I have an opportunity to attend MODOC railroad academy in Sacramento for their conductor and engineer courses. My question is: are the working hours on the railroads as bad as they say for engineers and conductors: 12 on and 8 off. On call 24/7 365? When do they get any time off or vacation to rest. Under these conditions, how could someone work for the railroads for any lenght of time without burning out?
Marshall
yep, its true. depends on how fast the board is turning that you are on. 1st year on the BNSF you get a weeks vacation. you can mark off, but then you fall under the availibility guidlines…sorry…
yes it is a very harsh schedule if you are having second thoughts dont waste your money.The railroads are busier than ever right know and most people are working almost seven days a week.The hours always very and since you would be new you would be the low man on the board meaning there is almost no chance of getting on a scheduled yard job or local.It is a great job if you are cut out for it,but alot of people are not.It is more than just playing trains or railfanning.I am about to go to work for a railroad now and i have worked for a railroad in the past.
I have been working on a railroad for 20 years and as the others have said its agreat job and the hours are never the same and if you have a family you’ll miss a ton birthdays and other family outting’s . If the boards turning over you’ll be first out as soon as your rest is up and away you go again . So before you jump take a look and see where you will be landing…
Here are the real issues when making a decision about starting a transportation career in railroading:
There are very few jobs in America today where after 5-years - with just a high school education and no additional training such as diesel mechanic, plumber, electrician, carpenter, heavy equipment operator, and so on - a single wage earner can make median family income. Train and engine service employees fall into that category.
Trainmen, Enginemen, and Yardmen (TE&Y) is a seniority-based system, and it’s based on a limited geographic area for the rest of your career. So choose where you’d like to establish seniority carefully, and be sure it’s with a solid company. 20% of all households in America move each year whether it be across town, across the state or across the country. If that prospect is not appealing, then TE&Y employment does a pretty good job of offering a life of stability.
Extra board people work first-in / first-out and fill whatever vacancies come their way. They get a lot of variety, the money is often very good, but the hours can be long and the predictability of being called for work is almost non-existant. Pool freight T.& E. people face many of the same issues as the Extra board, but their schedules are much more predictable. Switchmen, on the other hand, do more physical work than the road guys, switchmen get paid pretty well, and they often have two consecutive days off each week. Many, if not most, switch engine assignments work no more than 40-hours/week.
The railroad is a harsh mistress. She demands your full attention, she expects you to fulfill her needs at her every beck-and-call, and she’ll abuse you with a lot of night time work, weekends, holidays, and so on. It takes a really understanding spouse to adjust to the railroad lifestyle. But being the conductor on a road local, or a switchman who busts-up inbound trains and also builds outbound trains
Marshall,
Read Bob’s posting very carefully.
Then read it again…
He pretty much nailed it.
I am a switchman, 46 years old, and work on average 40 hours a week… (Remember, anything over 8 hours in a day is overtime) and go home every night.
I work for a smaller Class3 switching/terminal road, but pretty much the same applies at the Class 1s, long hours on the board at first, no birthdays, holidays off (although holidays are also reg time and time and a half$$$$) and pretty much a lot of hard work, till you build up seniority.
After 8 years, I hold a morning trick, thurs friday off days, make enough to afford a Dodge Magnum, New Durango, and a Jeep, own my home, and pretty much owe no one a dime…but you have to be willing to answer the call, do the work, and hope your wife is patient…
But if you can stand it, well, it might be the best and most fun job I ever had.
Ed
Marshall,
Ed, Bob, and the others have made excellent points. I have only been with the railroad for a little over 18 months and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have worked a wide variety of jobs since I hired on and I have to say I enjoyed working in the yard the most. I was home every day, worked just a little overtime, and got exercise every day. I worked with the same people and I had my own level of comfort. I also worked on the road quite a bit, and it usually paid better in my case, but I wasn’t home much and I had a hard time eating healthy and exercising. As a conductor on the road you occasionally have a train where you must make a pickup or a setout that averages about an hour. Otherwise you’re just sitting there keeping an eye on things and chatting with the engineer. Unfortunately for me, the road jobs got old quick ( I think I have a little ADD) and I yearned for more. Luckily I was able to get on as a train dispatcher and I’ll have more on my mind than I ever wanted to! If I were to ever lose my dispatching job or leave it I would go back to being a conductor, BUT I’d definitely go back to working in the yard where I could have a little normalcy.
My advice: pick a terminal where there is a variety of jobs. If you get sick of covering road jobs, go work in the yard for awhile, etc. That’s my [2c].
Ed mentioned O.T. in the yards. Yard is a good gig. Should spend a little time there first before you go to the road if you hire out. The yard has a little similarity to a regular job. As for the road…that all goes out the window. You are paid by the mile (actually on a class 1 you are paid by the mile in the yard as well. 100 mile basic day at 12.5 miles an hour) on the road you are paid at a rate of 16.25 miles an hour. Trainmen get no holidays off or paid for them for that matter. As far as overtime on the road it depends on the number of miles the run is. For a 130.0 mile run overtime will begin at 8.0 hrs as long as a trip rate o.t. extension has not been agreed upon. For a 200.0 mile run o.t. begins at 12hrs19min. See how screwy life on the RR is. I used figuring O.T. as an example of how you throw most everything you know about a normal job out the window.
Marshall as everyone above stated if you are in doubt do not do it. The job is a lifestyle change and a hard one, as stated above I have missed birthdays and other family get togathers which makes members of my family mad it is because they do not understand what I do, my wife naggs everyday of the week but 2 of them and that is when the pay check hits the bank then she becomes understanding. The fun part of working for the railroad is they hire you to fire you for rule violations. I have worked for BNSF for 3 years now and a recent graduate from locomotive engineer training, I have had my card for 4 months, which means I had good senority in the road pool as a conductor and started all over getting senority as an engineer working the extra boards mainly getting called every 8 hours when I get home. So think about it long and hard before you leap in to this.
Rodney
Hey Rodney,
Ever go south through Smithsboro? If you do, you may end up talking to me to get across the CSX there. Small world isn’t it?
thanks for the info guys i’m still a sophomore in high school but ive wanted to work for the railroad all of my life, I go out to watch trains almost every day and listen to them on my scanner in my spare time, I plan to try to hire on as soon as I can once I graduate
Modoc wants a lot of ca***o attend their courses. Check out Johnson county Community College in the KC area before you commit to a lot of outlay. Also, see if you can get on with the BNSF or UP where they will train you for free, even pay you to attend their classes while you gain seniority. You will have to go through the UP or BNSF classes even if you graduate from Modoc or JCCC.
Good luck.
Thank you for all your comments. I have a lot to think about.
Marshall
Nate the last time I crossed the Smithboro diamond was when I was forced to Beardstown that will not happen for a long while now that I have a few whiskers under me (lol).
Rodney