QUOTE: Originally posted by maury I work for a railroad that pays hourly. It is a short line in Texas and pays me $17.50 an hour. I have 25 years of railroad experience and since 1978 as a locomotive engineer. The biggest issue is the pay. I would like to know what other engineers are getting paid on short lines. Please help me so I can try to get our pay a little closer to the national average.
QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98
Clover1 wrote:I'v heard that it is not uncommon for engineers to make over hundred grand and up to 150 a year, not bad for a job that has a great pension and really fun!!!
You have to live on the railroad to make that. Never in my career (I'm a post 1985 employee), have a made close to that. About 70 grand is more realistic figure. If you go to work everytime the phone rings, or work a 12 hour - 6 day a week job you can make 90 to 100 grand. Only the really old pre 1985 employees will make over 100 grand.
How your wage is calculated also depends on your local union or lack there of agreement. The latest thing over here on CSX is a trip rate. The trip rate, rolls your basic day, common arbitraries, and your Intial and Final Terminal Delay into one rate that everyone gets. The rate is higher then a basic day, but you have to be on duty between 10 and 13 hours, depending on the agreement, before you go on overtime.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."
Saxman wrote:I am an engineer for CN on the ex GTW in Michigan. We also went hourly, as has all of CN including Canada. I cannot complain about the perks as does ICConductor as I didn't have any as a post 85 employee. As far as benefits, yes there have been cuts and we "contribute" through pay roll extortion....... I mean deduction. However my wife teaches school and she also pays a portion of her benefits. Seem to be the pattern in business now days.
CN has NOT gone hourly here in Canda and probably will not go because the crews absolutely hate it and there is too much of an uproar about it. If the hourly wage goes here ... there is an automatic 35% reduction in the amount of train crew personnel and you will work 72 hours a week, 6 days a week - That is a GUARANTEE. The hourly wage will be the death of the railroad thats already kinda dead.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
I'm not a railroader but have had the priviledge of meeting a good number of them in the past 2 decades. The engineers I've spoken to enjoy their jobs overall but they would tell you in a nanosecond that with the job comes the stress of:
1. Derailments
2. Collisions with grade crossing violaters........or other trains
2. Punks throwing rocks or bottles at you,
3. Injuries just climbing on and off locomotives in heavy rain,
4. Supervisors out on the line, checking to see if you're speeding or violating any other safety rule,
5. Fatigue from not being able to get enough sleep due to the crazy unpredictable hours, struggling to stay awake during extended stops while on duty.
6. Except for the senior guys with regular runs, most can't even schedule to attend important family or social events because at any minute after your "off time" the crew clerk's calling you for your next assignment whether at 8am, 8p.m, or 1:30a.m.
7. Boredom from sitting at red signals for 1 to 2 hours sometimes,
8. Having to make mechanical or electrical repairs because the closest help may be 90+ miles away
Hmmmmmmmmmm. Doesn't seem like an easy cake walk at all.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
I don't know about the really fun part, remember it IS a career, not a hobby.
As for the $100-150,000, that's for the people who live on the extraboards, take any call that comes down the pike, and have NO life.
But I do love what I do, and won't trade with anyone!