Track maintence positions....

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I'm thinking about applying for both BNSF and UP for their track maintence positions. I'm curious if you could provide me on typical job functions/duties of this position. I live in St. Paul, MN so any additional info about the work structure around here would be great. Any info about hiring, tests, pay, etc. would really help me out. Thanks!

[tjsmrinfo]

undatc05 theres several jobs that fall under track maintaince- track welder, equiptment operator, track inspector, truck driver, then you have the steel gangs which operate the on track tampers, spikers, spike pullers kershaw cranes etc. Your best bet would be to go to nearest Class 1 yard and talk to someone there about what your wanting to do.
Also visit the rr websites for hiring etc.

Tom

[Anonymous]

It would all depend on if you were on a "system" gang, wich travels around the entire system (hence the name) doing a specific function, dropping spikes & plates, etc for rail replacement projects, laying rail, replacing bridges, that type of thing, or on a local MOW gang, whose territory may encompass 50 to 100 miles of track, and completes the "honey-do" type of projects, from replacing broken rails (at all hours of the night), tightening bolts, filling the rail greasers, etc. and generally doing the day-to-day work to keep the track in shape. Like tjsmrinfo said, you can look on the RR websites for info and "definitons" of what the advertised jobs would do.

[sanvtoman]

You will start doing grunt work, if you can bid any job it might be driver of the company truck. Most of the better jobs are held by old heads. i e ballast regulator or tamper or tie inserter. The pay is a couple dollars less than a yard brakeman. Good luck!

[PigFarmer1]

This is a good time to hire on with the UP because lots of the old hands are getting ready to retire. Be ready for plenty of inconvenience when you're a new hire. You're going to be the first to get bumped and the first to be recalled to a position they can't keep filled. If that job you get recalled to happens to be 150 miles from your home be ready to eat a lot of money in motel costs because they won't be helping you out with those expenses. Of course at the end of the year you can expect to be out of work for at least a few weeks when the extra gangs get cut and all those guys bump into the section jobs.

Don't be discouraged though. It's not all gloom and doom. Keep in mind that you'll be getting paid good coin to see all those trains that go by you. I must have seen 100 trains during my 16 hour day yesterday.[:D] I'm glad I hired on. I would do it again even with all the headaches that can come with the job.

Good luck!

[tatans]

Try: Gandy Dancers R us - - - - just kidding----good luck----nothing the matter in this world with getting a little dirt under your fingernails.

[Anonymous]

I worked in the swamps of the Croxton Yards as a gandy dancer, Local 1502 MOW Employees. Maybe the main line guys got to work with machines but in the confined areas of the yards we did 99% of our work by hand.

The toughest job is moving stone with forks. Back-breaking! Pulling spikes, jacking up rails, pulling old ties out, cleaning the trench, put new tie in, throw down the plates and hand spike, then tamp. On to the next tie.

Or we'd work on a derailment in the Bergen Tunnel. Dark, dripping wet, lots of noise, a heavy switch engine #402 putting out a lot of smoke while trying to pull a car up and over a bell.

Here's a picture of #402.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/loco/el402ajh.jpg

I think I went thru a pair of workgloves every month.

Great job. Great incentive to go to college and finish my degree.