Why is it, that whenever I enquire about working for the railway, I’m always told “Don’t”? Is it that bad? Or is it a case of “If you have to ask, then you can’t understand”?
I am thinking of tacking the Railway Conductor course offered by George Brown College and the Railway Association of Canada.
Well, go try it.
“If you’ve never had a chance, it’s probably because you never took one.”
Nobody on Earth can tell you if you would or would not like the job. So go find out. Knowing one way or the other will be better than wondering if you “missed your chance” latter in life.
Try it. You can always go do something else.
If you like to work a job with no real work schedual and being called into work at any hour of the day or night (the railroad isnt a 9-5 office job for T&E execpt for yard jobs and you have to have some senority to hold thoses jobs) and wouldnt mind sitting on a train for almost all major holidays and family functions (birthdays reunions ext ext…) and if you like to go out and party… kiss them days good bye execpt for your day off which you might not get on the day your supost to be off (suppost to be off say on a friday…but you got called into work thursday evening… now you wont get your day off till you get back to your home termianl and that could in theory be a sunday for an example) the only upsides to it are it dose pay well (for a working class job) and not needing to spend years in college for a degree to get it… and most of the time you are not micomanaged and left alone…but there are some termainls and locations where the bosses are real pains in the butt… but if you do your job to the best of your ability they normaly let you alone…
try it and if you dont like it quit… personaly…i cant stand the job anymore…and im going to try and go back to school this fall to get a degree in something to get off of it…
csx engineer
I had a offer to go to CSX several years ago. I didn’t go because I was concerned that I would end up feeling the way CSX Engineer feels now.
Virtually all of the negatives I hear are about the schedule - there is none. If that’s not an issue for you, and you like the line of work - go for it. Otherwise, heed csxengineer98’s advice.
It can be a challenging job - even though I only volunteer on weekends, for scheduled runs, it’s not a walk in the park. The work can be physically demanding, mentally challenging, and dangerous. Take it for granted and you may not go home tonight.
If you’re worried about the work side of things - do some observation. Assuming you can do so without violating any laws, watch a crew work. Sometimes it’s like a chess game.
A lot depends on your work environment, too. Working in a crappy situation will ruin you in no time.
I can’t point you in any particular direction in terms of who’s best to work for, etc. I simply don’t know. But, as others have pointed out, if you’re genuinely interested, go for it.
Teddy:-
Yes, the irregular hours and schedules bother a lot of people, but others learn to adjust quite well.
Rather than going for the big money that’s made out on the road right away, spend at least a year in the yard and learn how to switch freight cars. And by “switching freight cars,” I mean flat switching on a lead - you’ll never learn how to handle equipment well by working in a hump yard.
Also, consider establishing seniority in a territory that has commuter train operations [Montreal(?), Toronto(?), or Quebec(?)]. If after a few years of working freight service you decide that you’d like something more predictable, commuter train operations might be just the ticket!
I’ve been a railroader for 8 years. Conductor, RCO Operator, Training Conductor/RCO Operator, 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 baddly, 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. 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. Not everyone will know your face, but everyone, and I mean everyone will know your reputation.
Nick
This is very true. I worked for a shortline for 2 years and now finally going class 1. Railroaders do gossip a lot. You here stories all the time about the new guy. You think about it, you are sitting on the locomotive for say 10 hours. Nothing to do except the paper work, and watch the ties go by. You usually want to fall asleep, but you dont know if the weed wheels are out or not so you try your best to stay awake. So then you start talking to your engineer about whats going on with you, the new guy and everyone else. Basically just a railroad fact of life.
I seriously looked at working for the railroad about a year and a half a go. I decided against it only because of the work schedule. (Since I am a single dad, with a child at home… that was a big consideration) My work schedule as a 9-1-1 operator was kind of hectic, but at least was predictable. Anywy in my opinion, if the job interests you and you want to do it, then go for it. I am out of 9-1-1 because the job burned me out, but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from going ahead and trying it. It was a rewarding job, and I loved it at one point. So, if it interests you, go for it, but heed the advice of the veterans around here though. Idealizing about a career is the quickest way to disappointment that I can think of.
There are things to like and things to hate about every job. Concentrate on what you like, and take the stuff you don’t in stride.