many here work for, worked for, and are planning to work for a railroad??

[icmr]

I'm planning on working for NS. If any of you work or have worked for NS could you give me some info on how to apply for a job??



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[:)][:)]

[Anonymous]

I am planning to go to the national acadamy of Railroad sciences and take the conductor training program, and work for BNSF!

[jrbernier]

I worked for the CBQ in 1968-1969 before I went in the Army. Good job(Engine service-Fireman), but I had no life. Remember, no cell phones or pagers; and being in a road pool, I was married to the phone. I lost 3 girl friends because I was never home. About a year after I got out of the Army(1973), the railroad called and wanted me to come back. Never did, got a 'straight' job and have been fixing computers for Itty Bitty Machine Company ever since. I think I like to 'play' with trains better than working on them!

Jim Bernier

[oleirish]

I worked for the Southren Pacific on the P.F.E. (PACIFIS FRUIT EXPRESS) from Roseville,Cal to Sparks , NV. in 1963 to 1964 I loved it but if you know railroading you know the seniority thing.
JIM

[Anonymous]

Milwaukee Road, switchman and brakeman, 1970-73. Loved the work, but hated the lifestyle. If I need a railroad fix now, I can volunteer at a museum.

[Rotorranch]

No, no, and no....but I had a great uncle who worked his way up to engineer for the steam era GM&O in Alton IL. When my great aunt died several years ago, I got all of his stuff, including pay stubs, time tables, schedules, and a letter of reprimand where he got a few days of "extra" vacation for running a loco through the roundhouse wall! [:0]

It seems, however, one of my great aunts care givers had stolen his railroad watch. [V]

I never had any desire to work for the RR's since I was a little kid, since I wanted to be a race car driver.

Rotor

[tommyr]

Asa teenager I got a job on the CPR on the diners as a 4th cook(dishwasher). Worked my up to second cook & then they cut a train - got bumped back to 4th cook. Figured this is where I came in so I quit.
Tom

[Anonymous]

I thought about getting a job working for the UP, but I have been at my job (driving) for 15 years and I'm pretty mich settled there. So I'll just have the job of running my Model UP SD90MAC'S

[Anonymous]

Applied with WATCO last year, but it turned out the job was with one of their shortlines in a different state, and not their local railroad here, so being unable to relocate, that as they say took care of that.[V]

[ClinchValleySD40]

FEC and Chessie, engineer. You'd better check out working on the railroad before you try it. Forget about family or friends, you're going to live on the railroad. And if it's exciting at first, it gets old real fast. Somebody did an article in Trains magazine a year or so ago about hiring out on ATSF in Kansas City and why he quit. You might read that article first.

[retsignalmtr]

i worked for the New York City Transit as a signal maintainer for 31 years. steady work, same days off each week, a chance to pick a new work location, hours and days off by senority every few years, always able to get a summer vacation was more attractive than working for a class one railroad. my father worked for the New York Central in a power substation and told me about the train crews schedules and he could have gotten me a job there and i told him i wanted something a little more stable. before i retired i checked out the sperry rail service co, but i would have to be away from home for several weeks or months at a time. if you want to work for a railroad there are a lot of jobs that might provide more stability than being on a train crew.

[tatans]

Worked during the summer on the "ice gang'' icing passenger trains for "air conditioning" of sorts, in the mid 1950's, there was still lots of steam around, and of course I never took any photos, we hauled 1000 lb. blocks of ice split 4 ways and manhandled them in the ice bunkers beneath each coach, sometimes it was so hot when we opened the bunkers all that was there was rust dust, doesn't sound too cost efficient eh? all this was in glorious Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. good times, good times ! ! and all for 70 cents an hour.

[peterjenkinson1956]

good to see that a lot of "mature " persons have talked about their experiences with railroads... i allways wanted to work on the railroad U N T I L .. i just happened to get a run on a coal train and spent 8 hours going a few miles 3 hours being loaded and running back a few miles with lots of waiting.... boring boring boring.. decided to stick to coalmining....peter

[therailnut]

I plan on working with the railroad someday. I would like to work for BNSF.

[waltersrails]

So how was working for the chessie?

[icmr]

I have read the TRAINS mags and I still want to work for NS. I have also talked to NS workers and they are real happy with their job since it is a good company.



ICMR

[Train 284]

I want to work for UP or BNSF as a conductor or engineer. At least until I get married, then I will find a good job that doen't have all the odd hours so the wife won't be upset! Or maybe work part time for the railroad. I'm still working on it!

[whitman500]

Anyway ever work in railroad management? Since getting interested in model railroading, I've toyed with the idea of someday trading in my current job in finance to work at a railroad's corporate headquarters. Any idea what the corporate culture is like at the big four?

[Cox 47]

I was planning to apply for the job of President of the Illinois Central and then this merger CN thing came along! Cox 47

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Train 284

I want to work for UP or BNSF as a conductor or engineer. At least until I get married, then I will find a good job that doen't have all the odd hours so the wife won't be upset! Or maybe work part time for the railroad. I'm still working on it!

The way you get to work part-time for a railroad is for you to get furloughed by the company. Their choice, not yours.

[Anonymous]

usually NS posts their jobs in your sunday papers,also they use internet,somewhere on web site is phone number that gives job and city where it's posted. i applied at one, it's acyually a seminar,starts at 8:00 am,be there early, if you're late,good bye, then someone tells job description,a 24/7 job,with no sort of normal life, it's diffenately a job for younger guys because you get little time for yourself(freight train conductor), if you're picked,you're sent to freight train school for 2 weeks, then work with actual crews to learn all specifics. then back to school to learn gov regs and get certified,if you make it ,you're on the bottom of seniority list. I believe I didn't get picked because of age.all the guys were in late 20's-mid 30's. Keep your eye open, find web site,get number and wait,good luck

[trainboyH16-44]

I plan to go to the conductor program at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institue of Tecnology) and then get a job on the CPR (Hopefully eventually driving AC9000CWMFs through the mountains on the Laggan sub.) I hear that the need for jobs is growing fast!
Trainboy

[icmr]

Thanks. I forgot to mention but im 17 and will be 18 in Jan.



ICMR

Happy Railroading.

[NZRMac]

I would like to work for my local RR. Engineer, coal train. One guy runs the whole train, two loco's 20ish coal hoppers, drives from one side of the island to the other and does all the unloading operations etc at the local port.

They have been advertiseing sometimes.

No internet in the cab tho. and lots of waiting for other trains.

Ken.

[retsignalmtr]

aren't there regs that require an applicant for conductor or engineer to be 21 years of age to be hired?

[rdettmer]

i have worked for the cnw and uprr for 32 years. section foreman at harvard,il. the last stop on the northwest line.

[johncolley]

Wow, that far back, eh? Let's see: '54 and '55 Loaded X'mas mail in boxcars at Oakland Pier bound for Chicago Dis. '56/'57 oiled freights on graveyard shift at S.P. Desert Yard, Oakland, '57-'60 Carman Apprentice, '60/'61 Student Fireman, Fireman, Hosteler. no work/cut out low no. firemen. never looked back, had a good career in Food Plant engineering, retired in'98. Now I model GN in HO scale...go figure!

[icmr]

NS starts hiring at 18yrs old.
I was told that by a NS worker.



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[Anonymous]

I worked for a Railtex railroad in 98-99,I&O railway.7 days a week,no days off,walking around like a zombie 24/7.Look at it this way,work less than 12 hrs you get 8 hours rest.And thats not continuous rest,you leave the terminal to go home or motel and thats when your rest starts.They can call you in 6 hours to be there when your 8 hours is up.Same with 12 hours of service but you get 10 hours off.My health couldnt take that so I went back to HVAC.You can make a heck of alot of money on the railroad but forget having a life.It is a good job if you can handle the working conditions.You can have a life and not work for the railroad but you cant have a life and work for the railroad.So think of that before you commit yourself.My hats off to my father who put in 41 yrs with PRR/B&O/Chessie/CSX.I dont know how he did it.I couldnt,Dan

[jwar]

Trainboy.
When you go to school pay attention, railroading is not the safest job, pay attention to class and your tasks. Study and remember the safty rules they teach, as it takes a lot of people being injured or killed to make a rule in that book, each rule is importent to help you full fill your life, best of luck and wishing you the best.

Worked for WP as a railroad machinist and after 9 years with SP returned to WP. When UP bought out WP I saw the handwriting on the wall and left for greener pastures.

What is humorus to me as I go into hobbie shops is hearing an avid modeler's chatting about a brand X locomotive, not having the protype horn, wrong sized doors, or perhaps a thousand little things wrong with it. I then think to myself...Hummmmm have no clue to the size of the doors, the exact name of the horn, I just knew how to make the horn blow, the bell clang, the wipers wipe, turn wheels and rebuild the engines, and what would need repairs or adjustments behind each one of those doors.

And what is most importent...nothing I said above regarding my hobby, really matters as long as we all enjoy it in our own way....take care...John

P.S. Aint nothin yellow running on the "Feather River Route" but then thats my personal distaste LOL.