Every once in a while someone asks about getting into railroading, and inevitably the pros all chime in with cautions and reality checks. That’s a good thing.
Yet there’s a lot of professional railroaders on these forums who have been at it a long time. There’s gotta be a reason why y’all stick to it… so…
What is the best job to have on the railroad? Why? And why do railroad men and women stick to it for so long?
Thanks!
Erik
One of the main reasons people stick to it is the retirement plan. Railroad retirement is handled by a separate federal agency from the rest of the country, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. No Social Security for us. RR Retirement is designed to replace both Social Security (RRB Tier 1) and the former company pensions (RRB Tier 2). Once you add in company matched 401(k) plans and health benefits, not to mention better pay than your average job and you have something pretty attractive and it doesn’t even require an investment in a college degree!
Those are some of the reasons people stay at this life for years, not necessarily just that we like it. Some do, but not all…
LC
Be careful, if you elect railroad retirement and later work, the social security will be taken out of your wages even though you dont get a dollar of it.
shoot…i’m 25 and social security is withdrawn from my check…but will i see anything of it when i retire? ha!
Any job you like is the best job to have. LC is right on about the benies, its just you have to adapt to the lifestyle is all. If you can hold a yard job your on 8 and get two days off( granted your saturday sunday could be monday tuesday)
If you like the road, go run it, you like the yard,go run it. Its up to you to find what you like to do.
I like to hostel power. its not the highest paying job, but I find it to be one I truly enjoy being called for. Even the fueler job.
Erik,
There are other jobs on the railroad than road jobs in the operating department. There are few clerks jobs left but they are there handling all kinds of paper work and support functions. There are carmen’s jobs doing repairs if you like welding. The roundhouse forces consist of machinists (more a wrench job than a lathe job) electricians, pipe fitters and hostler/laborers. You will have to decide on your own which appeals to you the most.
Farmer03,
If you want social security contributions to be there when you retire work NOW to keep the government honest about it all. There are political factions that want the fund to be broke and they are doing a pretty good job of spreading doom and gloom to keep the younger contributers convinced there is no hope at all. That is not true. Social Security is determined by law and economics. Both of these are fluid and can be changed to meet changing situations. Educate yourself, keep at members of Congress to insure they follow through on their promises. If you sit on your thumbs your worst expectations will come true.
What is best about working for the rr? wages and retirement. Enough said.
And the big , dirty , noisey, machines !!!
As one person said once “Railroad is the best Job in the World but it has the worse Social Life” I fully agree there.
the very best job to have on the railroad is the PRES. & CEO…you make millions of dollors a year…get killer job perks… a golden parashoot when you get millions in a severance package if the board desides to can your butt… and the best part… you dont actuly have to do anything…you just show up at the office… have a few board meetings…all the “real” work is done by eveyone under you…
csx engineer
The “utility” job- ride around town throwing switches to route trains into or away from the yard, assist yard crews by bleeding the air off long cuts of cars, monitoring shove movements that the yardmaster is unable to watch, and anything else the yardmaster needs done.
The best job is either the one you like the most or the one that teaches you the most. They may not always be the same one.
In my career, the one I liked the most was being in charge of the major construction projects and having to coordinate taking the railroad out for a block of time and putting in a new bridge, for example. It was better than maintenance in that it was something new each time, not constantly fixing the same thing.
The one that taught me the most was when, as a Division Engineer, I had to work as a Track Inspector during a 47 day strike. I had come up through the track forces, but did not fully appreciate just how key a player a good track inspector is in keeping a railroad safe and operating smoothly.
The best job is working for a railroad, period. Whatever the position. I guess its genetic with me.
Like John Snow(job)
i dont know what your utility jobs are like where your at…but here…they suck… alot of times they get harpooned into haveing to stay late to help a road train that is due in after the yard crews are already done with all thiere work and where sent home…
csx engineer
you say john snow(job) but the fact is the man has more money then you and i will EVER have…so it has to be the BEST job on the railroad…
csx engineer
The yard here works 24/7. When I caught the utility job off the board, which was very rare, it was like having a day off with pay. Great job for a railfan/railroader.
the yard here works 24/7 also…but when the yard crews are done with all thier work…and get an early quit…
csx engineer
With what Snow took out of the CSX treasury upon leaving, can the US afford to get him out of the US Treasury?
With what Snow took out of the CSX treasury upon leaving, can the US afford to get him out of the US Treasury?
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i wouldnt worry to much about that… he only has 2 more years and he is out…and the government dosnt have golden parashoots like the privet sector has…i just wonder if CSX will invite him back to head the company when his stay in the tressurey department is done…
csx engineer