Apply for a Job at a company called Loram Maintenance of way as a Railroad machine operator in early spring that’s when they hire. I worked for this company for about 2 years this company opens the doors to a lot of Railroad jobs. The pay sucks at first but you move up fast I hope you like working 100 hour weeks and never being at home. I have known a lot of people who got jobs as conductors, engineers and maintenance of way through this company. Tough work but they teach you things that the railroads want
Like: Track safety, Proper FCC radio communications, DOT cert, signals, flagging, your limit’s, how to do brake checks, Fire fighting, how to drive a train, how to be a look out, how to get off a moving train- hell they will teach you every thing about the railroad. And you spend a lot of time talking with engineers and conductors from different railroads so you can find out where the good jobs are.
Some of the Conductors I have met like their job some hate it The Railroads have a lot of hard A$$ bosses working for them every one is working under stress and they like to give you a lot of crap. Then you have to learn how to deal with the Railroad Police, the Fed Railroad Police, Yard Rail road Police, Fed Railroad inspectors and NTSB and if you do any thing wrong they will give you a very Hard Time.