Calling all railroad men!

[TheCoinKid]

I was raised in a small railroad town. My father-in-law took a job at the railroad at age 18 and worked his entire life there as a master mechanic. He made a good living for his family, had good benefits, and had a good retirement plan. He also lost most of his hearing in the shop and had a partial permanent disability for an eye injury from a shop accident. The railroad left town when he was in his 50's, and he was very bitter (and quite frankly, scared) that they had left him "high and dry." All was forgotten (along with most everything else) when he was soon after diagnosed with the early onset of dementia, which is sometimes associated with acute hearing loss. In his later years, he liked to talk about the "free money" he received each month from his railroad retirement, when in reality it was anything but free.

My current next door neighbor spent his career as a BNSF railroad man and retired with considerable wealth. He's in mid 70's, healthy, and travels the world. He also has a college degree.

My parents had college degrees, my wife and I have college degrees, and my kids have college degrees (one is a doctor). Admittedly, I'm biased, but I can say with certainty that we're all better off from the path we took. Certainly not the case with everyone. I have a cousin that went to a trade school and is very successful working for a private space program. There's plenty of other examples of success without college already mentioned in this thread.

At 17, I would say that you're already ahead of the curve. You're planning your future and you're soliciting advice. You seem driven and quite focused. Great accomplishments are made by single-minded, focused individuals. Being too focused also limits your horizons. Keep an open mind, don't limit yourself. Your opinions and goals regarding careers, education and family will most certainly change with time.

You're going to get plenty of advice on your future, not all solicited. My best advice is this: Respectfully listen to the advice of others and absorb all the information you possibly can, then MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND. Let no one person or experience sway you.

Good luck.

 

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[Tnmountains]

I used to build Rail road bridges and heavy equipment when I was kid for the railroad. It was all about connections back then. Who you know. Go see if you can hang around or ask if they offer any training programs. Be ready to work long and hard hours. Friend of mine just retired as a conductor and then went back to run a switch yard.
Good luck.

 

[GeoW]

Call the railway, ask them when they will be hiring in your area. When I was hired in 78, they held the testing at the State of Georgia Employee Agency and the interviews later at the railroad yard. Just had to narrow down applicants...there were several hundred people after two jobs.
You would not start as a Conductor. That comes with seniority as does everything with the Railroad.

If I had it to do over I would gone in a different different direction.

Good Luck in whatever you do! At 17 the world is your oyster!

Geo

 

[RustyRelics]

Alright, another question, how difficult is the paperwork, and what does it consist of?

 

[Jbabycsx]

Paperwork? Are you talking about the day to day stuff or the application paperwork?

 

[RustyRelics]

Paperwork? Are you talking about the day to day stuff or the application paperwork?

That would be day to day stuff. Like switch lists and stuff.

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

RustyRelics,

I was over in Winslow, AZ a couple of months ago, and met two young men who were going through the BNSF Conductor School there. They were both freshly out of the Military, and they told me that BNSF gives hiring preference for veterans. I don't know if you would be open to this idea, but you could do a hitch in the service, and if railroading is still in your blood you could still follow your dream. Being in the military can open lots of doors, particularly if you have no interest in going to College. Just some food for thought.

 

[Jbabycsx]

If you’re on the road you typically get a two hour call. So if they call you at 7am you would be on duty at 9am. Conductors usually get there 30 minutes early to get the work order and messages in order. Work order is a paper list of the cars in the train. It tells you what’s in them and where they are going. Mostly you are looking to see what kind of restrictions are on the cars as far as speed. The messages are a list of special track conditions that the engineer will have to slow down for. There may be track workers on the tracks at a certain milepost that you have to talk to on the radio and get permission to pass. These are common situations.

The conductor is in charge of the train. The engineer is in charge of operating it. The conductor has the final say so in how things are done but the engineer is typically more experienced so you want to get along with them and work as a team.

If you’re in the yard they will give you a bunch of switch lists that tell you what track the cars are in and what track they need to go to. You just take an engine out and couple it to the cars then put them into the tracks that the switch list tells you to. It’s not too complex. Just remember that if you don’t know what to do, ask somebody! Nobody will fault you for asking questions. Especially in an unforgiving environment like moving equipment. One mistake or assumption can kill when you’re dealing with moving equipment.

 

[RustyRelics]

If you’re on the road you typically get a two hour call. So if they call you at 7am you would be on duty at 9am. Conductors usually get there 30 minutes early to get the work order and messages in order. Work order is a paper list of the cars in the train. It tells you what’s in them and where they are going. Mostly you are looking to see what kind of restrictions are on the cars as far as speed. The messages are a list of special track conditions that the engineer will have to slow down for. There may be track workers on the tracks at a certain milepost that you have to talk to on the radio and get permission to pass. These are common situations.

The conductor is in charge of the train. The engineer is in charge of operating it. The conductor has the final say so in how things are done but the engineer is typically more experienced so you want to get along with them and work as a team.

If you’re in the yard they will give you a bunch of switch lists that tell you what track the cars are in and what track they need to go to. You just take an engine out and couple it to the cars then put them into the tracks that the switch list tells you to. It’s not too complex. Just remember that if you don’t know what to do, ask somebody! Nobody will fault you for asking questions. Especially in an unforgiving environment like moving equipment. One mistake or assumption can kill when you’re dealing with moving equipment.

I'm good at stopping and asking for questions. Pride cannot get in the way of a job like that.

 

[SanMan]

Track maintenance, track inspector and signal worker are other rail-related jobs I have in mind.

If that doesn't work out, heavy machinery driving.

If that doesn't work out, Army it is.

Watch it there boy,........

Too many guys to count have never been the same after they receive all those vaccinations batched together.

Consider this if the railroad doesn't bear fruit,.......

Sign on as an electricians apprentice, from there you go right on up the ladder.

Easy work, always in demand, good money, worth looking at.

You could keep yourself in the chips just upgrading peoples homes for data and internet.
New homes are done during the build, older homes are done to bring them up to date with today' needs.