railroad jobs

[Mookie]

I know the hours are bad, you work a lot and have no home life - but....

The railroads don't exactly pay minumum wage, either....

[wabash1]

most people dont have a home life couse they dont know how to budget their time. and the biggest problem most have is that they try and make plans to do something while in route to home. this is bad couse every little delay bothers them more i have had conductors jumping up and down and getting mad at the regular type delays on a trip all becouse the plans they make are falling apart. i never make plans til i get off the engine. the pay is great and i always worked nights anyways so its not hard on me. Most all these guys who want a regular job best not work for the railroad and you should know this when you put your applacatioon in. in the hiring session with ns its the first thing they talk about that you wont be home for birthdays aniversarys and soforth. ( sorry my computor is tired) and females have it worse. as they are still required to work the same hours as the guys while there is nobody to watch the kids. and thats bed as there have been great female conductors and engineers that haft to quit for this reason. these gals were 10 times better than most guys out there.

[Jackflash]

Well said j, Railroading is not for everybody.
there are other jobs that are similar with
regard to being away from home, with unusual
hours, you could be on a push boat on the
Mississippi, or a Great Lakes ore carrier
or you could be on a drilling platform out in
the Gulf, or how about professional military,
you are gone from home. Some people thrive
on these jobs, others quit after just a few
weeks, I've seen a few young people want to
railroad, until they get the job, then after a
short time they quit, and always for the same
reason, the life style, it may be just me but
I believe its worse now than it was when I
started, now we dont have enough people to
do the job, the crews are smaller putting more
work on two people, use to be 6 or 7 hours was
a long day, now you travel the same miles but
it takes 10 to 12 hours. I've got 4 years left
and I wouldnt recomend railroading to a young
person as a career, get an education and get
into high tech, electronics or something with
a normal life style, Merry Christmas all,,,,
jackflash

[edblysard]

No Mookie, they dont, but they dont pay the highest wage either. I wouldnt recommend it for most married people, the time away and unpredictability of the jobs puts a tremendous strain on a marriage. My wife works full time for the State of Texas, and we have 3 daughters, ages 15, 9, and 3. So I have to work the afternoon shift, 3 to 11, wife works 7:00am to 4:00 pm, but most people cant manage that...If I was single, I would go to a class 1, but working at a terminal road allows me to be home every night. But the conditions we work under would surprise most folks, imagine switching cars in a thunderstorm, or how about tropical storm allison? We had to walk in front of a 100 car cut being shoved into the yard, because lighting had hit the cars twice, and I wasn't going to be on it when it hit again, plus the water was over the railhead, we couldnt see the track, so we walked it with our lanterns, checking for washouts and such, moving debris, tree limbs and a few junk ties. And hail hurts, winter isnt too bad down south, but summer, 100 degree days for two or three months in a row gets really rough. And I agree with wabash, shame so many women start, but dont stay, I see how the home life and kids can make it double tough for yall.
We have a female engineer here at the port, and I can say that without a doubt, she is the best engineer we have, bar none. The lady knows her stuff. She put up with all the crap a woman gets in a male dominated profession, plus all the smart aleck comments some make, and after ten years, she has lasted longer than a lot of the "tough guys: who heckled her. But if I could do it all over again, I think I would have persued a little better education, and gone into a little less dangerous profession....
Ed

[wabash1]

The best way to describe the person who wants or will stay with a railroad trucking or anything else that requires away from home is if you like to ramble and be on the move then the railroad or transportation is for you. But remeber any job is what you make of it. put junk into it then thats what you get out.

[Mookie]

Thank you gentlemen, for your thoughts. I agree with all of you - especially the GI/GO from Wabash. I don't like to see people complain about the job and the railroads and then not counter it with the fact that they do make a nice paycheck. I realize that this would be found more in the big railroads - the only kind I have ever been around. But even on smaller railroads, you may not get rich, but if you are doing what you like, that is most important.

Also nice to hear that some women are doing a good job, in a man's field. It makes me proud of my gender!

[Anonymous]

I'll say that working on the RR is a royal pain in the ***. The actual job is not that tough. I find being a good/effecient switchman is a challenge and that is why I stay. It is the New Hire part that sucks. By New Hire, I mean anybody with a hire date after '95. As I posted elsewhere, just finding work and staying working is tough. I work with NH's (like the kind that Wabash despises) that layoff constantly. I love them for that! It makes the extra boards turn fast and I make more money! I don't layoff! As far as women, I treat them no different than a guy. Period. If they know what they are doing and don't try to get me killed, I'm fine with them, same as a guy. I have had some darn good female engineers and some poor ones too. On the women issue: the only thing that I think that is unfair is the fact that in my terminal the women seem to get handled with kid gloves when it comes to discipline. I have seen several that have violated the attendance policy the same if not worse than a male counterpart and guess who ends up sitting in an investigation, yes the guy!

[Mookie]

You sound like what I was raised around - always be ready to work, be on time, do a good job and don't layoff. He is still around at 85 and doesn't seem worse for wear.

I was afraid I would ruffle some feathers with the statement that the RR doesn't pay minimum wage, but I am finding that so far, the willing workers seem to agree. And to be paid well for something you like - well, the best of both worlds!

Women - My thinking is they should be graded by the same standards as their male counterparts, especially since they are probably being paid the same wages. Human is human - whether male or female....

[Anonymous]

It also depends on the job you are doing. On the 'pools' the hardest part is climbing on the engine and staying awake the whole trip! In yard service it can be very physical. Climbing up and down the cars, holding on to the side of them, tyeing brakes, lining switches. Working in all kinds of bad weather at all times of the day. It can be very demanding. We only have A handfull of women doing it where I'm at but they do A good job. As far as the pay it can be good if you 'turn and burn', never lay off. The post '1985'guys make far less. Also we pay railroad retirement not social security which is A lot higher. Then you have union dues and you need to carry job insurance for when the company fires you for breaking A rule. After you add all this up you make about the same as minumum wage !

[BRAKIE]

Looking back over my 91/2 years as a brakeman,I can truely say I would be happy to do it all over again..I have had several jobs since then but,done that I liked better then when I was brakin'.There is/was something in the lure of a railroad job,I never could put a finger on it.
Yes,I recall having no home life,the rain sleet,snow,the bitter cold,long layovers at a away terminal,broken couplers,air hoses hot boxes,and sadly death.Still I would do it over again.Reason? I give my family a good life.
As I always said railroadin' isn't for everybody or the faint of heart..
The railroaders I worked with was mostly from the old school of railroaders,rough,tough and full of salt that love their work and wouldn't have it any other way..IMO these men stood a cut above the rest..

[Anonymous]

Very accurate......Amen Brother!

[Anonymous]

Hello Jenny and group my name is Rodney i was hired by the BNSF in Galesburg Il. this year i presently work as a switchman on the switchmans extra list my job is to fill holes in the yard. I grew up on a farm in Illinois spent 16 years in the U.S. Navy and took early retirement in 1995 the only thing i can say is if you like to work outside in good and bad weather go for the job with the railroad it can be enjoyable after my training group got turned loose things were moving slowly then all of a suddan out of nowhere things picked up to the point where i was going to work right on my rest i.e. 8 hours later it can be a culture shock to some people but if your mind is made up you can handle the challange if you decide to try i recomend staying away from primary recall locations because you are locked in for 5 years to that location. Rodney Beck

[Mookie]

I guess railroading would be like other jobs - they get in your blood. We have lost some of the pride people used to have in their job, but after reading the replies to my statement - there are still a lot of people out there who do take pride in their work and want to do a good job.

[BRAKIE]

Jenny,Those old boys I worked with was rough and tough.The only time you would hear them complain would be some rough handed hogger that would beat them to death in the caboose with the slack action.I recall one old rough Irishman conductor I work with on the PRR,one night he applied the emergency brakes from the caboose and walk 45 cars to the engine,he then proceeded knock the engineer(another Irishman) on his duffy for rough train handling and spilling his coffee back in the caboose! NO joke!

[Anonymous]

Yea Larry you are right about that I hired out this year and some of the conductors I was a student with told the throttle jerker you spill my coffee what is left will go on you a few of them even told them you cause a broken knuckel you are going to help change it they operate the the train with kid gloves because they do not want to get dragged out of there seat that holds there brains. Rodney

[csxns]

Crawling underneath coal hoppers in the rain on a long and high bridge with no walkways to change a nuckel and trying to pu***he replacement in front of you.Ready to do it again.

[Anonymous]

Hey Jenn, I'm getting my threads crossed up. Look at my response to "Train" in the thread called "Extra List or Board" this date. I'm not gonna rant all over again, but you should see it.

[wabash1]

I am not sure what you mean by " dragged out or the seat that holds the brains" I can assure you that no matter what you do there are some trains that are so poorly built that you will get slack action no matter what you do. And as far as helping change a knuckle. I still am waiting for the first man to tell me to do that.

[Anonymous]

Whats up with the disrespect for engineers? Throttle jerker? I seriousely doubt that those conductors get that Billy Bad A** with the Hogger. I find the respectful approach gets me farther with them. Most of those guys were in that seat when I was still ****in green. Try getting called off of the extra board for an unfamiliar run and telling the caller that you need a pilot, their response is O.K. only to get to the terminal and no pilot. The engineer can act as the pilot and a few have done that for me (they don't have to). Very cool of them. I always tie the engines brakes on my way back to tie the train down if they are cool to me. I give them respect until they give me reason not to. I have only had one a hole. Not too shabby for as many people as we work with........

[BRAKIE]

ironkin,Perhaps not today..There was a time when railroaders was as tough as they would come.I was there that night when that conductor knocked that engineer on his fanny!It took me,the fireman(diesels had fireman then)and rear brakeman to pull that conductor off that hogger...Nothing was reported to anybody about that fight.

[Anonymous]

I did not want to convay the lack of respect for the engineers most of the ones that i have been with on the road took care of me being a new hire conductor and gave me more tips about the subdivision that we were on more than the conductors that i was training with even some of the engineers have told me who could operate good and those who would pull a train into I have also made a few trips with conductors that were set back engineers during the 15 week training and went out on the road with them after training as for the term throtle jerker I am sorry. Rodney

[khhogger]

IF I WAS GONNA CHANGE A KNUCKLE ON A BRIDGE WITH NO WALKWAYS, I SURE WOULDN'T PU***HE REPLACEMENT IN FRONT OF ME, WHAT IF IT WAS THE WRONG SIZE? I WOULD CLOSE ANGLE ****, HAVE THE HOGGER THROW OFF THE SIZE NEEDED PULL ME TO IT, REPLACE IT, OR LOAD IT ON IF IT WAS FOR CUT LEFT STANDING. SHOVE BACK COUPLE UP OR REPLACE KNUCKLE ON STANDING CUT.

[Mookie]

Brakie: This brought a smile to my face - I have heard many of these stories. Also the ones that the conductor would cook for the entire crew and they would be very careful not to mess up his "kitchen" if at all possible. Others were so nasty tempered, they wore their coffee a lot!

Jen :)

[csxns]

WHY DIDNT I THANK OF THAT.

[Soo2610]

How many spare knuckles do you carry on a train and where in the devil do you store them?

[Anonymous]

There are two on each of our motors one "e" and one "f" there is a holder on the rear primary on each side. I have also seen them on the sideframes of the trucks as well. So if you bust more than that you are s.o.l. and probably pretty P.O.ed at that time. Guess that you'd better find some duct tape. But sreiousely, we have drawbar straps that we can use to drag the affected car to a point where it can be set out, and go back and recouple to the train.

[Jackflash]

I've seen it happen that the knuckle had to
taken out of the draw head of the lead engine
and used, (you could get the one out of the
tail car), sometimes you'll find spare knuckles
down in the boiler room of conventional locomotives, or maybe back at the rear of the
carbody near the air compressor. Near a terminal
you might be able to call a car knocker to drive
to you with a spare, jackflash

[Anonymous]

Yeah flash, frogot about the one on the lead loco's draw head