Well, after being on their applicant list for almost a year, I finally was called in yesterday for an interview/screening meeting for a U.P. Bridge Tender job. I had figured for a long time that it might be a good RR job - generally you'd work a set eight hour shift five days a week, so you're not on call like someone in train service.
It was at 7:30 a.m. at a local (St.Paul) Holiday Inn. "Don't be late!!", once they close the doors at 7:30, no one else was admitted. There were about 15 of us.
At the beginning, they start by trying to scare you off. It wasn't too bad, the UP supervisor (Jim McWhitty (sp?)) talked about how the job involved three swing or lift bridges in St.Paul (Hoffman, Robert St, and No.15 (Omaha Road) on the Mississippi River, and one in Hudson Wisc. on the St.Croix (see the current "Great Model Railroads").
Unfortunately, although the job sounded like something I could do, I had to withdraw at the first break (as did about half the group), in my case because the pay (which was never mentioned in the ads or website etc.) was lower than I could accept. Factoring in that it's a seasonal job (laid off Dec 15 to March 1) it would have meant about a 25-30% pay cut for me. At one time that wouldn't have been a problem, but I got married in 2005 and bought a new house (and mortgage) in 2006, plus for the forseeable future we're paying the rent of a family member (well two family members really) so there just was no way I could do it.
Too bad, it would have been nice to at least work for a RR even if it was just for a while.
Can't hurt for trying! At least you know what the job was all about, and you would have kicked yourself years on down the road not knowing if the opportunity was really anything at all. Now you know.
SO what happens in the off season between Dec. 15 and March 1? Are the bridges not used for those 2 1/2 months?
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
SilverSpike wrote:Can't hurt for trying! At least you know what the job was all about, and you would have kicked yourself years on down the road not knowing if the opportunity was really anything at all. Now you know.SO what happens in the off season between Dec. 15 and March 1? Are the bridges not used for those 2 1/2 months?
it's probably that the river the bridge crosses is too frozen for ships big enough to require the bridge to be opened . so the bridge is still used by trains , but they don't need someone sitting there to open it . i see you're from north carolina , i guess that's not far enough north for rivers to freeze on a regular basis
Sounds like the typical UP Hiring Session, they suck you in and then immediately try to scare you off. They are going to shoot themselves in the foot with their tactics and "ideas".
I can't blame you for leaving. In the Los Angeles area they want the conductor new hires to be on call to work any yard from as far north as Palmdale and as far south as Encinitas and be able to actually GET TO THESE YARDS IN 2 HOURS! Now, if anyone has ever lived or is familiar with the greater LA area you know that you are not going to make it to the yard, which can be pretty far away, in 2 hours. BUT WAIT! UP and all of it's infinite knowledge has a solution......THEY EXPECT YOU TO PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM that is close enough for you to get to the yard you can be called to work at and NOT pay you back for the hotel room! Now who in their right mind would make as little as they are paying new hires and then on top of that eat the cost of your own hotel room tso you can get to the yard you are assigned to for that week at a moments notice?
They aren't going to have people to run the trains after all the old heads retire at this rate....
EspeeEngineer wrote: Sounds like the typical UP Hiring Session, they suck you in and then immediately try to scare you off. They are going to shoot themselves in the foot with their tactics and "ideas". I can't blame you for leaving. In the Los Angeles area they want the conductor new hires to be on call to work any yard from as far north as Palmdale and as far south as Encinitas and be able to actually GET TO THESE YARDS IN 2 HOURS! Now, if anyone has ever lived or is familiar with the greater LA area you know that you are not going to make it to the yard, which can be pretty far away, in 2 hours. BUT WAIT! UP and all of it's infinite knowledge has a solution......THEY EXPECT YOU TO PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM that is close enough for you to get to the yard you can be called to work at and NOT pay you back for the hotel room! Now who in their right mind would make as little as they are paying new hires and then on top of that eat the cost of your own hotel room tso you can get to the yard you are assigned to for that week at a moments notice? They aren't going to have people to run the trains after all the old heads retire at this rate....
Not to worry, robot controlled trains are on the way. /Sarcasm.