================================= And that boyz and girlz is NOT gratuitous BS. We've all "been there, done that" in more than one way,shape or form!!! CT
Well I'm looking forward to the hardness (physical demands) of the job. I'm already on-call 24hrs/day 5days/weeks whats another 2 days ? I usually work those too. I'm actually looking forward to a guaranteed 8 hours off (minus the 1 1/2 hrs call in time). Most nights now I'm lucky if I get 4 Hours of sleep, but I'm use to it and so is the family. Hoping to join the ranks soon BTW anyone out there gone through N.A.R.S.
If you really want a picture of how hard RRing is in the depths of winter, you need to see Pentrex's 'Battle for Donner Pass'. I have enough railroader friends to know that job is not for me. Also, I have heard enough stories to back up the previous horror stories!
================================= Yup, and at the courtesy of the BNSF! Once for conductor training (7 weeks classroom) and twice for Locomotive engineer (2 months split in two sessions). Woulda been beyond my fiscal means if I hadda pay for it myself! CT
unfortunately I gotta pay the $5700 myself. But if I get the right student loan I won't have to make a payment on it for two years
Mike I attended NARS class on Jan. 6th and completed it on Feb 17th. I thought it was a good experience.
Mike, WELCOME to Trainboard! Funny, as many times as I have been out 'fanning, I have never seen a snake, other than a small garter snake. By and large, the stories shared here apply to all railroads, large and small. The idiosyncracies of each are probably not too huge, as to discourage employment from one railroad over another. However, some management practices on railroad X vary greatly from railroad Y. That alone makes it worth doing your homework.
Good to hear you liked it. I see there is a Conductor Trainee NARS post on the job site that was posted two days ago. Do they post these regulary in conjuction with graduation ? I see the next class is due to graduate on March 30th.
No that is new for this class. They had us apply on the Zfile for our interviews. During the 5th week of the course you will interview with BNSF and they have you apply on the website so the HR people can pull you application.
All I can say is good luck with the BNSF dispather school. Might want to ask about the testing and the pass/fail requirements. Don't want to be kept in suspense? If you don't pass the mid term with an 80 or better (it's about 350 questions) you have to take it over. If you don't pass it the second time with the same requirements, you're removed from the program. If you don't pass the final with a 90 or better (twice the questions), once again a second chance and if you fail to make it, goodbye. One last thing: During your first 90 days of probation (that's 90 WORKING days) if you make a mistake (and that's how it's worded-"A" mistake), you can be let go and no union protection is afforded to you (even though you've already had to pay your union dues from the beginning). Do I sound like the voice of experience? I enjoyed the class, paid back my student loan, and appreciate the opportunity I had to give it a go. It wasn't for me and I wasn't cut out for it. Told a guy to take a switch on hand in a brief moment of doubting myself and that was it-released from work an hour later after I was immediately taken off the desk. Dispatching is a stressfull way of life. I was taking stomach medicine by the second week I was training because of the stress. It takes special people to be dispatchers. Don't want to sound like a downer because it was a good life experience and I learned alot. I'd also have to disagree with the tile of this post and say my opinion is the BNSF is a first class operation and the training program is top notch. I was never treated poorly by any of the teachers or my superiors (one of the guys I trained with is another story). Hope you make it and it's everything you want it to be. [ March 17, 2006, 11:18 PM: Message edited by: txronharris ]
Forgot to ask are you were going to be training here in FtWorth? [ March 17, 2006, 11:15 PM: Message edited by: txronharris ]
Are you responding to BN9900 ? His post was on Dispatching. I'm going though the Conductor Trainee Program in KC.
yep I was. I thought about the conductor program as well after the dispatching didn't work out. Decided that it was to much time away from the family. Well, good luck to you as well.
Charlie is right! All railroads are the same. It all looks good at first until you mark up, then you can forget about you're family life because you're then married to the railroad!
I don't work for the RR, but my job is similar.... Your wife is just your mistress from then on out to retirement...
