FlashwaveForgive me, was not clear and misunderstood what the replies meant. What the gentleman meant was referring to Class 1. But he told it to me whan I jobshadowed at the museum. And then to make his point, people jumped the gates that day. Sorry. I Need to be more observant of the text.
Forgive me, was not clear and misunderstood what the replies meant. What the gentleman meant was referring to Class 1. But he told it to me whan I jobshadowed at the museum. And then to make his point, people jumped the gates that day. Sorry. I Need to be more observant of the text.
Ohhh, gotcha.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
You sound alot like me ! I`ve alwas wanted to work for the railroad, still do. Dont be like me ,I`m 40 years old and I still want to work for the R R . I dont know why no one has told you about going to a railroad school when you graduate. I`m thinking about going myself I`ve been trying to on for many years.[ with no luck] The web site for the school I`m thinking about is www.railroadtraining.com I wish they had these when i graduated. I would of went. Find a job that makes you happy and you will have a good life. From what I`ve been told you have to be a conducter before you become a enginneer. But this school has both classes. Hope this helps LIVE YOUR DREAM I wish I could! John
Because those so called "RR schools" are one of the biggest scams out there. The class-1s (when hiring) will pay you to train.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Don't go to a "Choo Choo U" as suggested above !
You'll get the training and job prep. from a railroad when you get hired.
Waste of time and money.
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Another place to check on jobs is each railroad's websites.
My father was always interested in steamships and evidently thought about getting a job in and around the harbor. But his Army stint coupled with 20 years in the Reserves, a family, and his own business, distracted him from doing much about it. One day in his 50's or early 60's he met an old friend. When he found out his friend had been a tugboat captain and harbor pilot for many years, he asked his friend how he got the job. The reply was simple: "I just went down and asked for a job when I got out of school." As Horatio Algerish it sounds, it is sometimes simply the asking rather than the thinking and talking that gets you the information or the job. The job may be out of reach only if you don't reach for it.
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I only got to read a few responses before me. I'm pretty sure you have to start out as a Conductor on most roads. Make sure you can lift couplers (when you become 18, no need to jump on body-building now) and hang on cars for 10 minutes without hassle. Also, be sure you can walk long distances. They'll take you much more seriously. Also, you mentioned family members on teh railroad. If any of them are still alive, use that knowledge they have to the fullest. Even if you have a good idea of railroad life, ask them about specifics. The better a picture they can paint you, the more you know. Oh, and stay single if you can. It is a huge help. And if you don't stay single, don't rush to have children.
And why would you ever want to work for NS? They are one of the most notorious railroads there are! But if you want to, more power to you! They don't get that many "happy" employees, so they'd be glad to have you!
Gents , Got to take exception to "THE TALK" . This may be a little off subject , BUT , I have NOT killed and , or injured ANYONE . THEY all have done it to T H E M S E L V E S . I pride my self in the way I railroad , RULE COMPLIANCE is of the first priority . My crew and my supervisors all know this . So Justin and everybody on the forum , when out on the railroad if you are doing EVERYTHING by the "BOOK" and something happens , AND IT WILL , you can rest assured that it was of no fault of your own . It does make it a little better the first couple of nights later when you are going through the "what if's . This is just another part of RAILROADING , gotta love it . BE CAREFUL BE SAFE ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The Travler .
CNTRAVLER Gents , Got to take exception to "THE TALK" . This may be a little off subject , BUT , I have NOT killed and , or injured ANYONE . THEY all have done it to T H E M S E L V E S . I pride my self in the way I railroad , RULE COMPLIANCE is of the first priority . My crew and my supervisors all know this . So Justin and everybody on the forum , when out on the railroad if you are doing EVERYTHING by the "BOOK" and something happens , AND IT WILL , you can rest assured that it was of no fault of your own . It does make it a little better the first couple of nights later when you are going through the "what if's . This is just another part of RAILROADING , gotta love it . BE CAREFUL BE SAFE ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The Travler .
Johnny
Justin, glad to see that you already know what you want to do, and that it is something you love. I am 14 and a freshman, and also want to work for the railroad. I am looking into a shop/mechanical worker because it interests me and it is what I want to do. You are at the age where you should seriously think about what you want your career. Here's a few tips:
1. Don't let anyone intimidate you. People WILL try to discourage you (in case you haven't already noticed).
2. Do anything you can do to learn about being an engineer and the railroads.
3. Take classes that will help you prepare for your career. It is now time for me to select classes for next year. Some classes have prerequisites, so don't take say, biology, just because you want to. Choose classes carefully.
4. Read the October 2008 issue of Trains. It has a lot of information about working on the railroad.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
My Model Railroad: Tri State RailMy Photos on Flickr: FlickrMy Videos on Youtube: YoutubeMy Photos on RRPA: RR Picture Archives
kolechovski I only got to read a few responses before me. I'm pretty sure you have to start out as a Conductor on most roads. Make sure you can lift couplers (when you become 18, no need to jump on body-building now) and hang on cars for 10 minutes without hassle. Also, be sure you can walk long distances. They'll take you much more seriously. Also, you mentioned family members on teh railroad. If any of them are still alive, use that knowledge they have to the fullest. Even if you have a good idea of railroad life, ask them about specifics. The better a picture they can paint you, the more you know. Oh, and stay single if you can. It is a huge help. And if you don't stay single, don't rush to have children. And why would you ever want to work for NS? They are one of the most notorious railroads there are! But if you want to, more power to you! They don't get that many "happy" employees, so they'd be glad to have you! Good luck!
Good luck!
You sound like a man of exsperance, the kind that reads post and then repeats what he thinks is right, who cares if you can walk long distances, certainly not the railroads, and then you post the same thing 3 times, just making sure you getting your point across, then your making remarks about the NS as if you know what they do or treat the men they have working for them. Of course i hear that the union pacific is worse, but then again if all your looking for is dirt on something its not hard to find it. yea ive heard all the nazi bla bla bla crap before, but after all these years have yet to find it or hear it personally and i am a employee of the NS. oh maybe your sour because they didnt hire you. thats good. saves time so we can train someone who deserves a good job.
The chuckling about MSTS is probably unfair.
I know many qualified pilots who have used and still use MS Flight Simulator for their qualifications, especially instrumentation.
Are the cabs in MSTS really that unrealistically presented? It didn't seem that way to me.
After reading all the posts, they all had very good information. One thing that was left out was working for a shortline railroad. There you get to do just about everything, from MOW, signals, conductor, engineer, office work to just about anything else.
Myself, I spent 20 years in the Navy, worked another 20 years for an Oil company and only then did I start working in the RR field. Spent 10 years doing volunteer work at a museum, starting at the bottom and working up to engineer. There I also learned about diesel engines and what to look for if the all of a sudden shut down on you. I asked questions when I didn't know and just listened to those who did work for a class1.
Now I'm part owner in a company that runs shortline RR, a qualified engineer besides doing other things and yes it is long hours, but now I'm living a childhood dream. Good luck.
Jim - BNGHogger
aegrotatio The chuckling about MSTS is probably unfair. I know many qualified pilots who have used and still use MS Flight Simulator for their qualifications, especially instrumentation. Are the cabs in MSTS really that unrealistically presented? It didn't seem that way to me.
ot presented, but they aren't controlled accurately. And there's no sensitivity to track conditions. You just hit the keys and go. You want to go the whole way you can buy a deskmount controller thatapproximates a control stand (multi hindreds), but you still don't have the sensitivity to rough tracks that is neccesary. Flight SIm at least has gauges on the console to tell you it's rough flying. Am I right train guys?
-Morgan
Flashwaveot presented, but they aren't controlled accurately. And there's no sensitivity to track conditions. You just hit the keys and go. Flight SIm at least has gauges on the console to tell you it's rough flying. Am I right train guys?
ot presented, but they aren't controlled accurately. And there's no sensitivity to track conditions. You just hit the keys and go. Flight SIm at least has gauges on the console to tell you it's rough flying. Am I right train guys?
Not to mention you can't feel the slack on Trainsim.
What's really weird is that the commercial simulators by the old CAE-Link and other companies do have visual meters for slack and buff and other forces.
Oh one more question guy's. By the time I get old enough to hire on will the railroads be hiring again or will I have to look super hard to find a job, like a conductor, on the railroad?
The road to to success is always under construction. _____________________________________________________________________________ When the going gets tough, the tough use duct tape.
That's a good point. I think dispatcher sounds cool also but by all means nothing is going to stop me fron becoming a locomotive engineer! NOTHING
I don't mean to discourage you and I hope you make it but remember, what you may have to do in your job duties as an engineer may be a lot different than what you like about railroads/engineers (as a railfan).
Good Luck.
I never thought of it that way... But I will be thick skulled and still go for it. But thank's for the reminder!
Well, of COURSE it's different from a railfan perspective. You're not forced to work 12 hours a day, with minimum 8-hour breaks. As a railfan, you can go where you want and see what you want, not get stuck dumping some coal drag on a rainy day. As a railfan, you don't have mean old bosses screaming in your face about stuff that isn't your fault (though railfans have plenty of people screaming at them for different reasons). As a railfan, you're not stuck sitting in the same rough chair for those 12 hours. As a railfan, you can go home and see your family every night if you want. It's unfair for CPbloom to even try to compare railfanning and railworking. There is a reason it's called "working". The railroads don't pay people to have fun.
That's why when you get to be on the railfanning side, you enjoy it the best you can, while you can!
"Railroads" have to be a job (working for the industry) or a hobby (railfan, modeler, etc)
I've found that I don't enjoy my model railroading as much as I did before I started working for a railroad. In fact, I've got all my benchwork supplies (lumber, tools, nails, screws, et al) sitting in my basement untouched since I purchased or brought them down there.
Omaha, Nebr. - Wednesday, 18 February 2009.
Bubbajustin:-
There's one additional aspect to consider and that's LOCATION. Establishing locomotive seniority means that you will be working a limited territory or a connected series of limited territories for the rest of your life. Choose carefully in terms of section-of-the-country, climate, quality-of-life, cost-of-living, taxes, and whether you're a country boy at heart or have to live in (or near) a big city. I've met a lot of guys who grew up and started their railroad careers in northern Illinois, they quit their old carriers in their late 20s and early 30s, and subsequently moved a thousand miles west where they established new seniority. Sure, they left family and friends behind, but to a man they couldn't be happier.
Also, what are the future prospects for your chosen employer and territory. Do they have a good traffic mix? Do they have good management and long term financial stability? You don't want to establish seniority on a one-commodity secondary line and have it spun off to a shortline somewhere down the road. Too many shortlines are just that: boom-and-bust, which is to say too dependent on the price of grains, the size of the harvest, or whether lumber is moving or not.
From what I've read, it seems as though your home is in central Illinois. You might want to consider working for a Class 1 like BNSF and UP in the Chicago area where you can work both freight and commuter train runs. The latter may involve some long days, but the hours are regular and the bulk of those passenger assignments will allow you to sleep regularly through most of the night. That could become an attractive feature as you get older.
One of my best friends, according to his family's legend, got bit by the railroad bug at the age of six months. After earning a college degree he's spent nearly all of his adult life working for Class 1 carriers in a variety of engineering and train operations positions and doesn't regret for even a minute making that choice. I hope your choice of having a railroad career brings you the same level of satisfaction.
/s/ Bob
kolechovski Well, of COURSE it's different from a railfan perspective. You're not forced to work 12 hours a day, with minimum 8-hour breaks. As a railfan, you can go where you want and see what you want, not get stuck dumping some coal drag on a rainy day. As a railfan, you don't have mean old bosses screaming in your face about stuff that isn't your fault (though railfans have plenty of people screaming at them for different reasons). As a railfan, you're not stuck sitting in the same rough chair for those 12 hours. As a railfan, you can go home and see your family every night if you want. It's unfair for CPbloom to even try to compare railfanning and railworking. There is a reason it's called "working". The railroads don't pay people to have fun. That's why when you get to be on the railfanning side, you enjoy it the best you can, while you can!
Yes I'm sure it is diffren't as a railfan but as I've said before this is what I am GOING to do when I grow up! Thank's all for the freindly reminders, reminding me of the "toughness" that railroading has to it.
Graduate high school and just apply, apply, apply. Be ready for rejections but, just keep applying. Also, have a back up plan. Your excited now, and that's good. However, depending on where and what rr you finally get hired on, you'll be the low man- yard work for 2-5 years, sitting on the extra board for 5-10 years, getting bumped off jobs all the time, getting furloughed, and once you get accepted to engine service and complete it the rr sets you back up as a conductor!! That's the way it is. And remember, your life revolves around the railroad. With that being said, do it!!! It's a great job to have!!
macaad Graduate high school and just apply, apply, apply. Be ready for rejections but, just keep applying. Also, have a back up plan. Your excited now, and that's good. However, depending on where and what rr you finally get hired on, you'll be the low man- yard work for 2-5 years, sitting on the extra board for 5-10 years, getting bumped off jobs all the time, getting furloughed, and once you get accepted to engine service and complete it the rr sets you back up as a conductor!! That's the way it is. And remember, your life revolves around the railroad. With that being said, do it!!! It's a great job to have!!
Hello! Thanks for the encouraging words. I am destond to one day become a engineer, nomatter the cost or hertles.
It's a great profession for sure...but at your age shouldn't you be aiming to break the home run record...or maybe winning the Tours de France... or becoming the first person to walk on Mars?
The worst thing that could happen is not that you never become a locomotive engineer... it is that you become one by age 23...and then what?
Then I will be happy for the rest of my life. This what my life is going to be about. I just want to be a railroader.
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