i have not recently visited the forum, and i have ?? about conductor training programs offered by r.rs. and some state vocational tech. schools… i want to attend a conductor training program, but i am not seeking employment with a r.r… i only want to experience the training process, as due to age and other factors, i would not qualify for a probationary conductor position… are there training programs that would admit me to a program without consideration for a r.r. position? i would be willing to pay all tuition, fees, and meet other criteria, short of being available for a job at graduation… csx and ns have said they are not admitting applicants for this reason…
What other factors? If age and “other factors” (as you put it…) prevent you from getting hired by a railroad, what makes you think you’d make it through conductors school?
The “schools” that are out there are a total joke. The best training anyone can receive is OTJ for the railroad industry, and that’s it. The pre-job training that NS, CSX, BN, et al offer is simply to introduce a candidate to the railroad industry and prepare them for what they will face.
If you want to “play trains”, find a local historical club or local musuem that operates railway equipment. There’s many scenic / “tourist” type rail lines that would be glad to have your membership and would find a position for you. What you learn there won’t be “Class 1 freight rules”, but you’ll still wet your whistle on the job and see what a railroading lifestyle is like.
The major railroads are not hiring right now. Even if they were, you get the physical before you go to choo-choo U, so if you’re in that bad of shape, you wouldn’t be hired.
I’ll 2nd what Granite said. Forget the “conductor r us” schools and find a tourist road. There you can learn how to make hitches, lace up air hoses, throw switches, probably even ride a shove or two…
Plus, with a tourist/museum line, your training would be free of charge.
Iam 13 and one day will become an engineer . I got the advice not to go to a “choo-choo” school.
[color=green]A six mile reverse move (shove) is part of my daily routine when I work on ‘my’ tourist line.
So is everything else Zug mentions, plus brake tests (terminal and road), getting paper, emptying toilets, and a host of other necessary jobs on a tourist line.
All my training has been OJT, except for rules classes. I’m now a conductor, qualified on a whole 17 miles of track. I’ll be adding more this year, hopefully including a portion owned by a local shortline.
I may get my federal “learner’s permit” for engineer this year, too.
On the other hand, another thread about RR employment ongoing right now contains the advice that you not tell your prospective employer about such experience…[/color]
NARS has a complete Railroad Academy of Science Program. pay the money and you can go through the training. its the basics of railroading. your feet won’t be wet, but slightly moist compared to the actual OJT learned during training with a class 1 RR. $6500-ish for the basic introductionary class not including housing or meals.
just curious, why the expierence of the training without looking for employment?
there’s also the NRHS and their adult railcamp progrm in Nevada:
so much SARCASM… so much VINEGAR… whatever happened to “user-friendly”? are you guys RAILFANS or RAILFANATICS? you sure don’t seem “rail” friendly… nevertheless, i will attempt to answer the justifiable, if agitated, ?? >> 1st thing is, i am 61 y-o; if r.rs. were hiring, would they hire someone months from retirement? > 2nd thing is, many state-run schools did have r.r. certification programs in the 90s… they graduated students with associate degrees in industrial tech… the univ. of n. florida had this program, but probably did drop for lack of demand… maybe some of you don’t care for that kind of training and maybe you have a good reason, but the programs were/are accredited, the r.rs. approved the courses and everything else… probationary conductorships were offered to graduates upon graduation… if the schools or their training stinks, don’t blame the schools, the r.rs.okay’ed the curriculum and hired graduates on that basis… who are you really mad at? the schools over a program you don’t like? the r.rs. for hiring graduates immediately as conductors? at me for asking a ?? > 3rd thing is, i am not interested in a r.r. position for the stress it brings; i just want the experience from the classroom and field work… if a r.r. or a school enrolled me just to let me take the course and go home after, having paid my own way, what’s it to you? am i stealing from you? am i getting something you were shut off from? how are you harmed? if i took a conductor trng. course “just for kicks”, does that work against you? > 4th thing is, i didn’t know that r.rs. weren’t hiring for conductor, so i’m asking here to find out… anyone got a problem with that? > 5th thing is, if the r.rs. were offering “space available” enrollment to those who would qualify for admission to a conductor trng. program, but not interested in a r.r. career, that would maybe earn them a few extra bucks for the graduation party or however they choose to spend it, anyone got a problem with that? i would have some understanding a
these posts are typical in ‘real’ RR forums from actual class 1 qualified railroaders. its a hard life we live and the longer we are employeed, the more sarcasim & vinegar is needed to keep our sanity. every post has its merit. read through the BS and understand the context of the message. its just the way it is: real railroading at its finest.
don’t expect any of the class 1 RRs to allow you to go through their training, even with a pile of cash and signed waivers. it is a dangerous job we perform and the liabilities are huge. short lines or a tourist line might be your best alternative.
want free training…stand outside while it is raining. get good and wet. stay outside for another 6 hours. do the same procedure in the snow. if it is hot, put on heavy leather work boots & gloves, long pants and wear long sleeves. keep the water inside an ac’d location where you can see it but not touch it. get real thirsty and watch the clock for 6 hours while you get weak from thirst.
more free training…have your wife give you VERY detailed instructions (rules in RR terms) on how to cook a chicken. make sure you really understand all the small details to perform the task 100% correctly. have her leave the house. complete the task EXACTLY has she has instructed you being VERY careful to remember and perform the smallest mini-tasks to get it done 100% exactly the way she wants it done. have her come home and B & C that you are a total screw up because you had the chicken in the oven for 59 minutes and not for an hour (60 minutes), the temp was 348 (not 350), you added a ‘dash’ of salt and not a ‘pinch’ as instructed. then, pretend she is seeking a lawyer to begin a divorce due to your lack of intelligence to complete simple tasks with detailed instructions provided. the chicken may have been cooked to perfection and won awards for taste and preparation, but you didn’t follow the instructions (rules) 100% to t
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so much SARCASM… so much VINEGAR… whatever happened to “user-friendly”? are you guys RAILFANS or RAILFANATICS? you sure don’t seem “rail” friendly… nevertheless, i will attempt to answer the justifiable, if agitated, ?? >> 1st thing is, i am 61 y-o; if r.rs. were hiring, would they hire someone months from retirement? > 2nd thing is, many state-run schools did have r.r. certification programs in the 90s… they graduated students with associate degrees in industrial tech… the univ. of n. florida had this program, but probably did drop for lack of demand… maybe some of you don’t care for that kind of training and maybe you have a good reason, but the programs were/are accredited, the r.rs. approved the courses and everything else… probationary conductorships were offered to graduates upon graduation… if the schools or their training stinks, don’t blame the schools, the r.rs.okay’ed the curriculum and hired graduates on that basis… who are you really mad at? the schools over a program you don’t like? the r.rs. for hiring graduates immediately as conductors? at me for asking a ?? > 3rd thing is, i am not interested in a r.r. position for the stress it brings; i just want the experience from the classroom and field work… if a r.r. or a school enrolled me just to let me take the course and go home after, having paid my own way, what’s it to you? am i stealing from you? am i getting something you were shut off from? how are you harmed? if i took a conductor trng. course “just for kicks”, does that work against you? > 4th thing is, i didn’t know that r.rs. weren’t hiring for conductor, so i’m asking here to find out… anyone got a problem with that? > 5th thing is, if the r.rs. were offering “space available” enrollment to those who would qualify for admission to a conductor trng. program, but not interested in a r.r. career, that would maybe earn them a few extra bucks for the graduation party or however they choose to spend it, anyone got a problem
Railfan? Maybe a little. But I’m a railroader… It’s a little different from “my” perspective. The sarcasm and vinegar comments made me chuckle. The little bit of heckling within the few replies you have received so far are not even skimming the top of the pot of what you’d face at a railroad training school. You’ve got to be thick skinned and be able to brush things off. You can’t take ANYTHING personal, because the next moment you’ll be turning around and telling the person behind you that it’s their turn to go uhh “have intercourse with themself” (Trying to be good about it, Selector ! Promise not to drop the “F bomb” again [:D] )
Yeah, it does “work against me”. If I was in my initial training class and I had someone who was there “just to see it” and wasn’t going to be putting in the same effort I was after class, I’d be a little disappointed that it wasn’t someone who was there out of necessity for the job. You don’t “need” to be there like a career railroader does after being offered the ability to hire-out if they complete the training course satisfactorily. It wouldn’t matter if you put in 100% effort or 1%, because you’re there “just for fun”. The “Ground School” for me was a team effort. We all kicked back after school with our books opened and studied and reviewed before supper each night. After su
The 3rd - 5th paragraphs of **Wazzzy’**s post above from 02-22-2009 7:30 AM are just too funny ! [(-D]
Thanks for thinking that that up and sharing it.
- Paul North.
I’m sorry, but at the time you challenged your responders, I hadn’t really seen any unwarranted sarcasm. First of all, your question is mis-directed–ask the schools that are offering the courses whether you could “audit” the course or whatever they call it now. Any sarcasm you received after your second post was probably justified from the tone of your response–if no approval was forthcoming (for causes given), and that response didn’t suit you, don’t kill the messengers!
You also didn’t really tell us what you expect to come away from this course with. If you’re not going to become a railroader (retirement can now be at 60–you’d really stand out among new-hires!), what do you want to know? Would purchasing texts or rulebooks give you the answers you want? Would a railfanning session with some knowledgeable fans help? If you have specific questions, you’ll find that the more knowledgeable railfans and railroaders who frequent this place are willing to help, as long as the conversations stay civil.
If it’s the feel of hands-on railroading (throwing switches, tying a handbrake, etc.) that you want, those who suggested volunteering for a tourist railroad or railroad museum are the ones to listen to. You won’t be allowed to operate a locomotive without going for certification.