What jobs can I be around trains.?

Question

I want to work with the railroad so bad! I really want to be around trains (I pull over and watch trains go by, or listen on radio when they are coming by). What kind of jobs are there, I can get to be around moving trains, (non fixing them, or building ect). Can I be a conductor with no schhooling? If I do go to college, what kind of course should i take. If there are train crews needed in a town like 80 miles away (very small town in AZ desert) could I maybe get that job somhow.. in my area.. if they have same stuff just not listed as they need a person there.
Thanks,

Answer 1

First off, I want to congragulate you on wanting a railroad job, I am a railfan & plan to go to work for Montana Rail Link once I graduate. I've had a lot of the same Q's you have, & I've been in contact with a MRL engineer, so I can et you some good info.



1. There are many jobs on the railroad: seasonal track work, switchman, engineer, conductor, yard master, train master, dispatcher, & many more.



2. No, you don't need any schooling to become a switchman or conductor or most any other rr job. There are schools such as the Modoc Rail Acedemy in California where you can go to learn how to become an engineer or conductor, ect... Most railroads do on-the-job training for those jobs, but if you want to work for a Class 1, going to a place like Modoc might be a good idea (it is still optional).



3. On most railroads, like BNSF, you have to become a conductor before you can become an engineer. Some railroads, such as Montana Rail Link don't have conductors, instead they have 2 engineers share the duties of engineer & conductor. With MRL you have to become a switchman ( basically a yard engineer) before you become an engineer.



4. From what I've heard from the MRL employees I've talked to, doing seasonal track work is a great way to "get you foot in the door" for future rail jobs. If you have done seasonal track work & you apply to be a switchman, you application will carry lots more weight than an application from a person that hasn't.



5.If you want to be a conductor, you need to be able to lift a 70-80lb. knuckle coupler. You should also be able not only to lift a knuckle, but carry it the length of the train, also. General point: BE IN SHAPE!



6.If you want a job on the train, such as engineer or conductor, be prepared for long & odd hours. Regular hours? They don't exist on the railroad. They will call you up whenever they need a train crew, whether it's 11:00 AM or 1:00 AM. You will have to work alot of the night-shifts & holiday shifts & stuff at first when you're low on the seniority list. As you gain seniority, you will have more control over your hours & be able to choose them more. Sometimes you can be away for several days at a time. If you don't want go to work at 3:00 AM, then the railroad isn't for you.



7. Railroad pay is good. Here's what MRL pays: $40,000 per year as a switchman, then $60,000-$90,000 per year as an engineer.



8. Even as a Conductor or Engineer, you will still need to be able to repair minor mechanical difficulties like broken knuckles (couplers) and air hoses, loose or dragging banding, tarps, cables, ect…



9. The more knowledge the better! Even if you're going to become a conductor or engineer, it still pays to know a bit about the engine & stuff, nothing in depth, just some basic knowledge can come in handy sometimes.



10. You can get tired working the night shifts. A railroad rule does say that if both crew members are tired that they can notify dispatch & pull the train into a siding so they can get a little shut-eye.



11. To sum up the duties of the conductor & engineer: The conductor is the Train Supervisor & is in-charge of the train. The engineer "drives" the train.



12. Here's some links that describe the duties of the conductor & engineer good:



http://www.amdg.ws/task_duty.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conductor_(transportation)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_engineer

http://catskillarchive.com/rrextra/chapt01.Html



13. Check the railroads' websites for job listings & details specific to that railroad.



14. In addition to great pay, you also get great benifits. Sound pretty good, huh? But don't forget: in turn for that high pay & good benifits, you have to be on call pretty much 24/7 any time of the day or, any day of the week, holiday or no holiday, weekend or weekday. They give you about a 1-2 hours to get ready & get down to the station.



15. Being in charge of a 1 1/2 mile train is a HUGE responsibility. It demands your full & complete attention. It also means that you MUST be 100% DRUG FREE. Railroads can & are very strict when it comes to this. You also need to keep your eyes out for signals- green meens that the track is clear/ proceed at speed; yellow, or aproach means that you can keep going but the next signal is going to be red, or restricted, which means STOP & often time to pull into a siding. Other things to keep an eye out for: people or animals on or near the track, stalled vehicles on the tracks, & stupid people that try to beat the train across the tracks.



Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. :)

Answer 2

Do you just want to be around moving trains or actually controling the trains? I suggest that you apply for a conductor position. In freight, the conductor is in charge of the train and the engineer operates the train. What the railroads look for when hiring conductors (at least at the BNSF where I work) is former military, former cops, or anyone that shows maturity and leadership and a former job. If you were either of those or you were a manager of some sort that had people working under you then you have a good shot. The school you are refering to is the (NARS), National Academy of Railroad Science in Kansas City. It costs about $6000 or so and they do not gauranty a job. Only an interview. I personally did not go to NARS and feel its a waste of money.

You as a conductor will be responsible for trains up to 7000-8000 ft. long and weighing up to 20,000 tons for your coal and grain trains. You will also be transporting various hazmat (hazardous material) such as explosives or poisonous gas and other dangerous things. The railroad is considered a very dangereous place to work. There are many injuries and deaths to employees each year in this industry which is why they want the type of people I described above. Safety is one of the top priorities in the RR. Just to give you an idea, there is something called kicking cars. Its when cars are switched out in the yard and instead of coupling each joint together, the switchman just pulls the pin and tells the engineer to stop and the car free rolls all the way to the joint. The lightest railcar empty still weighs over 20 tons and can be over 100 tons loaded. Now imagine this car rolling down the rail, and its nighttime because thats the only job your seniority will hold, and theres snow on the ground. These cars are very quiet when rolling. If you just happen to be standing a little to close then your screwed. 20 tons of rolling steel won't exactly bounce off of you.

Now, it sounds like your young and don't have alot of work experience so the NARS program may be a better way to go for you. When I hired out (1-16-06) in the Chicago division, there was a kid in my hire class that was 18 and came from the NARS progam. He has since transferred to Alliance Ne. and has gone through the engineer training program and is working the extra board out there. That means he is on call, 24hrs. a day, 7 days a week. I too am on the same type of schedule.

You do make good money but you will trade your social life for it. If your willing to do that, then go for it. Seniority on the RR means everything, so the sooner the better. Some have mentioned to get in anywhere and then transfer. I disagree. On the BNSF, you cannot do a craft transfer until after at least one year, then, you can only transfer to the conductor if they are hiring, then you still need your supervisors approval and if he is short on employees, then he will deny your transfer. Also, you will loss all seniority and start over in the new craft. I suggest, getting hired as a conductor anywhere you can, and just transfer anywhere you can later. On the BNSF, you will have systemwide seniority which is great. Other RR's I here are not like that.

Lastly, by the sounds of it, you are what we call "foamers". Guys who watch trains, take pics of them or video and generally just love them. Don't come off this way in the interview. Thats a sure way not to get hired. And don't fail the drug test. If you do, you will never get hired by any federally regulated transportation company such as any railroad or airline EVER!!!!!

The hours are long, but the work is not hard or physical. Anyway, I hope this helps. I think I'm starting to ramble.

Answer 3

Scooter and Hoghead gave you a lot of good info. Hoghead was on the money--drug and alcohol abuse is not tolerated. In Illinois, if you are the engineer and your train hits a motor vehicle--YOU are automatically drug tested. The reality is that railroads are cutting back like many other industries. This includes outsourcing work and computer driven trains (might be a field to consider). For general labor-type jobs, you sometimes have to be in a call-up type situation (the "board"). Welders can still get jobs, as can business and administrative types and some of the others mentioned. Make some contacts and talk to some folks--that will help, but don't mess with the employees while they are working and DO NOT TRESPASS on railroad property. Don't take pictures unless you want a visit from a railroad or federal agent (Homeland Security, you know). Check out the different railroad's websites--like UP, CN, or BNSF. As one of the others said, be prepared to move, especially as railroads become more and more centralized.



There are lots of groups around the who collect photos and other railroadiana. They can usually be found at various train shows. Some of them are railfans like you or former employees or relatives.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I don't know too many hobos bringing in $65,000 (or much more) per year...............



You may not want to 'fix them', but getting your foot in the door is essential. Take any kind of job you can get, then worry about becoming a conductor or engineer.



No college is necessary. There are those who recommend one of the railroad academies as a necessity. I don't know about necessity, but It'll look good on a resume.



If you have gotten a high school diploma by virtue of the fact that you can actually read and exceute basic mathematic formuli, then you're already equipped with the abosulutely necessary basic skills.



Don't count on getting on where you live now. If you want the job, you're going to have to go where they tell you to go. After establishing a seniority date, you can work elsewhere on a system, and, if seniority permits, eventually working 80 miles away from where you now reside.



The only other potential stumbling block is whether or not you can leave the booze and drugs alone. If that isn't even a remote possibility, you don't stand a chance, and NOBODY wants to work with an impaired person. Though it wasn't always so, you'll be reported by a co-worker. I know you sure wouldn't climb on with me............



The ladies should take note of this. Hubby won't be around much, but he'll be clean and sober when he is.



The bottom line is, it's not rocket science, but it comes easier to some than others. As far as being around 'moving trains' you are wanting an operating job. Maintenance of Way employees (who never share in the recognition but without whom there would be zero trains) are around 'moving trains' all day every day. But if not wanting to 'fix' them, you'll probably find as much disdain behind a spike maul as behind an oversize crescent wrench.

Answer 6

Well. I can;t give no more than the very smart hog man here gave. But I can tell you that, when I tured 18, the first week I turned 18, I marched my way down to Union Pacific in Phoenix Arizona. They needed 'train crew' so I got the job first as a flagman. I found it very fun. I saw many trains, and learned alot. The pay was alright, well. it was real real good, considering the fact that I was 18 at the time, and I was still living for free with my mom. They then needed a track laborer. It was harder work, but I still enjoyed it. I liked it allitte more, since I got to go on trains, and be in that, as I went to differnt places needing repairs. Now, only two years into it, and I moved once again, to in the yard, but the 2nd to head guy, I show new people what to do. But I still do the flag man's job. but I do alittle more work than in the begining, as i don't ask somone how to do most things, I just do them, unlike new employees.



The 80 miles away from you, are you talking about Gila River? Or Yuma?

Answer 7

Railroad is a self contained society

Police man, clerk, ticket agent, janitor. conductor. Administrator. Track worker, plumber, electrican. Mechanic.

You name it and it is part of the railroad.

Answer 8

Go to the different rail companies websites and look at the job listings. They provide the job descriptions and qualifications for each.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

a hobo pay not that good but the travel benifits are great