My new job is sooo cool.

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello Everyobody,

As many of you know or may not know, I have taken a new job with a company called Rail Link as a locomotive operator loading coal trains out in the Powder River Basin.

After my First week, Here some of my thoughts on the locomotives I have operated.

Here is a list of the locmotive models I have operated so far.

AC4400CW (UP)

ES44AC(BNSF)

SD70MAC (BNSF)

SD70ACe(BNSF)

SD90/43MAC (UP)

First off, GEs just suck. They ride rough, are much more noisier on the inside than EMDs and would just as soon buck and rock the daylights out of you than give you a smooth ride. The Evolutions are the worst offendors of all however as they do not like to Trail worth a dang, and if you get one as a second unit in your lococonsist its just easier to board it and Isolate it, rather than put up with the headache of it loading up, and pushing you over speed through the coal silo when you just need it to sit there and be happy at 7/10 MPH

The SD90/43MACS are nice locos once you get on them, but they have NARROW walkways. I feel like im going to fall off it every time I get on one. But once your onboard and in the cab they are nice. the SD70MACs are like an old cadillac. They just sit and purr and run and smooth as glass and give you a nice quiet bump free ride. And the SD70ACe, EMD just took what was good about the SD70MAC and made it better.

We also get SD60s and SD75s in to the mine as well, but as of yet I have not had a chance to operate them.

The job is pretty cool, and is well within the ability of anyone on this forum to do. The hardest part is remembering how to set up the computer screens to activate your pacesetter, and tieing down the handbrakes on cars. Once your past those two points, you just run the train up to the coal silo for loading and once they start loading, you have two and a half hours all to your self to read a book, catch up on homework ect. and get paid $12.00 an hour for it. All you have to do is listen to the radio so y

2

So you don’t like the Ge’s. You should get us some good pics from inside the cab,close ups, etc.

3

Excellent!

Bring a camera to work, and have a co-worker take a picture of you in the cab. We’d all love to see a happy man at work!

4

Sounds like a dream job for somebody who likes to read.

5

Sorta like this?

I haven’t seen anything on the inside of the newer EMDs, so I wouldn’t mind seeing some myself.

6

Bring your laptop with a wireless card in and read the MR Forums all day. You’ll always be caught up. Sounds great to me. [;)]

FT

7

Sounds Like fun!! I would love to see some of those pics as well!!

My only question is how does someone get into working for the RR? What qualifications are needed?

Curt

8

[#ditto]

9

So that’s what the view from heaven is like!

10

[#ditto] to that ditto

11

For Norfolk Southern, to become a locomotive engineer you start off as a conductor trainee. You do that for a year and then are automatically promoted to locomotive engineer. You go to school near Atlanta, Georgia for 8 weeks (pay you for 4 of them) and then you get assigned somewhere, normally where you started at. I don’t remember hourly wages (I cant find them online) but they were like $15+ an hour for mainline and $20 for local yard work. Good deal to me.

Sorry, bit I cant help you with any other roads. Go to their websites and try under the “careers” section. Best I can tell you.

12

James,

I just want to know what kind of qualifications you had to have to man those trains?

Have you had some kind of training before of did they train you?

Is it a Union position?

It only pays $12.00 an hour? I would think the pay would be more. Heck I would do it for free just to move a train. Maybe after I win the lottery.

13

[(-D]Be careful what you wish for.[(-D]

14

Guys,I can fully appreciate you enthusiasm for wanting to operate a locomotive but,as a former brakeman I can assure you the work gets routine and quite oh humm once the newest of the job wears off.

I have throttle time on a SW1200 and GP9. Once as a brakeman-the engineer stood behind me-on the C&O(GP9) and again on a short line(GP9).The SW1200 was on another short line.

15

I dont think so. That is STRICTLY prohibited. Along with reading. (as in books) Since your not a rea engineer, well actually you are, but just a shuttle engineer, you dont have to experience as many downturns of the job.

As for the person who said he do it for free, IF you made it 1 year working for free, I WILL pay you! No offense, but that post made you sound uneducated…

16

bring a web cam with ya so we can watch [tup]

17

your a party pooper [#dots]

lol we all know about the rules but hey one can dream right

18

Railroading is a serious job. People die when people joke around. Now Im not saying you have to be serious all the time, i mean hell, we’d go crazy! But you still have to realize it aint no walk in the park.

19

It is only heaven if it is UP (maybe BNSF).

20

Now,as a ex-brakeman I can assure you there was lots of joking around being done in a safe manner…I seen some safety rules bent to save time and moves…We would “kick” a caboose as well if there was a need.However…Make no mistake we was a experienced heads-up crew.

The only time I felt my life was in danger was when we had a rookie brakeman or a railfan/modeler that was new on the job and THOUGHT he knew everything…

The main thing is to keep your wits about you and you should do well.