Hi,
I’m 42 and considering a career change. I’m a professional classical musician and the market stinks in music and in teaching (I’ve been looking for a college teaching job for 7 years). Like any red-blooded American male, I’m absolutely fascinated with trains and have seen that UP is hiring lots of train crew.
I’m in great physical shape and wouldn’t mind working outdoors. I’m expecting my first child within the next 2 weeks. Here are my questions:
will managers/foremen look twice at me because of my age? Will it be harder to get promoted? Will there be a bias against someone who is educated (I have a doctorate)?
is it really as hard on family life as the jobs ads say? Will the railroad transfer me to some small town in the middle of nowhere (I wouldn’t mind but my wife would)?
am I crazy to be considering this industry for any other reason? I fully realize that while being on a train crew could be great, it could also get tedious after a while.
thanks for your opinions & experience.
Scott
Scott, you’ll probably get lots of feedback on this before too long from railroaders who haven’t been as lucky as I was (I haven’t had to move, and have stuck with it for my entire adult life–so far!).
Forty-two really isn’t too late to start–I’ve seen folks older than that hire out and stick with it until they retire. I’d say, just go as far as you want to in trying to get a railroad job–you have a degree or three, as well as an amazing and enviable talent, to fall back on should you or the job not be acceptable to one another.
(My daughter is going for her doctorate in Musical Art in viola performance, and is also a teaching assistant at U.C. Santa Barbara.)
42 isn’t too late. The degree will get you a promotion fairly quick I would think. It would on the NS anyway since they specialize in hiring people off the street with a degree in Turf Managment, Cooking, or something similar to be officials and have no idea at all about the railroad. lol Anyway, 42 isn’t bad, we have a guy hired out that 55 last year. He’s educated too, but he seems to be mostly book smart with a strong lack of common sense and feel that he’s knows more about the railroad than the engineer he’s working with that has been on the job 32 years. We just laughed at him last week when he threw the switch underneath the engine and when they reversed they ended up getting an engine and a few cars on the ground. Just don’t be one of those educated guys that “knows everything already” and doesn’t feel like the lesser educated people have anything to offer and you’ll do just fine as long as you can handle the weather and being gone alot. Good luck on whatever you decide!
Carl,
Thanks for the reply, and good luck to your daughter. My own doctorate is in violin performance.
She might be interested in reading a study of the job market for string teachers I researched for the ASTA Journal (she’ll know what that is). I think it came out in Nov. of 04.
Scott
No, 42 isn’t too late, just be aware, you need 30 years service to qualify for the full Railroad Retirement benefit. Yes, it really is as hard on the family as they say. I’ve missed countless birthdays, Thanksgivings, Christmases, and other events.
Your age will not be a factor, neither will your degree. In train service, promotion is governed by the union agreement - not your education or age or merit.
As long as your senority will allow you to hold (and you don’t go the management route) you should be able to stay where you are. However, if you start in train service, and then transfer to management, you’ll almost certainly have to move. You, also, might have to move if you start right out in management.
Railroading can be a very dangerous business. Not only is the equipement itself very unforgiving - I’ve buried one co-worker, two suffered career ending injuries, and a dozen or so others have sustained non-career ended injuries - but the environment itself can be hostile - I’ve been shot at, and had rocks thrown at me more then once.
Of course you don’t necessarily have to go into train service. I just turned 48 and have an application in on a Bridge Tender job. (I currently work for our state’s government.) It involves a lot of communication skills which is pretty much what I do now so I figure I have a shot.
SFC, I just retired from 22 years of Army Service in the Infantry. I am 41 and have a class date in Feb for my Freight Conductor course. You are never too old. From what I have read in this forum and have heard from former retired Army buddies who now work for a R/R they love it. Rember safety safety safety when you talk to your interviewer.
The only problem is having to do a full 30 years to receive full retirement. But hey, 20 is still good and with a 401k plan you can still live well in retirement.
The ripe old age of 42 is not too late to get started in railroading. It is a physically demanding job at times but not all the time. If you can lift a knuckle and do the other interview tests you can handle the physical part. Promotion to the engineer’s position in turn should be no problem since they are short of engineers all over the country. Selection will depend largely upon reports from the people you work with. If you stay awake all night and seem to understand the rules and how switches and track warrents work you will get good reports.
Yes, it is just as hard on family life as it is presented. You cannot plan on days off for holidays, anniversaries, birthdays or weekend activities. It will be catch as catch can, some you will make but others you will miss. Do not make large plans for an event unless it is during
You scared me, Scott, I thought you was my cousin’s husband for a minute, until I got to the part about the first child.
It’s not an easy way of life, I’m a lifer rail and I’ve missed plenty, I always tried to be there for all the important things. I have to be brutally honest, though, I can’t picture the hiring folks looking anything but astonished that a classically-trained musician with a doctorate, no less, would show up at a hiring session.
SFC WELCOME TO THE FORUMS! [#welcome] You’ll find them to be real enjoyable.
Now, you were wondering if your were too old at your age of 42 to get a job out on the railroad. My answer to you is NO, are you kidding your still young. Your never too old to do anything, espeacilly (sp) if your in great, or good physical and mental condition. GO FOR IT!
I will agree with what everyone else said. When you get hired out on the railroad, you become married to it. It is tough for men or women that are married, and have kids. There are going to be times where you won’t be able to spend as much time with them as you need, or like to. you are on call 365 24/7, but are given a manditory 8 hour rest period. When that time is up you can be called again it might be right away, or it could be a couple of days. There are going to be times when you won’t be able to get the rest that you need or want. The job is very demanding mentally, and physically. You may be relocated, or they may ask you to relocate.
However, the benifits are great full dental, and health insurence (sp), Railroad Retirement (which is a lot better than Soical Security), life insurance, the pay is excellent also. You also are able to receive long vactions. When you make senority you have more flexibility in choosing your hours. In order to get full railroad retirement you have to put in 30 yrs of service. But, in your case you will most likely be receiving a pention or retirement from your previous job, as well as partical retirement from the railroad. So, I wouldn’t worry about trying to put 30, or more years in.
Before you get hired out depending on which railroad you want to work for you will have to go through a school, for about five weeks or so. Some railroads hire directly, in which you will receive on the job training. Anyhow, you will go through
Who needs to know you are 42 years old? It cannot be asked during any job interview or application.
Good luck!
I really admire musicians. That is quite a talent. On a slightly related topic, I took up playing guitar at age 45. That was 6 years ago. It is amazing the number of middle age people who are doing new things, both vocationally and recreationally. Go for it.
If you think they are going to be shocked by a musician, how about a 46 y/o guy with a 20 year medical background and a law degree? I never practiced law because I wanted to go into the business world. I worked as Respiratory Therapist for 20 years, along the way putting myself through law school. I finally had to quit doing medical work because standing all day on hard concrete was causing bursitis in my left hip. As long as I’m not standing all day on concrete, I’m fine. During the last three years, I’ve worked seasonal for a public utility company doing underground water repair. For the last year I’ve done both commercial and residential safety inspections for hazard and liablity companies. I can drive a truck, or operate heavy equipment or interpret the FRA rules for you. I’m just afraid that the railroad (as so many other prospective employers have done) will not want to hire me as I don’t fit into any neat little slot. Anyway, I put my app. in with U.P. in early December and I’m still waiting to hear back.
I would say yes, since you’re married & somewhat settled. I worked in management as an assistant trainmaster for the Union RR in the Pittsburgh area for 5+ years when I got out of the Army in 1974. While I worked shifts that changed every month, and many 12-hour days, my phone only rang at home 3 times in those years and I almost always had 2 consecutive days off each week. Also, even though the Union was the busiest switching & terminal RR in the US during my time there (200 crews per day in June of '76 and 100 main line trains per day) you couldn’t go 20 miles from one end of our main line to the other - so if a problem did occur that caused people to be called from home, most every person lived no more than one hour from the line.
Some years later I got to know a true ‘boomer’ railroader who had worked mostly as a road foreman for about 6 eastern roads (Penn Central, Atlantic Coast Line, Southern, Louisville & Nashville, Conrail and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie). His description of life on a trunk line certainly made my time on the Union look small - the last thing he did was call the office at 10:30 before his head hit the pillow - and guess who he called before he got into the shower at 0-dawn-30 the next morning?
Today, even though the big roads are all staffing up, management people still have very demanding schedules. The statement that you have to be married to the railroad to work there is accurate, in my opinion - and you already have a wife…
Several years ago (June 2004) there was an article in Trains entitled “Rougemere Nights” - written by one Gabriel Meyer. It described this gentleman’s work life as a trainmaster in 1998 at Rougemere Yard near Detroit. After I read it, I contacted Mr. Meyer to congratulate him on the article, and to tell him that it could have described my life on the Union a quarter of a century earlier - moving from crisis to crisis shift after shift, never enough yard room, falsifying records about when things happened (like train departures and
Well, as a guy who hired on Conrail at 37 after 10 years of law practice including time representing several short lines and a fair amount of operating experience to boot I can say I was far from the oldest in my class of trainees. We had a retired phone company lineman who was 52 and a couple of retired teachers in their mid-40s. All went on to productive T&E careers.
I wish you well, just remember not to advertise your legal background too much. The foolish will label you the “College Boy” and those with more wisdom will try to convince you to take on the responsibilities of local chairman. I always avoided that by saying that I didn’t hire out to represent others, but to escape that life…
If your afraid of not making it because of age or physical abilities try NS’s website for management trainee program.
If you have college and good work ethics you’ll be desirable.The NS retires it’s officials at 55 years of age with 10 years vested,maybe five now.I’m not excactly for sure.
Only thing with management jobs you go where they need you.
If there’s a site close to you that’s hiring conductor trainee’s,go for it.I know several guys,and women hired after 40,45 and even 50.They make good employees.
My Dad retired from railroading in 2002 and he has been asked by current officials to apply for the trainer jobs at a local college.He turns 65 this year.
Don’t ever let age,race, or a handicap ever interfere with your life’s goals [^] !
With a doctorate and in good physical shape And if you have Not Used Drugs,if you pass the physical and file an application online they will probably call you for an interview and after that you should know what your chances are of getting hired…good luck buddy Danny