zugmann lone geepZugmann- Are the days off for railroaders with seniority? I have zero clue about CP, or Canadian RR law. So even the rest days would be different for you. I have no clue how that would work for you. For my road here in the US, the extra list is assigned rest days that rotate. So person A on the list has Mon-Tues off, then person B has wed-thurs, etc. Then they work 6 days and start their rest days again. So person A would work W-Th-F-S-M, then get Tues-Wed off.
lone geepZugmann- Are the days off for railroaders with seniority?
I have zero clue about CP, or Canadian RR law. So even the rest days would be different for you. I have no clue how that would work for you.
For my road here in the US, the extra list is assigned rest days that rotate. So person A on the list has Mon-Tues off, then person B has wed-thurs, etc. Then they work 6 days and start their rest days again. So person A would work W-Th-F-S-M, then get Tues-Wed off.
On my road, in my area, the only jobs with assigned rest days are yard jobs and locals. Those that have regularly assigned people. The extra boards and thru freight pools have no assigned rest days. A couple of pools that cover essentially long distance locals are set up, on the conductor's side but not the engineer's, so that you work (normally) a rotation of out day one, back home day two, and are off on day three. The engineer's side works out and back, day after day until they hit the US Federal Requirement for 48/72 hours off.
How things are arranged in a specific area is going to hinge on what contracts are in effect there.
About a dozen or so years ago, we had a pilot project of assigned rest days, similar to Zug's example, on our extra boards. It didn't last too long, maybe a year or so, before the railroad pulled out of the agreement. Our extra boards have wage guaranties and at some of the locations the amount of guarantee being paid went up. In those places they didn't work enough between rest days to break guarantee for the pay period.
Jeff
zugmann Randy Stahl Get a degree kid !!! Then go railroading!! Trust me. Randy If I would have went railroading first instead of a getting a degree - I'd be working some pretty decent jobs right now. As of right now I have zero interest in the management side of my company. Unless they seriously change how they treat those guys, I won't subject myself to that.
Randy Stahl Get a degree kid !!! Then go railroading!! Trust me. Randy
Get a degree kid !!!
Then go railroading!!
Trust me.
Randy
If I would have went railroading first instead of a getting a degree - I'd be working some pretty decent jobs right now.
As of right now I have zero interest in the management side of my company. Unless they seriously change how they treat those guys, I won't subject myself to that.
Field level management has become the 'indentured servants' of railroading. Most are now being hired off the street - given just enough training that they won't immediately kill themselves or those they 'supervise'; while being paid less than the craft personnel they 'supervise'. Being hired from the street - they serve at Senior Managements discretion - as changeable as that may be.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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
Thank you all for your time. For a trade, I'm considering an electrician and/or a plumber (there is a shortage of plumbers in my area) Since I'm in Canada and grew up with the CP, I would like to work for them, but with the dustup at the top, would it still be a wise idea? If a relative was dying, would the crew caller say something to the effect of "Too bad, so sad, get back to work." or is there an allowance for family emergencies.
Zugmann- Are the days off for railroaders with seniority?
Thank you very much.
Lone Geep
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lone geepAny comments or tidbits of advice are appreciated.
It's a job. If you get hired you can always quit if you don't like it. But the earlier you hire out, the better.
As far as working, yeah you will be the low man, but with the new rules/laws, it isn't as bad as it used to be. 10 hours undisturbed rest after each day (on freight roads), 48 hours off after 6 consecutive starts, 72 after 7 days, and even our extra lists have regular, albeit rotating, rest days.
You may also hire out (or quickly bump into) a terminal that is almost all yard and locals, so you will go home every day. . Even if you do the road, at least in my terminal, you take a train from your home terminal to an away terminal, take rest at the hotel, then bring a train back the next day. You aren't gone for more than 2 days, and that's pretty extreme for our guys. Now other railroads, other places may be different in that respect. And like an old timer likes to say: "All jobs out here suck. They just start at different times."
As far as schooling - I used to recommend it, but with the current economic climate and school costs, I just can't for most people anymore. If you are good at (and like) math or science, then get a degree in that. But don't make the mistake many others make and spend tens of thousands of dollars on a useless generic degree (unless someone else is willing to pay for it!). Instead, go learn a skill - electrical, mechanical, something that you can use to find quick and good employment.
Well, not just something to fall back on. A lot of HR computers on the class ones will kick you out of the system if you don't have a secondary education.
At some point your body might decide that you need an easier job so you go looking for a promotion into management, without a secondary education you limit what they will allow you to do.
Ed's advice notwithstanding, Randy has a valid point - whether it be a degree or a skill, have a fall-back. Railroads are going great guns right now, but that can change, and you can find yourself back on the street.
Or you might find that despite your current enthusiasm, railroading is not for you.
Ed hints at something that's been said here before - the second best day of your life is the day you get hired by the railroad. The best day is the one you leave...
I know a few railroaders who are rail enthusiasts. I see them at shows, and once during a fortuitous (for me) cab ride, I took a picture of the train for the engineer. It's also been said that most are "closet" railfans.
Safety has been mentioned. You're on a tourist line - learn your rules and know them well. Whatever railroad you hire out on will likely have a different rulebook, but it won't be that different. If you demonstrate your "non-foamer" knowledge of the rules, it can't hurt you.
I have, however, heard it suggested that one not let on about their involvement with tourist lines, exactly for that "foamer" aspect.
Should you reach the interview stage, your behavior will be important. If you "light up" like a "foamer" when asked about "foamer" aspects of your tourist road, that could be a red flag for the reasons already given. Focus on safety and operational experience - who cares if you're running the first RS-3 the NYC bought?
Whatever way you go, the best of luck to you!
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
The “Don’t be that guy” advice is excellent, and very true.
After a while, you realize all locomotives pretty much work the same, and the “railfan” interest goes away, but keep that aspect to yourself during the hire process and your training.
Hire out as soon as you can, simply because that will establish your seniority.
There will be a respectable loss of old head employees in the next few years, the retirement rules changed and allow for you to retire at 60 with 30 years of service, and a lot of the career railroaders will be taking that option, so getting onboard now will be a benefit to you.
If you go with a class 3 or class 2 road, (switching/terminal and local/regional) railroad, the plus side is you go home every night, but the overall pay is less.
Class 1s pay better in terms of total amount earned annually, but expect to be away from home days and weeks at a time, and the climb up the seniority ladder will be longer, at a regional/local road, you will advance faster.
As was also pointed out, during the hire process, stress your safety attitude, and trust me, nothing out here is worth taking a risk for, not a thing.
You will be expected to show up, ready for work, and be consistent in that,
It is a tough and rough life, but it can produce a good living too, it is hard on spouses, so if you are not married, realize it will be tough to find a spouse that will put up with the long absences, but they are out there.
You already know the drawbacks as you state in your original post, you will be low man on the totem pole, but It gets better.
There will be days when you absolutely hate your job, and days you are amazed they actually pay you to do this, not to many careers out there like this one, but overall, I have had more of the “Wow” days than he “Oh crap” days, so….
No shame in showing up, going through training, hen realizing it is not for you.
A lot of romanticizing and fiction has been written about railroading, it is nothing like the movies portray it, or most books too…it is hard, frustrating, often dirty work, but very rewarding at the same time..
You will know if it is for you fairly quickly, we lose more guys the first year after training, because it turns out the job was nothing like they thought.
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Overmod Whatever you do, play down any 'railfan' characteristics, and keep stressing safety at every chance you get. (This may sound cynical but it is not). Get as professional an attitude toward running as you can, starting now, and hone it... regardless of any razzing the old hands may try to give you. As has been noted here, many modern railroad managements are worried that rail enthusiast employees will get watching trains, and get distracted, and get injured or killed. Or get someone else injured or killed. "Don't be that guy".
Whatever you do, play down any 'railfan' characteristics, and keep stressing safety at every chance you get. (This may sound cynical but it is not). Get as professional an attitude toward running as you can, starting now, and hone it... regardless of any razzing the old hands may try to give you.
As has been noted here, many modern railroad managements are worried that rail enthusiast employees will get watching trains, and get distracted, and get injured or killed. Or get someone else injured or killed. "Don't be that guy".
A railroader at the railroad I volunteer at told me "Rail buffs don't make good railroaders" for that reason. Is there anything that I have said above that you would advise me not to say at an interview?
Thank you very much
I am now 18 years old and a high school graduate and have loved trains all my life and always have wanted to be a railroader. I will be beginning conductor training at the tourist railroad I volunteer at and I have a few questions before I seriously consider making it my career. I know it isn't easy and being the lowest person on the pole will make my life difficult and that the shifts can be 12 hours long with only 8 hours between shifts. I know I will not have any days off and be on call 24/7 as well as being one of the first people laid off in a traffic downturn. I know I will be assigned to work the worst yard and transfer jobs of the division. I also have my driver's licence.
To begin, would it be wise to get certified in a trade before becoming a conductor in case of layoffs? I thought I read somewhere that working for a short-line is a little better than working for a Class I but they only hire experienced people. Is this true everywhere? Does anyone have any advice what to and not to say at an interview and if I get rejected the first round, should I keep trying?
I won't be thinking of signing up for another year or so yet.
Any comments or tidbits of advice are appreciated.
Thank you
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