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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates Ok, everybody hears about the good side of the engineers job,k but at the same time, it's still a job. Jobs are funny in th way they can take things one normally enjoys doing and makes it decidedly less fun, because it becomes no longer your choice, rather it is your responsibility. I read about the "gravy" stories, where,..due to scheduling an engineer might get lucky and get in his entire work week in 3 and a fraction days, then has the rest of the week "off" for his week end,...but under normal conditions, how secure is that time off? How secure are your normal weekends off? Can you (barring an emergency like a train wreck or other "masters ox is in the ditch" type company emergencies etc) COUNT ON the days off you were told you'd have off, or are you always just "one phonecall away" from having to trash whatever plans you may have made? And if so, does that happen rarely/frequently? And are you in big trouble if you can't answer the bell? A possible scenario that cues my interest, suppose you were expecting Friday and saturday off. A friend is getting married and you are planning to tie one on at his reception Friday night. So, after putting in your day thursday, you go home sleep your 8 hours, spend the day at the wedding, and that night you have a healthy glow going by 10 PM. How safe can you feel you're not going to get "the call" forcing you into work, and if you did, how long would you typically have before the railroad could rightly expect to have you report brighteyed and bushy tailed? [/quote] AuntyG- Being an Engineer or Conductor you have to live with a lot. A lot of rules, safety rules, operating rules, interlocking rules, pay rules, union rules, collective bargaining rules, railroad retirement rules and the list goes on. So, yeah, its not recreation, its a job. There are basically three ways we work depending upon how much seniority you have. 1. Typically the lowest seniority job is the Extra List or Extra Board. This is a list kept for each terminal of qualifed people in a particular craft. For example in my terminal we have An Engineer's XL, a Conductor's XL and a Trainman's XL. Brakemen are drawn from the Trainman's list. Depending upon the size of the terminal these lists may have 3 or 4 men or as many as 25 or 30 or even more. Terminals with more than one division have XLs for each one. Union local chairmen of the craft union typically have control over the size of the list with their management counterparts (TM or Terminal Supt.). On the XL you may be called at any time 24/7 for any train from your terminal or any outlying point the terminal provides manpower to. You are literally always on call. The only way to not be on call is to mark off. You can mark off "sick" or "with permission". Permission is obtained from your local TM or RFE or from the crew management supervisor on duty. The Company keeps track of both as well as any missed calls. A missed call is anytime the crew caller calls and you are unreachable. So basically you need to have your grip packed and a lunch ready in the fridge at all times. Also I give the caller my cellphone number so I can be out and about and still not miss a call when I am working extra (I seldom do this anymore). 2. The Freight Pool requires a bit more seniority to hold. Some freight pools are very high seniority (typically your step on step off jobs like COFC/TOFC). Others are intermediate seniority such as manifests making regular stops along the way. These trains typically are "assigned" or "unassigned" with the assigned having regular assigned trains, while the unassigned taking the next available train. As freight pools are pretty good money jobs due to the mileage they are not usually held by younger men. 3. The "Regular Job". This is often the highest seniority work. These are the locals and yard jobs that work a regular shift on the basis of a job posting. They work 5 or 6 days per week and often allow for more time away from the railroad. You can actually sleep in your own bed most of the time. No matter which of the three job types your seniority allows you to hold there are always those calls from the crew caller when the railroad is short men. This usually happens in the summer (vacations), the fall (Christmas Rush) and whenever such things as deer season occur. If you are good to the callers they will often remember you when work is scarce. Of course, you need to balance this against the needs of your life as well. As to drinking at a wedding, well, I think the above rules give you an idea of how that might be accomplished. I wouldn't try it too often... LC
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