Questions regarding making railroading a career choice.

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Hi everyone, I’m looking for any feedback that I can get regarding any possible employment in the railroad industry. Any help and insight that could be provided would be most helpful. I’ll try to keep this short, but it might not be!

So basically, I’m seriously considering a career as a train crewman. I’m a 25 year old, living in Southern Ontario, Canada, and I just completed university degree in political science and psychology. I also hold a Diploma (I guess it would be like a two-year degree in the States) in Policing. I was planning to enter the law-enforcement sector (ie police officer) but I’ve decided that its not the path I want to go down (I don’t think it is relevant why, however if anyone would like to know, I’ll post it). However, I don’t mind working shifts, being away from home or a lack of a social life. I’ve worked for the past five years in the security field, and I’m accustomed to it. I’ve always loved trains since I was a child, and I think it would be great to actually work with them. I also know that the Class I’s have been doing really well financially over the last few years, and I’m hoping that translates into a solid future. However, I’m not naïve enough to think that railroading (or any job for that matter) is ‘perfect’. I know there are good and bad aspects to all jobs, and I’m sure that railroader have their fair share (maybe more) of challenges on the job. The problem is, I don’t know anyone in the industry, and therefore have some questions. Namely;

    1. Will my post-secondary education help or hinder my chances of getting hired? Should I even mention it to any prospective employers?
    1. Is 25 too young, or even too old to apply?
    1. Does anyone have any experience working for either CN or CP? Good or bad stories?

Thanks so much to everyone for their responses. </

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1: Neither help or hinder…besides, they will run a background check and find out about your education anyway.

It will be a plus if you decide to enter management, become a company officer.

You will be surprised at how many four year degrees are stuffed into T&E employee’s grips.

2: I was hired at 37, after leaving my states Attorney Generals Office, so age and prior experience shouldn’t be a problem, at 25, and un- married, you’re a prime candidate.

3: Never worked for either one, but keep in mind every railroad has both its fans and detractors, both inside the company and in the railfan community, you will get an equal number of answers telling you it’s the worst railroad in the world, and those telling you it’s a pretty good job…but here is something I can tell you from personal experience…you will know, within the first month, if this is what you want to do for the rest of your career.

Down here we jokingly call it the railroad gene, either you got it, or you don’t.

Some guys take to this like the proverbial fish to water, others treat it like any job, just something to pay the bills…those guys are the ones who seem to be fired about every two or three years for screwing things up, tearing up cars and track, stuff like that.

And as an aside, I have never met any Santa Fe employee who didn’t love working for that company, or failed to take pride in the fact they were Santa Fe guys.

I would hazard you will find quite a few CN and CP guys who feel the same way.

Best advice I can give you it is try it…if you really want to be a railroader, you will know about a month after you get out of training…so the worst that can happen is you spend a month or two on a job you discover you don’t like, or it might be the best two months you ever invest.

Hope this helps…Keep cut in, and good luck to you.

Ed

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For a story that sounds too good to be true here is an excerpt from the July edition of the monthly tommyrot of Propaganda Minister Les Dakens. Also affectionately known as Dakens Delusional Drivel.

  1. Workforce renewal and retention

Edmonton Operations
Some officers are being asked to work as conductors in Western Canada. We expect this demand to decline until mid-fall, at which time, there should be a sufficient number of operating crews in place. Going forward, all necessary steps are being taken to ensure qualified employees are available to meet service demands.

A total of 1,270 employees have been hired since January 1, 2007, as follows:

Country Staff Union
Canada 118 978
U.S. 34 140

In July, recruitment activities focused on:

  • Conductors in Vancouver, Grande Prairie, Smithers, Jasper, Northern Alberta, Saskatoon, Toronto, and Champlain district
  • Conductors and locomotive engineers for Superior and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin areas
  • Signals apprentices in the Atlantic and Great Lakes areas
  • Intermodal helpers for Brampton Intermodal Terminal
  • Heavy duty mechanics for Brampton garage
  • Customer support representatives / train movement clerks for Transportation Reporting Services in Toronto

The Assistant Track Supervisor program started in the Eastern Region with ten new trainees. &n

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1.) Your education won’t hurt. It will be a benefit if you decided to move into management.

2.) 25 is a good age. Remember on the US side you need to have 30 years service and 60 years of age to qualify for the full Railroad Retirement benefit.

3.) Can’t help.

Not to scare you off, but a wise railroader once told be when I hired:
1.) You WILL get hurt.
2.) You WILL have a co-worker killed.
3.) You WILL hit and kill someone.

I’ve been a railroader for 8 years. Conductor, RCO Operatior, Training Conductor/RCO Operation, Yardmaster, and Trainmaster.

It’s a tough life. I’ve missed countless Birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Chirstmases. I’ve had rocks thrown at me, and been shot at. I’ve walked trains, in the dead of night, blazing sun, pouring rain, and driving snow. I’ve seen 2 co-worked injured so badly, they can’t return to work. 10 others had time-loss injuries, but have returned to work. And worst of all, I’ve buried one co-work killed on the job.

I’ve also made a lot of money. For the most part, I work with a great bunch of guys, who when the chips are down, will give you the shirt off thier back. We really are a family - just take a look at how many people show up at a railroader’s funeral. And there’s nothing like the feeling of seeing the little kids waving as you go by.

Be wary of your reputation. Railroaders gossip worse then old women. [swg] Not everyone will know your face, but everyone, and I mean everyone will know your reputation.

You don’t have to kiss the Yardmasters, Trainmasters, and Dispatchers tooshies. But being on good terms with them can prevent a lot of headaches.

Know your rules and union agreement. And know what the jobs do. If you don’t know, don’t

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[quote user=“nbrodar”]

1.) Your education won’t hurt. It will be a benefit if you decided to move into management.

2.) 25 is a good age. Remember on the US side you need to have 30 years service and 60 years of age to qualify for the full Railroad Retirement benefit.

3.) Can’t help.

Not to scare you off, but a wise railroader once told be when I hired:
1.) You WILL get hurt.
2.) You WILL have a co-worker killed.
3.) You WILL hit and kill someone.

I’ve been a railroader for 8 years. Conductor, RCO Operatior, Training Conductor/RCO Operation, Yardmaster, and Trainmaster.

It’s a tough life. I’ve missed countless Birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Chirstmases. I’ve had rocks thrown at me, and been shot at. I’ve walked trains, in the dead of night, blazing sun, pouring rain, and driving snow. I’ve seen 2 co-worked injured so badly, they can’t return to work. 10 others had time-loss injuries, but have returned to work. And worst of all, I’ve buried one co-work killed on the job.

I’ve also made a lot of money. For the most part, I work with a great bunch of guys, who when the chips are down, will give you the shirt off thier back. We really are a family - just take a look at how many people show up at a railroader’s funeral. And there’s nothing like the feeling of seeing the little kids waving as you go by.

Be wary of your reputation. Railroaders gossip worse then old women. [swg] Not everyone will know your face, but everyone, and I mean everyone will know your reputation.

You don’t have to kiss the Yardmasters, Trainmasters, and Dispatchers tooshies. But being on good terms with them can prevent a lot of headaches.

Know your rules and union agreement. And know what the jobs do. If you do

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Go for it kid, education does not make a dimes worth of differance I have a ged, iam also retired US Navy. I have been railroading for 5 years now I hired out when I turned 40, I have been in 2 grade crossing accdents 1 died the other one lived, iam a engineer now the last accdent happened as a engineer.

Rodney

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A few thoughts: not the best career field but not by far the worst either. Give yourself three yrs and you’ll love to hate it. Keep timekeeping on speed dial as you’ll need to be preapred to fight for your correct pay on just about every 816 pay form on payday. Almost have nine yrs seniority, could have made perhaps better career choices but hey, it pays the bills and keeps the roof over my head and I don’t work physically hard.

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Thanks all for your frank responses, its just what I needed. I’m thinking I will apply to CN and or CP soon, and see what happens from there. I’ll let everyone know how it goes!