Have there been any teens (13, 14, 15,16,17,18, or 19) that have been engineers?[?][?][?][?]
My my grandpa first started the railroad back in the day he was 18 when he first started. Now a days I dont think its possable because dont you have to be a conductor first…?
I asked a NJT worker how old you have to be to work for them and he said for NJT the age limit is 19.
As an engineer, on NJT… yes… Car cleaner (aka; crap) at 16.
I myself have fired locos…
I know of two people who were teen railroaders. One was my great grandpop he worked on PRR’s MOW. The other is a friend of mine who works for a short line in Bridgeport NJ. He is now 20 he started at 18. I do know that for the transit system that opperates in Southeastern PA (SEPTA) you can get hired out on the rails as conductor.
I know one thing I wish class 1 railraods would hire at age 18 because I’d be working for CSX right now!!
I was a fireman at age 16, then engineer at age 17 on a 36" gauge steam amusement park railroad. Before you stop laughing, it was propane fired, real Wabco air brakes, a nice 1.5% grade, knuckle couplers, etc., and the experience there led to many mainline “student trips” with several Class One railroad engineers I befrended during my amusement park days.
have to a minimum of 18 years old to work for a class 1 carrier and you have to go through the ranks to become a hogger…i became an engineer at 22
csx engineer