a couple years ago, u.p. said many crew members were approaching retirement, and a higher number of positions than normal would be open.. what has happened since? is u.p., or r.rs. generally, filling crew positions easily? are r.rs. attracting many applicants to begin with? what is the success rate in applicants making it thru training and moving into "probie" status? does it change much after probies move up to regular slots? what part is the greatest test for applicants: initial application; schooling (classroom); training (field work); probie (under a conductor's supervision)?
what happens after probie status? i've heard that probies spend a minimum number of months as conductors before being put on the list for engineer training, which they must accept.. but, i've also heard that after completing probie status, a conductor could spend years (10 or more) on the extra board before being offered a "regular assignment" slot.. how does this career path work? does it depend on the r.r., the location (div. super.) or the union contract?
is the extra board the only way r.rs. fill slots when regular crewmen are on personal leave or ill? do extra board crewmen shift from long-haul runs to yard work without notice? in my location, i was told the positions the division defended were up to 212 miles from this divison point, for up to 3 days' work.. would an e.b. crewman be dispatched from this point with a 90-minute notice?
the media says that r.rs. are becoming clogged due to increasing demand for service, and the clogged rails are slowing shipments.. is this the picture from the inside? a few years ago, u.p. worked with ups to set-up daily unit trains coast-to-coast.. it worked for a while, then u.p. cancelled the service.. it said it could not afford to commit resources (crews, mostly) just to handle thru highball runs.. it seems to me that if u.p. had the crews to support this service, it would not have cancelled the run.. they must have been making $$$ off it, or they wouldnt agree in the first place..
what do you say?
COTTON BELT RUNS A
Blue Streak
cabforward wrote: a couple years ago, u.p. said many crew members were approaching retirement, and a higher number of positions than normal would be open.. what has happened since? is u.p., or r.rs. generally, filling crew positions easily? are r.rs. attracting many applicants to begin with? what is the success rate in applicants making it thru training and moving into "probie" status? does it change much after probies move up to regular slots? what part is the greatest test for applicants: initial application; schooling (classroom); training (field work); probie (under a conductor's supervision)?
Are you thinking about hiring on? Most guys now a days get fired when they mess up and put cars on the ground after marking up. The classroom is the biggest hurdle, after they make it threw that part its not getting fired like i said.
There isnt a time limit before you can take engine service on the Union Pacific, once you mark up as a trainmen you can bid on engine service if there a bid out there. On the mainline theres an extra board and then theres "turns" or "pools". Most guys will switch back and forth depending on what there looking for, eather time off or the money. Guys that are hungry for the money might jump on the extra board if theres not many guys on there to make alot of money, other times there might a whole lot of guys on there and they might get quite a few days off in between calls. What time of year it is also plays a part in what most guys want to do. Theres no days off on those jobs.
Holding a "local" or a "road switcher" may take up to 30 years or more. Set call time with in a few hours or so, days off, work with the same crew almost everyday unless someone lays off, hirer rate of pay.... Senority during bids (or a single job opening) decides on who gets those jobs, same with the extra board and the pool and turns.
is the extra board the only way r.rs. fill slots when regular crewmen are on personal leave or ill?
There suppost to call an extra board guy if someone lays off. If its "exhausted" as we say, everyones eather working, layed off, or not rested, they will then most often "shanghai" some one (or attempt to) to fill the hole.
do extra board crewmen shift from long-haul runs to yard work without notice? in my location, i was told the positions the division defended were up to 212 miles from this divison point, for up to 3 days' work.. would an e.b. crewman be dispatched from this point with a 90-minute notice?
Every place is different, some places have a combination of any of the following: switchmen extra board, brakemens board, conductors board.... Most of the time they try to get someone "shanghai" if need be to fill that spot. They wont call you from your house near your "home terminal" and tell you to show up 200 miles away in 90 minutes, if they need some one at the other end of a run (away from home terminal) for something like a yard job they will get someone who's waiting to get called to make the run back. BUT in some of those bigger hubs they might tell you that you can no longer hold in lets say Salt Lake City and that the only place you'll be able to hold a job in is Vegas.... you have no choice but to go. Where you hire out decides things like that.
the media says that r.rs. are becoming clogged due to increasing demand for service, and the clogged rails are slowing shipments.. is this the picture from the inside? a few years ago, u.p. worked with ups to set-up daily unit trains coast-to-coast.. it worked for a while, then u.p. cancelled the service.. it said it could not afford to commit resources (crews, mostly) just to handle thru highball runs.. it seems to me that if u.p. had the crews to support this service, it would not have cancelled the run.. they must have been making $$$ off it, or they wouldnt agree in the first place..what do you say?
The Union Pacific is still doing just fine. I've never heard the UPS story that you speak of, we still handle plenty of there trailers. More money is made off the heavy stuff, coal, soda ash, chemicals... A UPS contract is more of a trophy then a money maker, "look what we can do" kinda thing. I've never heard anything like you said about short on crews and what not.
Hope that helps, theres a better forum out there for such things as employment with the Union Pacific. You or anyone else if free to send me a PM if you want me to point you in that direction.
thank you for answering my long letter.. your info is very interesting.. i cant get too much info about r.rs.. i love details about working conditions, rules-of -the road, procedures, etc.. the 90-minute rule i spoke of is a time limit for the crewman to drive at his pick-up point (where he works out of).. he is then transported by cab or charter service to the job site.. after the assignment is over, the charter returns him to the original station where he drives himself home.. i knew a supervisor of a charter service who said his company contracts to csx to drive all crews to out-of-town assignments and return them to their original station..
a few years ago, i might have tried for a r.r. crew.. now, im 60.. i was put off by a physical requirement to pick up a knuckle and carry it a certain distance.. also, the stress of working several days in a row with a few hours sleep.. i didn't know that extra boards were so stressful (i have lived in the south from louisiana to s. carolina).. i thought that a few months into the job, or right after getting off probie status, i would go directly into a regular assignment, and there i would be, working 4-5 days, same location, same schedule, same crew, just like in the real world.. i read that on most assignements, there will be 1 crewman who is on the e.b. for someone who has days off.. that's a lot of men who are on-the-job for someone who isnt there, a big need for e.b. crewmen.. i could not jump from place-to-place filling in a slot for someone who is out for a few days.. so, i post questions of veterans who know whats going on.. and thanks.
Cabforward,
It's my understanding that the UPS service interfered with UP's meat-and-potatoes freight traffic. This lucrative business had to be put in the hole too much to accomodate the Brown Boomers.
Rix
rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
Most stuff like that is dogcatch work.
Your welcome buddy, always glad to help.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
The UPS "bullet train" never operated in regular service across Iowa that I'm aware of. They did run a test train in each direction. If one did operate in regular service out of Chicago, it probably went to KC via the BNSF. I recall trains operating out of Memphis to/from LA.
These didn't last very long because, IIRC the UP didn't figure in costs incurred from delaying other trains so the bullet train could make the schedule when bidding for the contract. The BNSF did figure these into their bid. It was those other costs that led the UP to give up this business.
The westbound test train leaving Chicago had both a Chicago and an Iowa crew on board. The Iowa crew rode on a business car behind the power. They changed at Clinton while moving. The eastbound leaving Missouri Valley I think did the same so they too could change at Clinton without stopping. A train at KC Jct near Nevada, Iowa was told they would have to wait for the test train, which was still in Illinois before they were allowed onto the double main.
Jeff
My son works for BNSF and he says they cant hire any help,it may be the job,he's in the bridge dept.But they are a man short all the time..
If you want to work in MOW try the bridge dept,He works 4 days a week except holiday weeks and is home a lot of the time but is never over 250 miles from home at any given time...
Train service is the preferrd job but if you want a day job look at MOW...
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