Any RR workers here?

Considering making a big career move into the railroad. Had a good long chat with the wife about it and she is onboard (hehe, see what I did there?). There are other forums as well as Reddit and they've been a help. The thing is I don't know anyone in the business personally and am curious for additional insight as the message I'm getting is somewhat mixed.

Any/all input is much appreciated.

a reply to: JinMI

I'm not in that industry. But a co-worker has expressed an old friend has done well, with a pension etc, with around 20 years on the job.

a reply to: JinMI

Are you prepared to join the union? I thought you right wingers hated unions.

railroadworkersunited.org...

a reply to: olaru12

..yea, not a right winger.


Regardless, still not a huge fan of unions, although first hand experience would beat all other experience I have with them.

a reply to: JinMI

I do business with a company that makes specialty cars. I think most of them are used for construction and maintenance of the tracks.

As I've made deliveries over the years, I've found it harder and harder to find parking spaces. They seem to keep growing and adding people, no matter what the economy is doing. My guess is that it would be a pretty good place to work in terms of good pay and job security.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: JinMI

Are you prepared to join the union? I thought you right wingers hated unions.

railroadworkersunited.org...

Right wingers are not opposed to unions.
I will save you the trouble to say union proud and union strong.

a reply to: randomtangentsrme

They do have excellent pay and an even better retirement package/pension.

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: JinMI

Are you prepared to join the union? I thought you right wingers hated unions.

railroadworkersunited.org...

Right wingers are not opposed to unions.
I will save you the trouble to say union proud and union strong.

Then why all the effort put into union busting? And pushing the "Right to Work" agenda?

cps-news.com...

www.usatoday.com...

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: randomtangentsrme

They do have excellent pay and an even better retirement package/pension.

I don't know what are you waiting for. Get the job man.

Youll start out as a ground man, hooking up brake air lines, throwing switches, spotting cars etc. So a lot of walking in all types of weather. If your good with that, the pay is great and you'll move up over time.
It's a good job to get.

Im not a railroad worker, but i run a locomotive unloading cars, so ive run into railroad workers a lot.

a reply to: JinMI

I am. Send me a PM with any questions you have.

a reply to: JinMI

I guess it would depend on what you're doing for the RR.

I've never worked in the RR sector, but I've known more than a few people who have. For the most part they all seem to have loved working for the RR, but it's an strange business to be sure. I think it takes a certain kind of person / personality to do it. For some strange reason it's kind of a secretive business.

Seems like it kind of breaks down into several broad categories:

Tracks
Trains
Maintenance
Engineering / Office

Of the people I've known it seems like the people who work trains and maintenance like it the best. Track guys like it if they like traveling, but they have some crazy schedules and they're gone a lot. Plus, I guess there's a lot of BS you have to put up with to get rank in track work. From everyone I've ever talked to, trains are the hardest area to get into and it can take a while (read: years) to get enough seniority to do what you want. There's not a lot of attrition, so you're literally waiting for guys to retire to move up. Maintenance seems pretty much like any mechanical maintenance job, just everything is huge. Engineering / Office is probably like any Engineering / Office job I imagine, but I've never really known anyone in this area personally. Most of the guys I knew were either tracks, trains or maintenance.

I've probably bastardized the RR terminology / lexicon pretty badly, but that's sort of how I see it based on the guys I knew. Benefits and pensions seem to be some of the best...if you can make it that long.

a reply to: caterpillage

A lot of walking...in some pretty ugly walking conditions (not referring to weather as much as terrain...track bedding is some tough stuff to walk on for any distance).

Speaking of trains and RR work...I have a question for those in the know.

I was talking with a guy one time who worked for a big earthwork company in Wyoming. He told me that when there's a train derailment where cars split open the RR companies would call them up and have them come out and just bury all of the cargo right on the spot (all of it). There was no attempt to salvage anything, in fact it was forbidden. Had something to do with insurance and risk.

Can someone shed some light on this?

Note - This discussion happened about 20 years ago, so it may be different now, but I always remembered that.

a reply to: JinMI


I'm not, but I understand if you make the move you'll be doing this all the live long day.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: caterpillage

A lot of walking...in some pretty ugly walking conditions (not referring to weather as much as terrain...track bedding is some tough stuff to walk on for any distance).

Definitely, anyone doing that job needs to invest in a top quality pair of boots. Those rocks are murder on the feet

a reply to: JinMI

Have you applied for an apprenticeship?

www.indeed.com...

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I was talking with a guy one time who worked for a big earthwork company in Wyoming. He told me that when there's a train derailment where cars split open the RR companies would call them up and have them come out and just bury all of the cargo right on the spot (all of it). There was no attempt to salvage anything, in fact it was forbidden. Had something to do with insurance and risk.

My younger brother is a full time fire fighter in memphis Tn. A Lt. Also Tenn. Task force 1 urban search and rescue...

He told me pretty much the same thing a couple years ago...

a reply to: FauxMulder

Cheque yo inbawx.

a reply to: olaru12

I have, thanks.

We'll see if I even get an interview. There is quite the worker shortage up here in MI for skilled trades.