Railroad Jobs

[Anonymous]

3. Railroads are playing a double take. Many are requiring you to take a railroad conductors training course which costs you between $5000 to $6500 between classes, hotel, meals, travel, etc. Once you complete the training, there is no reimbursement for this expense, and it is NOT tax deductible. What was happening right after I was in school, and spent that money, was some were required to take the course, and then others were hired right off the street not requiring it. Watch out for the double take!

I will say this: The training I received excelled my understanding tremendously, however, I was indoctrinated with the concept that the course gave 30 years of practical experience in 5 weeks. This is sheer non-sense, and if you make the mistake of taking that and running, when you get to your assignment, you will anger veterans. What they teach in the course may differ to what's on the ground!

[Anonymous]

2. New Hires after 1985 are not allowed by agreement to receive extra's, such as air house couplings, brake allowances, short crew allowances, or any other such extra's, unless by local agreement. When I left the C&O in 2000, there still was not parity on the pay scale of pre 1985 to post 1985 employees. Post 1985 employees were, and as far as I still know, are paid approximately 30% less their counterparts are paid for the same job. As you accure seniority, each year, by national labor agreement, you increase 5% until you reach 100% parity. This may have changed, as I know the UTU and BLE were pushing for parity when I left the railroad.

[Anonymous]

2. New Hires after 1985 are not allowed by agreement to receive extra's, such as air house couplings, brake allowances, short crew allowances, or any other such extra's, unless by local agreement. When I left the C&O in 2000, there still was not parity on the pay scale of pre 1985 to post 1985 employees. Post 1985 employees were, and as far as I still know, are paid approximately 30% less their counterparts are paid for the same job. As you accure seniority, each year, by national labor agreement, you increase 5% until you reach 100% parity. This may have changed, as I know the UTU and BLE were pushing for parity when I left the railroad.

[Anonymous]

Let me say:

1. Kiss your social life good bye for the first 5-10 years. Weekends, holidays, kids birthdays, graduations, weddings, social gatherings, picnics, etc. gone! The time frame will only depend on how large or small your seniority district is. The smaller it is, the less time it will take for you to jump off the extra boards, and have enough seniority to hold a regular yard, industrial, freight pool or pusher/helper assignment.

[Anonymous]

Let me say:

1. Kiss your social life good bye for the first 5-10 years. Weekends, holidays, kids birthdays, graduations, weddings, social gatherings, picnics, etc. gone! The time frame will only depend on how large or small your seniority district is. The smaller it is, the less time it will take for you to jump off the extra boards, and have enough seniority to hold a regular yard, industrial, freight pool or pusher/helper assignment.

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys,

Please allow me to share a little wisdom with all the young bucks who want to go into railroading as a career. When I went into railroading back in October of 1997, I too was head over heals for the railroad, thinking that the romantic days of railroading still existed and that railroads were very happy with their job. From a CSX perspective only, I can say, this is absolutely untrue! I was completely shaken up and took some time to adjust.

Here is my reply in parts:

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys,

Please allow me to share a little wisdom with all the young bucks who want to go into railroading as a career. When I went into railroading back in October of 1997, I too was head over heals for the railroad, thinking that the romantic days of railroading still existed and that railroads were very happy with their job. From a CSX perspective only, I can say, this is absolutely untrue! I was completely shaken up and took some time to adjust.

Here is my reply in parts:

[Trainnut484]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jrw249

Was thinking about working for the railroad but it appears that it would not be fair to my wife. I guess I will have to be satisfied helping with a tourist railroad.

That's good thinking jrw249. As the saying goes "You may love your wife, but you're married to the railroad".

Take care[:)].

[Trainnut484]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jrw249

Was thinking about working for the railroad but it appears that it would not be fair to my wife. I guess I will have to be satisfied helping with a tourist railroad.

That's good thinking jrw249. As the saying goes "You may love your wife, but you're married to the railroad".

Take care[:)].

[Mookie]

I want to give you one female's input - granted an older one, but .....

No matter what job you work - you need a spouse that will encourage you, if it is something that you really enjoy. There are many men and women out there that are more concerned with their wants and needs than with their partner/spouse's wants and needs. Your time together may not be all that much - but it is the quality that counts.

You may not be able to spend a great deal of time with your children, but again, quality is always better than quantity.

Above all, you must have great respect for yourself , your spouse/partner and your job. This is where it all starts - Get your house in order first and the rest will come - granted not w/o some ups and downs, but there are some very good people out there - both male and female. You just have to be ready to give them something besides time and $ - one of which you will have little and one of which you will have more.

And a whole lot of patience and tolerance is required, too! On both sides. Don't make your relationship a game or a stand-off! Set high standards for yourself and your one and only will find you!

Jen

[Mookie]

I want to give you one female's input - granted an older one, but .....

No matter what job you work - you need a spouse that will encourage you, if it is something that you really enjoy. There are many men and women out there that are more concerned with their wants and needs than with their partner/spouse's wants and needs. Your time together may not be all that much - but it is the quality that counts.

You may not be able to spend a great deal of time with your children, but again, quality is always better than quantity.

Above all, you must have great respect for yourself , your spouse/partner and your job. This is where it all starts - Get your house in order first and the rest will come - granted not w/o some ups and downs, but there are some very good people out there - both male and female. You just have to be ready to give them something besides time and $ - one of which you will have little and one of which you will have more.

And a whole lot of patience and tolerance is required, too! On both sides. Don't make your relationship a game or a stand-off! Set high standards for yourself and your one and only will find you!

Jen

[Anonymous]

Tim, you have your priorities in line! Sounds like your wife had some pull with you (in a good relationship, that's how it should be)! I envy guys that have a good woman. They are hard to find! I respect what you did.
Ken

[Anonymous]

Tim, you have your priorities in line! Sounds like your wife had some pull with you (in a good relationship, that's how it should be)! I envy guys that have a good woman. They are hard to find! I respect what you did.
Ken

[jrw249]

Was thinking about working for the railroad but it appears that it would not be fair to my wife. I guess I will have to be satisfied helping with a tourist railroad.

[jrw249]

Was thinking about working for the railroad but it appears that it would not be fair to my wife. I guess I will have to be satisfied helping with a tourist railroad.

[Anonymous]

Ken, I am sorry to hear that. I was in a simular situation at one time with my wife. I worked as a Cellular Phone systems Engineer. I would get called to all parts of the world trouble shooting Cell systems. I would be gone for weeks at a time. Money was great. Trouble is the wife was left alone to raise our two boy's. After one long trip my wife came to me and said "I can't do it alone anymore your Sons want to know how to play baseball and I know very little about the game." That was it, I quit the next day and went to work for the State. Took a cut in pay but in the long run it was worth it. Now all me and my wife argue about is who's turn it is to load the dishwasher. (The boy's are not old enough yet.)
TIM A

[Anonymous]

Ken, I am sorry to hear that. I was in a simular situation at one time with my wife. I worked as a Cellular Phone systems Engineer. I would get called to all parts of the world trouble shooting Cell systems. I would be gone for weeks at a time. Money was great. Trouble is the wife was left alone to raise our two boy's. After one long trip my wife came to me and said "I can't do it alone anymore your Sons want to know how to play baseball and I know very little about the game." That was it, I quit the next day and went to work for the State. Took a cut in pay but in the long run it was worth it. Now all me and my wife argue about is who's turn it is to load the dishwasher. (The boy's are not old enough yet.)
TIM A

[Anonymous]

Yep, I hear tell that the divorce rate is well over 70% on the RR. Hell, I work with 5 guys that are going thru a divorce. That is just on my run. And don't even think of having kids then divorcing on the RR. Support is horrendous. I have heard of guys paying upwards of $1,200 a month for 2. I pay $700 for one. Pretty sweet deal if you are a chick.........chaching!$$$$$$$$
Ken

[Anonymous]

Yep, I hear tell that the divorce rate is well over 70% on the RR. Hell, I work with 5 guys that are going thru a divorce. That is just on my run. And don't even think of having kids then divorcing on the RR. Support is horrendous. I have heard of guys paying upwards of $1,200 a month for 2. I pay $700 for one. Pretty sweet deal if you are a chick.........chaching!$$$$$$$$
Ken

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TARGUBRIGHT

What you guy's seem to be saying is: There's money to be made working for the railroad, but you have no family life. You gentlemen who work for the railroad, all of you must have a good patient spouse.
TIM A

I had a conductor and engineer ask if I was married.I said yes. They told me then don't come here for work.
stay safe
joe

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TARGUBRIGHT

What you guy's seem to be saying is: There's money to be made working for the railroad, but you have no family life. You gentlemen who work for the railroad, all of you must have a good patient spouse.
TIM A

I had a conductor and engineer ask if I was married.I said yes. They told me then don't come here for work.
stay safe
joe

[Anonymous]

Patient spouse..........Ha! Tim, as a single dude, it is nearly impossible to find a good girl working on the RR. Ever heard the old saying, "when the cats away, the mice will play"? Well, me being the cat means that the mice that I date play while I'm gone. I am gone alot, so the odds of me getting a spouse are slim. The good ones tend to shy away from us because it seems that rails have the rep of being tramps, and the bad girls seem to gravitate to us because they think that we have deep pockets and they want their cut. I have gone through a grip of chicks lately. This job is great for adding numbers to a guy's portfolio, but, is horrible if you are looking for, "the one."
Ken

[Anonymous]

Patient spouse..........Ha! Tim, as a single dude, it is nearly impossible to find a good girl working on the RR. Ever heard the old saying, "when the cats away, the mice will play"? Well, me being the cat means that the mice that I date play while I'm gone. I am gone alot, so the odds of me getting a spouse are slim. The good ones tend to shy away from us because it seems that rails have the rep of being tramps, and the bad girls seem to gravitate to us because they think that we have deep pockets and they want their cut. I have gone through a grip of chicks lately. This job is great for adding numbers to a guy's portfolio, but, is horrible if you are looking for, "the one."
Ken

[Anonymous]

What you guy's seem to be saying is: There's money to be made working for the railroad, but you have no family life. You gentlemen who work for the railroad, all of you must have a good patient spouse.
TIM A

[Anonymous]

What you guy's seem to be saying is: There's money to be made working for the railroad, but you have no family life. You gentlemen who work for the railroad, all of you must have a good patient spouse.
TIM A

[Anonymous]

Timbrewolf, by 40hrs, I meant 40hrs approx from the time I get on the train and leave until I return back to my home terminal. Depending on how long I was on duty, I may be called back to work in as little as 8-10 hrs. Off of the x-board, the only way to determine how fast it is turning is to look at vacancies and how many guys are rested, and on the board and how many times out you are. One little thing to throw into the mix is that if pool turns layoff or guys on the x board layoff that will create more vacancies (pool turn layoffs) or move you up on the board (x-board layoffs). The RR don't care about doc appts., car repairs, groceries, etc. You can put in for personal leave days (if you have them) or just layoff sick (they can't deny you that). One word of warning....if you exceed the attendance policy, you will get a nasty little letter from the TM or even have to go in for an investigation and a peepee slappin'. We can't have other employees cover for us. That is what the x-board is for. We protect the boards that are covered by that x-board. We do however have newly implemented rest cycles ours is a 7/3 (on the road). 7 days on and 3 off. You do not get paid for these days and bid on a rest cycle. The schedules are posted for the year. I can't afford to take these days. It can take a $3,600 half down to a $2,000 half in a hurry. With seniority, you can bid on daily mark yard jobs (former BN), or regular yard jobs (Santa Flush) which do have set rest days. You don't make as much as on an extra board. You will only get 5 starts a week on the DM as opposed to as many as 7+ on the switchmans x-board (yard). It is all about money and what you wanna make.
Hope this helps, Kenny

[Anonymous]

Timbrewolf, by 40hrs, I meant 40hrs approx from the time I get on the train and leave until I return back to my home terminal. Depending on how long I was on duty, I may be called back to work in as little as 8-10 hrs. Off of the x-board, the only way to determine how fast it is turning is to look at vacancies and how many guys are rested, and on the board and how many times out you are. One little thing to throw into the mix is that if pool turns layoff or guys on the x board layoff that will create more vacancies (pool turn layoffs) or move you up on the board (x-board layoffs). The RR don't care about doc appts., car repairs, groceries, etc. You can put in for personal leave days (if you have them) or just layoff sick (they can't deny you that). One word of warning....if you exceed the attendance policy, you will get a nasty little letter from the TM or even have to go in for an investigation and a peepee slappin'. We can't have other employees cover for us. That is what the x-board is for. We protect the boards that are covered by that x-board. We do however have newly implemented rest cycles ours is a 7/3 (on the road). 7 days on and 3 off. You do not get paid for these days and bid on a rest cycle. The schedules are posted for the year. I can't afford to take these days. It can take a $3,600 half down to a $2,000 half in a hurry. With seniority, you can bid on daily mark yard jobs (former BN), or regular yard jobs (Santa Flush) which do have set rest days. You don't make as much as on an extra board. You will only get 5 starts a week on the DM as opposed to as many as 7+ on the switchmans x-board (yard). It is all about money and what you wanna make.
Hope this helps, Kenny

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironken

Timbrewolf, where I am at on the BNSF, I get a 2hour call, and average 12hrs-plus each way. I usually am gone 40hours or more. If the board is spinnin', I will usually get back out on my rest (if I was on duty 12hrs...10 hrs rest, less than 12hrs...8hrs rest. I can request 10 hrs rest if I want by local agreement)
Ken

[?]Thanks for the info. Do you mean 40 hrs/week. Is there any way to tell how fast the board is spinnin'? How do you manage to get shopping, laundry and groceries done? How do you handle putting your car in the shop? I really think I'd like working on the RR but I don't understand how a person manages to get anything done but work and sleep. Also, I don't imagine that railroaders have no life whatever. I've done on-call type work before in another profession and you learn when the slack times are and as you get to know coworkers, you can cover for eachother, etc. Also, if you have a dentist or doctor appointment, you can request not to be called during the time of your appointment or request half a day off.

In another vein, do you know how this stuff got started? Back in the '70's I had a bud who worked as a brakeman on the C&NW. His life was hectic but I think he had a day or two off every week.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ironken

Timbrewolf, where I am at on the BNSF, I get a 2hour call, and average 12hrs-plus each way. I usually am gone 40hours or more. If the board is spinnin', I will usually get back out on my rest (if I was on duty 12hrs...10 hrs rest, less than 12hrs...8hrs rest. I can request 10 hrs rest if I want by local agreement)
Ken

[?]Thanks for the info. Do you mean 40 hrs/week. Is there any way to tell how fast the board is spinnin'? How do you manage to get shopping, laundry and groceries done? How do you handle putting your car in the shop? I really think I'd like working on the RR but I don't understand how a person manages to get anything done but work and sleep. Also, I don't imagine that railroaders have no life whatever. I've done on-call type work before in another profession and you learn when the slack times are and as you get to know coworkers, you can cover for eachother, etc. Also, if you have a dentist or doctor appointment, you can request not to be called during the time of your appointment or request half a day off.

In another vein, do you know how this stuff got started? Back in the '70's I had a bud who worked as a brakeman on the C&NW. His life was hectic but I think he had a day or two off every week.

[Trainnut484]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

Timberwolf and Trainut,
The time frame UP gives is intended to give you a idea of how a career railroading can go. The extra board is where new hires for brakeman, conductors end up, because they are lowest on the seniority roster. The higher your are on the roster, the better job you can hold, often a regular scheduled job with set days off. The "older" you are, the better job you can hold.

Get some wiskers, you can get on a regular job.
After 7 years, I am in the upper third of the senority roster here, but we are a small railroad.

And they do warn you right up front, you will not have a social life, you will miss every one of your kids birthdays, every holiday.
But if its what you want to do, you will know within a month of hiring on, and it real hard to quit!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

Ed,
Apparently, you misread or misunderstood my last post. The point of my original and last posting is that the AMDG recruiter is not suppling potential students with the full truth about how railroads work with new employees, and on top of that is charging a big chunk of change to train them for the railroad. I knew that the students would be on the extra board at least ten years. Also, I'm fully aware of railroad life. My late father missed some holidays and birthdays. He was third in senority on the Santa Fe, a class 1 road, before he retired with thirty years of trainman service in the late 1980's. He earned his full beard from the whiskers he grew through the senority rank and file.

I have a friend who hired out on the BNSF as a conductor back in 1996. He was furloughed twice, but now starting to be on road assignments.

You might not have it so rough on your small road, but on bigger roads you'd be just getting started in railroad life.

Take care[:)]