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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:09:32 PM EDT
[#1]
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:17:29 PM EDT
[#2]
There's more than being an engineer/conductor. Railroads are full of different departments with good pay.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:20:05 PM EDT
[#3]
What do you mean you plan on applying with the union? You do realize the unions do not hire you for a railroad job, right? Also, I know not all railroads are hiring right now. Well not transportation at least. Maybe MOW or some other department.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:23:47 PM EDT
[#4]
My understanding is that the railroads have thousands of crew on furlough right now.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:24:01 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What do you mean you plan on applying with the union? You do realize the unions do not hire you for a railroad job, right? Also, I know not all railroads are hiring right now. Well not transportation at least. Maybe MOW or some other department. J- |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:24:30 PM EDT
[#6]
I talked about it with Grin a few years back.
He said long hours,good pay |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:29:07 PM EDT
[#7]
Union Pacific has some openings.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:29:44 PM EDT
[#8]
Ilikeporkchops::
Did you every apply or go through the interview process? |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:30:25 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My understanding is that the railroads have thousands of crew on furlough right now. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:33:37 PM EDT
[#10]
Age, location, what do you do in your current position?
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:33:49 PM EDT
[#11]
You can find pictures of many UP engines sitting idle in AZ, in Google Maps and elsewhere online. They have nothing to do.
http://wolfstreet.com/2016/05/04/freight-rail-traffic-plunges-aar-april-report-photos-idled-engines-transportation-recession/ |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:37:11 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
this. I'm a engineer for CSX and we have tons of people furloughed. The salad days of getting on with the railroad are over. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:37:50 PM EDT
[#13]
My son is an engineer with CNIC and he tells me they are slow as hell right now.
I know some guys that were on the track crew with the FEC and have been furloughed. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:40:06 PM EDT
[#14]
Unless you can deal with not working for long periods of time or have a huge savings account I don't recommend leaving your current job for a train crew job. The large railroads like to plan for potential manpower needs by hiring loads of conductors, putting them through training, and then furloughing them immediately upon completion of training. Last I heard we still had over 4k train crew furloughed yet we are hiring for certain locations again right now. If you want a railroad job where you will spend less time furloughed look into a different department, Maintenance of Way (what I do), Signal, Mechanical, etc. As you are new there is still a good chance of furlough the first few years but not for near as long or as often as train crews.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:43:27 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Age, location, what do you do in your current position? |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 9:45:28 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Unless you can deal with not working for long periods of time or have a huge savings account I don't recommend leaving your current job for a train crew job. The large railroads like to plan for potential manpower needs by hiring loads of conductors, putting them through training, and then furloughing them immediately upon completion of training. Last I heard we still had over 4k train crew furloughed yet we are hiring for certain locations again right now. If you want a railroad job where you will spend less time furloughed look into a different department, Maintenance of Way (what I do), Signal, Mechanical, etc. As you are new there is still a good chance of furlough the first few years but not for near as long or as often as train crews. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 10:44:36 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well crap.. I just saw a local position. Is this SOP for the RR to furlough ? Is it because of cheaper diesel prices and over road trucking or some other reason? |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 10:46:22 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Scratching close to 40. I work for a .gov contractor conducting interviews day in day out. Years ago, I had thought about applying for something like this but never did. The entry level seems fairly basic for qualifications so I guess someone with a BS degree could qualify. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 10:51:57 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My understanding is that the railroads have thousands of crew on furlough right now. I'm not taking my chances with those odds. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 10:54:34 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Scratching close to 40. I work for a .gov contractor conducting interviews day in day out. Years ago, I had thought about applying for something like this but never did. The entry level seems fairly basic for qualifications so I guess someone with a BS degree could qualify. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:04:21 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
this. I'm a engineer for CSX and we have tons of people furloughed. The salad days of getting on with the railroad are over. OP, the money is worth the actual work that you do. Loss of sleep, lack of having a social life makes it not a great job for the money. Typically we are gone 1-2 days at a time, unless you fill a vacancy on an outlying job. Those could be a week. You see lots of crap. You kill animals and people, hit cars, trees, and other things. You see people doing drugs, having sex, get flashed, get shot at, etc... it can get exciting... |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:09:49 PM EDT
[#22]
I was hired by CSX and as soon as I finished training and was at the rail yard for less than two months I was furloughed for two years.They told us to expect that it would be a long time before we get the call back. I never went back. I got a job with the power company a month after the furlough and have been here over 8 years now.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:11:07 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Unless you can deal with not working for long periods of time or have a huge savings account I don't recommend leaving your current job for a train crew job. The large railroads like to plan for potential manpower needs by hiring loads of conductors, putting them through training, and then furloughing them immediately upon completion of training. Last I heard we still had over 4k train crew furloughed yet we are hiring for certain locations again right now. If you want a railroad job where you will spend less time furloughed look into a different department, Maintenance of Way (what I do), Signal, Mechanical, etc. As you are new there is still a good chance of furlough the first few years but not for near as long or as often as train crews. Go to Roadmaster school and then go work for the Feds as an inspector.Had a buddy do that and travels alot and made beaucoup bucks and a nice retirement now. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:13:38 PM EDT
[#24]
It's not bad once you get some seniority, but the first few years can be really rough. I went and got my CDL the first time I was furloughed and used that to help me through the times I was off. Also, as a conductor, I am never away from home for extended periods of time. I might only get to spend 10 hours at home before heading back out again, but I'm usually home every other day when we're busy. When we're slow I'll sometimes spend 3-4 days at home until it's my turn to go back out. The yard guys typically work a set schedule once they have enough seniority. As a new guy, you'll be on the extra board, and the extra board sucks.
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:17:23 PM EDT
[#25]
if you go to the hiring session, just make sure they know you are a safe worker and be prepared to give examples of this from your past work related experience.
Might not be a bad time to hire out since many of the furloughed people will probably not come back. Hiring out at 40 would probably suck though. I don't work for up but my class one pays well but your on call 24/7/365 and the railroad don't give any fucks about holidays or your kids soccer game, or your anniversary, or how much sleep you have had. It is what you make of it, we don't work real hard and get paid well but you will sacrifice your home life for it. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:19:08 PM EDT
[#26]
Lots of guys furloughed right now.
There's a joke about BNSF - Better Not Start a Family, all the railroads are like that though. It can be a good gig for young single guys that don't mind doing some mercenary work out west though. |
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:21:19 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Same here. We had 29 people listed as furloughed, but I also heard they didn't answer the call to come back. So who knows. Between Hunter Harrison and Trump, business seems to be improving. OP, the money is worth the actual work that you do. Loss of sleep, lack of having a social life makes it not a great job for the money. Typically we are gone 1-2 days at a time, unless you fill a vacancy on an outlying job. Those could be a week. You see lots of crap. You kill animals and people, hit cars, trees, and other things. You see people doing drugs, having sex, get flashed, get shot at, etc... it can get exciting... 
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Posted: 4/13/2017 11:25:51 PM EDT
[#28]
All of the furloughed employees in my area have been brought back. Several other areas have done the same. In order for us to hire additional employees, we can't have any employees on the furlough boards for the area we want to hire. In many of the locations where we are hiring, there are low double digit openings. In some cases, we're hiring due to retirements and in other cases, demand has picked up slightly.
In 14 years, I've never been furloughed but I have come within about 80 numbers from hitting the street (2008). After things stabilized (6 months), I had several hundred numbers under me. Time makes all the difference in the world which is why it's better to get hired as soon as possible. The difference between working and furloughed might be one number. |
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Posted: 4/14/2017 2:20:28 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Ilikeporkchops:: Did you every apply or go through the interview process? 
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Posted: 4/14/2017 5:17:09 AM EDT
[#30]
I hired out with the Union Pacific in Tucson AZ in 06. Worked steadily for a little over two years and got furloughed in November 08. I was furloughed for about a year and a half. Union Pacific offered transfers when business started picking back up. I ended up transfering to Rawlins Wyoming
 in 2010 and been working ever since. Now I'm a locomotive engineer making pretty decent money.
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Posted: 4/18/2017 4:50:38 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
@Kubota3430 
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