Trains ... the ultimate power tool!! As a wife & mother, I'm curious what the hours are. Is there a predictable schedule? A friend's husband is considering engineer school. Will some railroads pay for the training?
A great deal depends on who you work for. As to payment for training, yes, some railroads do pay to train new hires, usually first as yard conductors, however enrolling in the training yourself does help in finding an available job. Train and engine people on the major railroads need a great deal of seniority to hold down a job with "regular" hours and I am talking about decades, not years. On the other hand, many engineers working for short line carriers work regular hours, as the railroad will operate five days a week, like its customers. Unfortunately, such jobs are not easy to find and may not pay nearly as well as those on the class I railroads. I am sure some of the engineers on this forum can fill you in on working conditions on their particular carriers.
plain and simple IT SUCKS!!!!!!! i work for the ns and am never home. holidays what are they? birthdays, vacations, family what's that? i will never see a job with regular hours here since the territory i run has no set time for calling. according to them anytime is train time. ns= nights and saturdays!
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mopac3092: plain and simple IT SUCKS!!!!!!! i work for the ns and am never home. holidays what are they? birthdays, vacations, family what's that? i will never see a job with regular hours here since the territory i run has no set time for calling. according to them anytime is train time. ns= nights and saturdays!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Wow. If I hated this job that much, I believe I'd shine up my resume. That thought's crossed my mind more than a few times, especially since I'm a the junior engineer in my terminal so you can guess how long it'll be before I can hold anything but a list. On the other hand, there's nothing else I could do where I could make as high an income as I do on the RR. For my family, it's allowed my wife to quit her job and be with our kids full time instead of both of us working and letting a daycare provider raise them. I'm gone a lot but at least one of us is here instead of she and I both running out the door, throwing the kids out at school, picking them up at daycare, feed 'em, and stuff 'em in bed, repeat tomorrow. It's not perfect, there are times when she feels like a single parent, but it's an improvement. My wife and I are in this together and that makes all the difference. It's a profession that required both of us to hire out. Yes, I'm in real danger of getting furloughed and most times the railroad life makes it impossible to have much time for a lot of things, but for now anyway, we're going to hang in there because the benefits have outweighed the negatives. Besides, this time last year, I was holding a regular 5 day switcher with my crummy seniority. Who knows how it'll go from here? Anyplace else, this would start a flame-war, but cooler heads prevail here, how about some other opinions?
We work somewhat differently over here in the U.K. I agree, the majority of our work is passenger services, but even so our freight company drivers know exactly what they will be working up to 6 months in advance. Seniority only plays a part when it comes to who gets the best jobs, We have rosters which are divided into "links". Depending on your seniority at a depot, depends what "link" you are allocated to. However unless the company goes bust, once you are employed as a driver (engineer) you are a driver. You are not laid off if there is not enough workload. And because U.K. railway law mandates a minimum of TWELVE hours rest between work periods,we do not seem to have the problem that U.S./Canadian railroads have with only eigth hours between work periods. And since you know what you will be working in advance, you can plan your social life a little more easily. I do not envy your engineers in the U.S. with your working hours. The only thing I think you have is tht it is a beautiful country and you must get to see most of it at all times of the year.
If for I was to get a job on a railroad(Canadian)does that generally mean relocation?I have thought about taking a first step towards trying to get a job for a railroad but don't much fancy moving to a new city.I'm not far from Toronto,but I think thats the only major rail terminal in the area.As for the hours,I am a kitchen manager in a busy restaurant,and you don't need to tell me about working EVERY long weekend and holiday,or getting stuck with more overtime than i want.I think the only diffrence is I atleast know what i will have to work a week in advance,while it seems you guys may not know 2 hours before.BOY,am i long winded!
Gregg is right on when he says it depends on who you work for. I am an engineer for the SouthShore Freight railroad in NW Indiana with 14 1/2 years of service. We run 24/7. I do not have enough seniority to hold a "regular job" with the same starting time everyday. I am on a "pool freight" with Thurs-Fri off. We usually come off our restdays first out and draw a daylight assignment and as the week progresses we gradually become last out buy Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. I really have no valid complaints. I know that even if I work 12 hours I am still going home to my own bed. I imagine our pay scale is less than the likes of NS or CSXT but it is more than a lot of other regionals. I could hold a job with weekends off but only as a brakeman. I enjoy running and am greatful that I am able to have the time at home as well. I honestly feel sorry for the guys on the class ones that must be away from home so often. I was a train order clerk on the Santa Fe in the 80's and I saw first hand how life on the road messed up many a mans personal life. AF Niederer
oki need to do a little clarification on what i wrote. i love railroading it's the company and management i don't care for. the class 1's act like they own and basically do you are just another employee number not a person. i love they pay where else can you make 50 to 75 grand sitting on your butt w/o a college edumacation thing. i liked it better when i was a conductor since i was able to hold a regular turn. right now i'm getting thrown back and fourth between engineer and conductor because the ns is cheap and don't want to pay guarantee to anyone. if $10 guarantee is paid out they think there is too many guys on the board and they cut it. i went to kansas looking at a shortline there in april and got hired but had to turn down the opportunity because of commitment s here. loved it there, go to work at 9 am and be home by 9 pm with most sat. and all sundays off along with holidays. if you could find a job working in the yards kicking and switching you will have it made. mitch
Now you're talking my language Mopac. Any of the class 1s are going to be tough to work for and NS is right up there. You have to love the work in order to put up with the craziness that goes with it. I still wouldn't trade it for what I was doing before, but it definitly hasn't been easy and it was nothing like I ever expected it to be. All the old heads were right, you have to have a certain kind of insanity for this profession, what I found out later was, your family has to have it too.
I posted this to another board, but didn't get much reponse so it was usggested I try again here! My husband is about to enter into a conductor training program at Clayton College here in Atlanta that is operated in conjunction with CSX. I am aware of the horrendous hours, but my husband is used to long hours in the construction business. (Are they really THAT much worse than other demanding professions? I am kind of getting nervous now... ) I am wondering what we are getting into! We thought this would be a good thing because I am committed to staying home with our kids and we are willing to sacrifice some things to do that, but they do need a Dad SOMETIMES! Do your families go for a week at a time without seeing you? Just hoping you can fill me in a little more! I really think it will be a good thing for us (we have never had any medical/retirement benefits of any kind!) but I am pretty nervous after reading all the posts on this topic. HELP! Thanks, Mary
Maryh, you said "sometimes go for a week at a time without seeing you". By that, I infer that you are thinking of over the road truck drivers, who might drive from Atlanta to L.A. and back. Railroads do not work like that. Train and Engine (T&E) people work a specific district, not across country or even across the system. One might be gone overnight, but would return over the same track in the opposite direction the following day. BUT, they are subject to call to duty after 8 hours rest, although they cannot work more than 12 hours at a time. This means, don't plan on seeing your husband at kid's birthday parties, ball games, school plays, etc. By the time your daughter is grown and getting married, he might have accrued enough seniority to get off for the wedding!
Mary, Here is an example of one of my fellow railroad friends here in Detroit. Gets phone call at 200am to report to work for 400am (takes 1 hr to drive to work) Operates the train south to Toledo, Ohio which takes 12 hrs. The company then puts him up at the motel for him to "take rest", he is there 10 hrs before being called for a train back to Detroit. Train ride home - again - 12 hrs. He marks off duty but stays at the yard office relaxing & drinking coffee for about 45" before starting the 1 hr drive home. He has dinner with the family and socializes for 1 hr before going to bed. He is in bed 3 hrs when the phone rings and he gets the 2 hr notice to report to work, he sleeps for another 30" before getting up to shower and back for another trip south- just another typical day in the life of a railroad engr/conductor with not enough time in to allow him to "hold down" a yard job instead of having to work the "road".
Mary, what you are reading is not hyperbole! Railroading is not a "family oriented" occupation. Railroads are uncaring employers whose only concern is for the "bottom line". They will do whatever it takes to show a profit! Your husband may "turn and burn" on the boards and you will see him like ships passing in the night.But wait until there is the slightest slowdown in business and he will be furloughed in a heartbeat, with no idea if or when he will be recalled. The CSX will spend all sorts of money to train him(that is if THEY are paying for his training)and then they will do their best to try and catch him in a rule violation and fire him. Sorry to be the "devil's advocate", but your husbands "dream job" is more like a nightmare in reality. I like what I am doing, I am a conductor and I have an engineers card, with seniority in both crafts(although not much). I was lucky in a way to get this job, but lucky also that I am already married and my kids were basically "grown-up" already(they are both in their early 20s). It is the easiest work I have ever done, and it is the most money(by FAR)than I've ever made, but don't expect much of a family life until/unless your husband can get a "regular" assignment with rest day(s). One positive thing I can say about the railroads is that airlines are WORSE employers.I was with a MAJOR airline for over 25 years before I escaped(I am presently collecting my pension from them).
maryh and woowoo - A Wife's point of view. The posts here are right to a point. I am a relatively new hired railroad wife. My husband has been employed by NS as an engineer (hired under Conrail in 1998) for almost 4 years. When he looked at hiring "we" weighed the pros and cons for a long time. "We" decided that in the long run, it would be beneficial to the family. I say "WE", because after living the railroad life, it truly is a family committment. If you are in it for the right reasons, and willling to support your spouse, the "life" is bearable. It has not been all roses for the past few years. There have been weeks were we did not see each other at all, but not because he wasn't home. It was because I worked a full-time 40+ hour a week job and he would come home, sleep his 8 hours and be heading out the door before the kids and I got back home. This may go on for days. However, I recently was able to quit my job of 13 years and finally stay home with our boys (ages 5 and 8)due to the paycheck that my husband brings home. My husband loves the work. The company demands priority. When there is freight to move, they want it moved. They want priority over your family. My husband currently holds "the list", but he has not been out of town is over a month. In other words he works 8-12 hour shifts and comes home. Shifts may begin at 2 am or 9 pm, sometimes he is lucky enough to get a day job (7-7) but he's home, and we are here when he is! As far as days off, I really think that it depends on the territory that your husband works in. We have been lucky enough to work in a territory where the supervisor tries to be family friendly. I have had to fly to the west coast this summer due to a family illness, and the local supervisor has granted my husband time off to get me and the boys to the airport and back. He does get 5 personal days and 2 weeks of vacation per year. So it is not much different than any other job. The down side is that "sick" is unheard of, assigned days off are not in the picture anytime soon, and the committment of being on call 24/7 is a must. I do feel like a single mother at times, but my husband and I are in this together and have committed ourselves to making it work. The boys and I also took up "train chasing" as a hobby. We go find "daddy's" train and follow him, wave and get a toot! toot! toot! from him. It some how makes you feel alittle closer to him. I would also recommend going to see the places he takes the trains, visit areas where he goes, see the engines and just take interest in what he does. It seems like your are really involved when you can talk to him about places he goes and you can understand his language such as "the slack ran in!" It's all in the attitude which your take on the subject. If you would like to e-mail me, I would be glad to communicate further on the subject or here whatever you prefer.
Another view of working on the railroad. I hired out when I was single. I worked my tail end off for 3 years, then Reagan was elected. I was furloughed on Halloween of 1981. It was then that I had time to meet my current wife of 19 years. I have two boys (10 and 13) which have only known railroad as an occupation up till 1999 when my wife went to work at the University of Nevada Reno. I was a trainman for 10 years before going into engine service. At that time I was still bouncing from terminal to terminal just to work year round. My first five years as an engineer weren't much different. In 1999 I moved to Reno and left behind 20 years of friends and co-workers in Stockton CA. I now have a daylight yard job with good days off. I watch all the new hires slowly get bumped out of Sparks and eventually to a cutoff board. One of the facts of being a new hire is this: If you don't work for a year (365days) the railroad doesn't have to call you back to work if they need you. If they do call you back, you start with a NEW date and no vacation and 75% wage, again. At least when I hired out they couldn't do that. You will not have a home life AND if you do try to have one the (UP anyway) railroad will try to fire you for not protecting your job. Now to the work side of things. I really enjoy my job running an engine. I like the ground crew I work with. My manager is ok but still a railroad official. Personally I like switching, but I could make more money on a pool turn or extra board. I value my home life and family. It has taken me at least 20 years of this to get where I am today. Would I hire out now, with what I know? NO! Will I quit? NO! There is still a thrill running a train at 70 mph across the desert, or seeing shooting stars at night while waiting for a train in a siding. Most find the yard boring but I like the switching and no two days are alike. I have put my time in warehouses and I prefer the railroad work. Working for the railroad did change my perspective on trains as a hobby. I enjoyed the hobby much more before that infamous early morning in April 1979 when I got my date. The money has been good, for the lack of education. The flexability used to be better but there still is some. So next time you see an engineer and conductor at 8 o'clock in the morning, remember that they have probably had a full days work already. For there is a lot of night work on the railroad and low seniority means working long dark hours. Greg Elems Reno,NV 22 years on the RR
