I made a decision today, and that was to choose my partner over my job.
Being at the bottom of the barrel, my future schedule was only going to get worse.
So on Monday my resignation goes into effect.
To those of you out there thinking about choosing the railroad as a career. You may think that you have discussed with those close to you about what all the demands of the job entail.
BUT YOU ARE WRONG, you will never be able to anticipate the strain and your family will be taxed to the limit trying to understand why you are not there when they think you should be.
I’m lucky , I have other marketable skills to fall back on, so I will just enter another chapter in my life.
But I did work for the railroad for 9 glorious months, was promoted to conductor, soothed passengers and kicked some off my train.
Am I sad about leaving? Yes.
Do I regret my decision to leave? No.
Because my family is worth it. So long Amtrak it was fun.
You have made the right choice for you. Be secure in that. The effect of the railroad life on the family is incalculable I and the other railroaders here and elsewhere fight this each day. It can be done but it is never fun, never enough. Perhaps someday I too will become a former railroader, sadly it is more probable that my wife will become an ex-railroad wife. A bridge I’ll have to cross someday, perhaps. I hope not. In the meantime I cherish my family time.
I stuck with it, I sure did miss the wife but I got over it and I worked, moved up on the senority chart and she stayed with me, you know how good your marrage really is when you work for the railroad and keep the same wife the whole time…and have 2 kids in the process.
G-man,
You went railroading to provide your family with a better life…
And now that railroading is costing you the very thing you started railroading for in the first place…
Sounds like you got your priorities right.
Did a similar thing myself – worked for the CPR in Coquitlam BC in the late 1970’s , enjoyed the job in the yard office - lots of things to interest me – but almost permanent night shifts - a young family to support , also at the bottom of the seniority list – no future . Had to make a choice family or railroad – family first , now railways are a hobby & I volunteer on loco restoration – yes it was the right decision.
rail road life is what you make it… you can lead a very productive life and be a rail roader at the same time… yes its hard the first years… but things do inporve somewhat… mostly when you get use to the lifestyle… but one thing you have to remember… no matter what the punishment might be… always put family first… i do…the rail road will run just as it always has for years…if your marked off becouse of a family function or not… they will find a body to take your place… they always do…
a good friend of mine that works for amtrak told me when i was going to hire out for csx… work the rail road…dont let the rail road work you…and from that point on…i have gone to work with that additued… rail road be damned if thier is something i dont want to miss… now evey so offten…i get spanked with haveing to miss something at home…becouse i was roting at a hotel becuse the train i was supost to get on my rest fell down someplace as was late getting in… but it happens… not eveyone is cut out for the railroad… and im lucky…my wife has learned to deal with it…she dont like to when im away from home for long periods of time…but she loves to spend the money i make…lol
csx engineer
I agree with csx the railroad can be very hard on the family this lifestyle is not for everyone. As for the paycheks my wife loves to spend them also lol. Rodney conductor BNSF
I have to say my wife often gets angry with the RR because I’m kept away from her at times she needs me to be there. I thought for sure I’d make it to her first sonogram to see our first child, but NO! I was on the piggy back pool and a storm came through and knocked power out in Chicago and affected the signal system on the Belt Railway. Long story short, we arrived too late to make our Piggy Back home so the Freight Pool guys got our train and we got theirs. I had a 14 hour trip home (plus taxi from dead train) and I wasn’t able to make my wife’s appointment. That had never happened to me before. I’ve gone dead lots of times, and it would not have affected me because my 12 hours would have been up in plenty of time for me to still get home in time. Unfortunately someone in CSX dropped the ball and the order for our taxi from our dead train to our terminal was DELETED!!! So we had to wait an additional two hours!!! SO, whoever dropped the ball owes me!! All they’ll get is a good fist shaking from me. It just seemed like everything was going to get in the way to stop me. Luckily my wife is understanding and she told me about the appointment, but when it comes time to have that baby, you better believe CSX won’t be able to find me!!! I’ll call benefits and get some family medical leave because I know I wouldn’t see my wife long after if I was on a train while she had that baby by herself!! Anywho, being new I thought I had figured out working the piggy back pool would be a safe bet to get home in time without having to mark off two days for the appointment, I was wrong. Granted a very unusual event ocurred. So the lesson learned by me is if you really, really need to be somewhere for your family, be there!!! Don’t take any chances. Like some others had said there is always somone around to fill your spot.
Or you could be like me and have two ex wives, they liked the money too… hell… their still getting it!!! Believe me you are saving more money in the long run!!!
Randy
G Lo,
Hang your head up and be proud you made that decision for your family over the railroad. I made that rough decision a year ago after 3 years as a conductor, later engineer with 10 to 15 years ahead with no good schedule and any resemblance of a decent seniority. Better to enjoy it through Trains magazine and various hobbies then become bitter towards it like so many I worked with did.
Now I can enjoy my 4 month old son and watch him grow, take him out for fun things on weekends. You only get one chance to watch them grow and that’s it. These moments are priceless compared to railroad pay. You can make quite a bit of money railroading and sure that 40-50K comes quick the first years as they encourage new hires, but that entails 12 hours on 8 off, which IMO can be earned really at any job if given the opportunity for such insane working hours.
Now I can say I am glad I did it for the experience, but when I felt the time had come, I walked away as well. I can sit here and actually enjoy the hobby of trains and model railroading even more now with more of an understanding. I still get alot of non-railroaders wondering why I don’t try to get back on, cause they here they are all rich railroaders, but when I talk to the guys still on or retired, they mostly agree I made a very wise decision and so did you.
Good decision. My experience with UP was that they ahd an attitude like they havewith their customers…like they own them. I got tired of being on multi day trips away and getting in at 4 am as well as putting in 12 hr days and longer and getting caught up on Saturdays in the office. The pay in management was subpar besides and the bonuses for performance were insulting. After 3 blissful years away from being owned by the Borg, I am actually begining to have some interest in railroads again, my blood pressure is downa nd my wife says I am pleasant to be around again. Good choice
yea… becouse of exesive marking off on them 4 days by crews…they have started making crews get doctor excuses and what not for marking off on any of them 4 days… and if you mark off more then a few times in a time period…they say you have an attencance problem…and have to go to a time out sestion to talk to a boss about your emplyeement record… and after your talk…you have a 5 day overhead hanning over your head for 6 months… and it just gets crazier with the policy as it goes on… the rail roads have this additude that becouse you work for them…they own you…like a locomotive or any other kind of rail road proporty… all you are is a number…not a person… the people that write the policys have weekends off…and nice 9-5 office jobs…crews be damned…
csx engineer