What was your work schedule like?
eight on eight off for about a month, we were severly short handed
I work for NS and the 1st year after I marked up was very busy. In my area I worked on the Road Extra List and worked the job away from home then back after about 8 hrs rest in a motel. We get 10 hrs at home then out again.
Never longer than 5 minutes after my rest the phone would ring again. Good for pay , not for any kind of life other than on the railroad.
Eight on and eight off riding the extra board for about six months…and lost, lost and lost…not to mention totaly lost…
Took about a year, then it all “clicked” and made sense why we do things the way we do…and when we do them.
Ed[8D]
I don’t know…I’ll let you know in about 2 weeks!! I’m almost there…Yeah!!!
Steven
about the same as it was when i was training…but after i was marked up…i felt the full rath of “the bump” since i wasnt protected by the shield of being a trainee…but for me personaly…this was short lived…since i was marked up…and only 7 days later…sent to engineer training…but as far as the work was like…it was dog eat dog… as soon as it looked like i had a spot on an extra board or even a reguer turn or job…the caller would be calling me to tell me that i was displaces…and had to find another place to hold untill i was bumped agin… untill i found a hole that no one else older then me in senority wanted…
best of luck to you…
csx engineer
Assuming “jonesz2” that you’re new to the railroad industry, and that you’re working for a Class 1, and that you have exerciseable rights as a switchman, and that you’re able to live on switchman’s wages, my advice is this: stay in the yard for at least a year. Get familiar with how to handle and switch the equipment. Learn from more experienced people intelligent switching strategies and develop some of your own. Switching will teach you how to think on your feet and make good decisions that favor both you, your crew, and your employer long term. And remember this truism that is as old as the railroad industry: it’s a lot easier to make a switchman a road guy than a road guy a switchman!
My first few weeks were very busy and quite tense. I was rushed into service even though I had begged my trainmaster to give me more time. I could only hold the road extraboard and from Danville, IL you’re going to run to Chicago. Chicago has dozens of yards and I had only seen about half of them and only about one time! So… to say the least I was a little apprehensive. Since I knew very little about the yards I kindly asked my engineers for help. Most were more than willing to help. I had trouble with one who for some reason didn’t like me. He refused to answer any of my questions, so I just started calling the yardmaster over the radio for help. Since everyone preached safety so much, I knew that I wouldn’t get in trouble for asking for a little help. One of my classmates was too proud to ask for help and he ran through a switch; luckily he saw something wasn’t right. He could have had a nasty derailment. Another of my classmates had a nervous breakdown in the yard and walked away somewhere puffing on cigarettes. When he got back to the home terminal he turned in his radio and switch keys and never came back.
As far as working hours it was feast or famine. Since I was the very lowest person I was bumped like a pinball. There were periods I was bumped so often that I didn’t work for two weeks straight one time. Then there were other times that I worked non-stop and made some serious cash. Later on my first year I was forced to train on remote engines and work in the yard. And just like Bob said I learned more about railroading in the yard because I had to think of switching strategies and be constantly vigilant in the yard environment.
Just got marked up a week ago myself and it’s been pretty much 10 to 12 on, and 10 off right along, with one rest day a week… be careful and make sure to get your rest when you can!
Work get on train go to the away from home terminal most often after being on train for 12 hours rest out and come home ( use the time at the away from home terminal to get rest) atfer you get home it depends on how the extra boards are running there is a 95% chance that you will be called on your rest and away you go again. When I hired out 4 years ago the extra boards did not have rest cycles now they they do they are 7 days on and 3 days off, the railroad is a strange animel you can go from eating t bone all summer to eating hamburger in the winter when everything slows down for a little bit then at a drop of a hat everything is jumping again.
Rodney