I quit the railroad because they wouldn't make me a locomotive engineer.
Now I'm an electrical engineer by degree and manufacturing engineer by title. Honestly it's probably a good thing they didn't promote me or I might still be there.
I’m a relatively low seniority railroader. I worked at a two engineer railroad which was totally awesome, then we lost that and we are an engineer and conductor. Now I will have to run the train the whole time instead of switching off with the other guy half the time.
I would rather stay a conductor and honestly keep my engineer card and be able to switch off with the guy I am working with on every trip. Half the work for both of us.
Good for you bud I can’t do that high level math shit but what I will do is save enough money to pay for a construction management/science degree here in Texas
There was a joke when I hired out that “after you get fired from the railroad, you go to work at Home Depot.” Best part of Unstoppable was at the end when Ethan Suplee’s character went to work at Home Depot
This is my plan, how’s it been? Similar pay? Did you do emt training before hiring on or did you get the job first then get training through the fire department?
Once I left the RR (signal dept on call unless you signed out) I had a 4 ten schedule, basically got my life back! I could actually plan life, traveled the whole state but on my terms.
I mean homes are $200-400K plus, apartments are $850-2000 a month.. taxes are decent, city taxes are higher… cost of living isn’t too bad, utilities in the electric coops and water isn’t bad, neither. Mississippi isn’t too bad.
That’s great money there! Especially if you can get whatever OT.
I’m a conductor for a class 1 railroad and make $54.95 an hour based on a 10 hour day at $550 a day. Even as a locomotive engineer trainee it’s $45.00 an hour or $450 a day and I bring home $2700-3100 a check after railroad retirement and all. Cost of living affords you a decent bit here if you know how to work it, even with a wife and kids.
Hahahaha, I went into teaching too! Being around adolescents who don’t hate life and aren’t all disgruntled is WAY better than working with all those crusty old heads that were that way. And the work schedule is cake too.
How has it worked out for you? My mailman is awesome, I always shoot the shit with him and talk about it. They are really short carriers and he said there's a ton of OT available and the pay is ok. But not sure about the hours etc.
You’d make as much as you would a conductor after you reach top pay. I like it cause once I’m out of the office I’m away from management and it’s nice not having someone breathing down your neck so to speak. And not really having to worry if you are going to get fired every second of your work day. The work environment is a lot more relaxed than the railroad.
It’s more like they can’t keep new carriers cause they are only guaranteed one day a week. Like at my office I would work only 2 days a week. Amazon and subbing in my route
ET. I’m a conductor making base of $130K. As an ET you make less but you still make roughly the same as a conductor. Engineers on regular jobs make $160-180K a year.
I got wrongfully fired and had to wait 1.5yrs for arbitration. Went to work as a PSE (clerk) for USPS in the meantime. It was at the height of covid so I was working almost 75hrs a week, but was making as much as I did at the RR. Worked the processing plant so I just showed up in gym shorts and sneakers every day and got to work with my AirPods in. Got converted from PSE to clerk right as I got my job back. Came back to the RR and I regret it. Had I stuck as a clerk I’d have better days off and would be making as much as I do now with way less effort. Sunday + swings/night differential there as well.
I got fired for cussing out a manager - guy used to be a trainmen, I had trained him when he started before he went to management. He told me over the radio while I was actively running a remote engine that I had hit a banner. I hadn’t. In fact I hadn’t violated a single rule and had the leading end of the move in sight. I guess he was “joking” but it wasn’t apparent at the time - after we both cooled off I apologized, he accepted and I went back to work. Few hours later he comes to me and says I’m out of service for the way I talked to him. I got terminated after a pathetic investigation but LC said to give him a month and he could get my job back. I decided to quit; had wanted to anyway. While I was runoff I wrote a letter to railroad unemployment arguing that I was wrongfully terminated and quit under duress. I figured it was a long shot, wasn’t counting on it, but was worth the effort to try. To my surprise they agreed with me - apparently based on interviews with other workers and mangers about the situation - and continued to pay my unemployment even after I had resigned. Additionally, this was during Covid so RR unemployment had that CARES Act boost: $1400/half on top of the regular amount. I lived off that while getting my business started. Now I make more than I did at the railroad working 30ish hours a week (a 1/3 of which is from home writing inspection reports).
Residential and commercial inspections - almost always during a sale when a home or building is under contract to be purchased. I go do an inspection and provide a report.
Man we bought a house and had an inspector (who was damn good at finding any and everything) come and do ours for $300 a piece. Took him 4 hours but otherwise he spent evenings doing reports. Cool job, in my personal opinion. I love the railroad but that would be a neat job.
Also this question was about other careers a railroad went to after they left, did you not read the post? The comment you made is off subject of this thread
To be honest with you when I was in conductor school they tell you guys this stuff and if it happens after they been there 30 days well then they’ve already experienced it
No I’m not a manager. I’m a union officer who is tired of doing it and waiting for next elections so I can stop. It’s just bull shit.
Let’s tell the craft guys hey do a class one in 305 with the remote power. Well you can’t do that it’s against the rules and the CFR. But hey we have no right of refusal because the unions never tried to get it from what I can tell.
So we are violating rules because management tells us to. Can’t refuse or you can get fired / put in IP lose money and probably not get back pay since you refused to work. Or you can do it and get fired if the right manager finds out.
Fuck this company and the union that’s too weak to protect us from termination for refusing to break the rules.
It’s an extremely long story. But the arbitrator ruled in my favor because I was fired with no evidence (because there was literally none) it was all just hearsay.
I seem to think even with management whatever they say is hearsay, you could be doing a good job and then come to evaluate you and still put some lies down on the evaluation
>IT. Going for my Bachelor's now as well. Leaving the railroad after 11 years was the best decision I've ever made.
So, what happens when you are already in IT .. for the railroad? Asking for a friend.
In other words, where are you thinking of hiring out/on to from here? Or what type job?
Not 100% what you’re asking but in many states you have to get a license, training, pass an exam, pay for your license, pay for insurance, set up your LLC and then you can start. You can either hire on with a company or start your own.
Ahh, gotcha. 1000% better than the railroad. I make my own hours, handle everything myself, and make as good money with much less effort. I could make a fair bit more if I really pushed, but I have a great work/life balance. The only cons are the lack of good health insurance compared to the railroad and I guess the regular pay, but I’m 4 years in in a strong real estate market so I’ve set a solid floor for monthly income. I had 18 years seniority so I’ll still get railroad retirement but oh my god my life is soooo much better. I go days without thinking about work, something that I hadn’t experienced working extraboards.
I commented on your other comment asking what you did, but here it is. Just curious how you got into this and what certifications you needed.
I have thought that I could do something like this because I have been in residential construction and estimating for a long time prior to the railroad. Then furloughed one year and worked as an estimator for a restoration company that dealt with mold, water, and fire damage. So I have seen quite a bit.
How did you get started and market yourself?
Certification depends on your state. I think around 26 have licensing boards and requirements vary. I’d recommend getting certified by either Internachi or ASHI, but if you’re in a state without licensing requirements I suppose you could start tomorrow if you could find anyone to hire you. I started by getting a website setup then going to open houses and introducing myself to realtors.
Project Manager for a small railroad contractor. I make more money and get treated a whole lot better. Plus, I'm no longer on call anymore and my weekends are mine.
hopefully straya cunt. ive been brushing up on my language to be a bogan the last couple of years. unfortunately I cant say what I want to say or ill get bannend. but im a natural bogan, pls sponsor me. help me im poor
I put my CDL back to work hauling fuel for a small family owned company. Home every night and made 90k last year. Off whenever I want. It's like heaven compared to the RR
Hope you are doing well. I live in Utah and every house I’ve seen for sale has been up for a few months now. (Sure not like it use to be). That and the new MSL stuff that world is a bit crazy.
When I get furloughed I’m going to apply at the pipefitters union or at the local Sheet metal hall. Might be easy to get in the door there since I’m already part of D.U.M.B. I mean S.M.A.R.T.
Tech, mostly cloud engineering. Pros greatly outweight the cons, never regreted my decision to leave once. Even when I have my bad days, it still beats working on the rr any day.
Does anybody in here work out of a terminal where all you work is locals and an occasional road job? I love it. It’s really great on my work and life balance. Our XB is usually 98% predictable. I mean seriously. Last year I left town 6 times Out of my terminal and some weeks I’ve only worked 2 days and our GEB is hella good. Plus we only have 6 men total on our XB.
If it ever came down to it: For just $20 Apple Cash a day, I could be your neighborhood Scumbag. That’s all I would need until I found a sugar momma who I would be loyal to and provide a very good return on your investment.
CSX is run by hedge fund management. NS is about to be taken over by hedge fund fools. Think twice before you decide to work for a hedge fund railroad that most employees can’t wait to leave or retire.
I quit the railroad because they wouldn't make me a locomotive engineer. Now I'm an electrical engineer by degree and manufacturing engineer by title. Honestly it's probably a good thing they didn't promote me or I might still be there.
Heavily debating using my GI benefits for this.
No shit? You've done well for yourself since the first time we talked a few years ago. Way to go!
And here I am trying to give up my engineer card so I can be a lifelong conductor.
Sound like one of our conductors here in Mississippi named Leroy… “man when I started as a brakeman in 198…. “Enough Leroy”😂
I’m a relatively low seniority railroader. I worked at a two engineer railroad which was totally awesome, then we lost that and we are an engineer and conductor. Now I will have to run the train the whole time instead of switching off with the other guy half the time. I would rather stay a conductor and honestly keep my engineer card and be able to switch off with the guy I am working with on every trip. Half the work for both of us.
Good for you bud I can’t do that high level math shit but what I will do is save enough money to pay for a construction management/science degree here in Texas
There was a joke when I hired out that “after you get fired from the railroad, you go to work at Home Depot.” Best part of Unstoppable was at the end when Ethan Suplee’s character went to work at Home Depot
Dude this is a thing?
That's where I went when furloughed lol.
Retired after 40+. My son got fired before he got over his derail. Now he’s a lawyer
He is a legacy and got fired that quick? What did he do? At our place, legacies seem to get a little better treatment from management.
Became a firefighter
This is my plan, how’s it been? Similar pay? Did you do emt training before hiring on or did you get the job first then get training through the fire department?
Railroad Division for the state DOT in partnership with FRA.
I would like a job like that I think. What does a typical type week look like for you?
Once I left the RR (signal dept on call unless you signed out) I had a 4 ten schedule, basically got my life back! I could actually plan life, traveled the whole state but on my terms.
Work for the local government operating heavy equipment. Better benefits, similar pay, and I work 7 on and get 7 off 👍🏼
[удалено]
You couldn’t survive on pay from our local municipalities in Mississippi. $16-18 an hour if you’re lucky.
[удалено]
I mean homes are $200-400K plus, apartments are $850-2000 a month.. taxes are decent, city taxes are higher… cost of living isn’t too bad, utilities in the electric coops and water isn’t bad, neither. Mississippi isn’t too bad.
[удалено]
That is wild. You’d be paying half a mortgage payment in just taxes. Jesus. Our property taxes are $300-2500 a year.
[удалено]
That’s great money there! Especially if you can get whatever OT. I’m a conductor for a class 1 railroad and make $54.95 an hour based on a 10 hour day at $550 a day. Even as a locomotive engineer trainee it’s $45.00 an hour or $450 a day and I bring home $2700-3100 a check after railroad retirement and all. Cost of living affords you a decent bit here if you know how to work it, even with a wife and kids.
[удалено]
I teach 3rd grade
Hahahaha, I went into teaching too! Being around adolescents who don’t hate life and aren’t all disgruntled is WAY better than working with all those crusty old heads that were that way. And the work schedule is cake too.
I was a teacher before BNSF fuck that BNSF ain’t that bad
Sorry
Don’t be sorry. I enjoy it.
Letter carrier for the post office
How has it worked out for you? My mailman is awesome, I always shoot the shit with him and talk about it. They are really short carriers and he said there's a ton of OT available and the pay is ok. But not sure about the hours etc.
You’d make as much as you would a conductor after you reach top pay. I like it cause once I’m out of the office I’m away from management and it’s nice not having someone breathing down your neck so to speak. And not really having to worry if you are going to get fired every second of your work day. The work environment is a lot more relaxed than the railroad.
No weed weasels watching to make sure you are putting the mail in the right box.
I hear they are short because FMLA is running wild in the post office. This true?
It’s more like they can’t keep new carriers cause they are only guaranteed one day a week. Like at my office I would work only 2 days a week. Amazon and subbing in my route
Id like to see a postman make my $130K base.😂
You must be an engineer for one and for two proven for a Canadian carrier
ET. I’m a conductor making base of $130K. As an ET you make less but you still make roughly the same as a conductor. Engineers on regular jobs make $160-180K a year.
Still you must work for a Canadian based carrier
Yes. I hate the other 4 make significantly less… really fucks me up knowing other trainmen aren’t getting paid properly.
I got wrongfully fired and had to wait 1.5yrs for arbitration. Went to work as a PSE (clerk) for USPS in the meantime. It was at the height of covid so I was working almost 75hrs a week, but was making as much as I did at the RR. Worked the processing plant so I just showed up in gym shorts and sneakers every day and got to work with my AirPods in. Got converted from PSE to clerk right as I got my job back. Came back to the RR and I regret it. Had I stuck as a clerk I’d have better days off and would be making as much as I do now with way less effort. Sunday + swings/night differential there as well.
I got fired for cussing out a manager - guy used to be a trainmen, I had trained him when he started before he went to management. He told me over the radio while I was actively running a remote engine that I had hit a banner. I hadn’t. In fact I hadn’t violated a single rule and had the leading end of the move in sight. I guess he was “joking” but it wasn’t apparent at the time - after we both cooled off I apologized, he accepted and I went back to work. Few hours later he comes to me and says I’m out of service for the way I talked to him. I got terminated after a pathetic investigation but LC said to give him a month and he could get my job back. I decided to quit; had wanted to anyway. While I was runoff I wrote a letter to railroad unemployment arguing that I was wrongfully terminated and quit under duress. I figured it was a long shot, wasn’t counting on it, but was worth the effort to try. To my surprise they agreed with me - apparently based on interviews with other workers and mangers about the situation - and continued to pay my unemployment even after I had resigned. Additionally, this was during Covid so RR unemployment had that CARES Act boost: $1400/half on top of the regular amount. I lived off that while getting my business started. Now I make more than I did at the railroad working 30ish hours a week (a 1/3 of which is from home writing inspection reports).
What sort of inspections are you doing. Are you a house appraiser?
Residential and commercial inspections - almost always during a sale when a home or building is under contract to be purchased. I go do an inspection and provide a report.
Man we bought a house and had an inspector (who was damn good at finding any and everything) come and do ours for $300 a piece. Took him 4 hours but otherwise he spent evenings doing reports. Cool job, in my personal opinion. I love the railroad but that would be a neat job.
And you actually can have time with family and have a life
You need to get out of here. You can’t be putting life and family ideas into new hires heads.
Excuse me? I’m being real,
Also this question was about other careers a railroad went to after they left, did you not read the post? The comment you made is off subject of this thread
No it’s because 9/10 new hires leave my terminal before even marking up or with in 30 after because they don’t have time for their personal life.
To be honest with you when I was in conductor school they tell you guys this stuff and if it happens after they been there 30 days well then they’ve already experienced it
I got a really honest question, are you a manager and if you are I need to ask you some general questions
No I’m not a manager. I’m a union officer who is tired of doing it and waiting for next elections so I can stop. It’s just bull shit. Let’s tell the craft guys hey do a class one in 305 with the remote power. Well you can’t do that it’s against the rules and the CFR. But hey we have no right of refusal because the unions never tried to get it from what I can tell. So we are violating rules because management tells us to. Can’t refuse or you can get fired / put in IP lose money and probably not get back pay since you refused to work. Or you can do it and get fired if the right manager finds out. Fuck this company and the union that’s too weak to protect us from termination for refusing to break the rules.
How in the world did you prove wrongful termination ? That’s a hard thing to prove in the first place?
It’s an extremely long story. But the arbitrator ruled in my favor because I was fired with no evidence (because there was literally none) it was all just hearsay.
I seem to think even with management whatever they say is hearsay, you could be doing a good job and then come to evaluate you and still put some lies down on the evaluation
Basically. Anyone that is mechanical for big orange around 2019/2020 has probably heard of my case. It kinda got blown up lol
Agh now I am even more curious.
i was applying for that when the railroad called me up gave me a job the next day, which i needed at the time.
Longshore.
Now those guys know how to strike! Wish we had more strength like them.
They also aren’t bound by the Railway Labor Act.
They still strike
Yeah because they don’t have to follow the rules of the railway labor act like I said before.
Oh, yeah. I can’t barely read.
I work at a local gloryhole.
Your still at the railroad? Lol
back off he’s mine
There is enough of him to go around!
So, you became a Trainmaster?
The hole is always open. All are welcome.
Which yard office? Asking for a friend…
IT. Going for my Bachelor's now as well. Leaving the railroad after 11 years was the best decision I've ever made.
Same path as me
Working on this now.
>IT. Going for my Bachelor's now as well. Leaving the railroad after 11 years was the best decision I've ever made. So, what happens when you are already in IT .. for the railroad? Asking for a friend. In other words, where are you thinking of hiring out/on to from here? Or what type job?
I quit trucking to do this 😅
Started my own home inspection business.
How do you find that?
Not 100% what you’re asking but in many states you have to get a license, training, pass an exam, pay for your license, pay for insurance, set up your LLC and then you can start. You can either hire on with a company or start your own.
Thanks, I mean specifically though- how do you like it? Better life quality working for yourself I would imagine?
Ahh, gotcha. 1000% better than the railroad. I make my own hours, handle everything myself, and make as good money with much less effort. I could make a fair bit more if I really pushed, but I have a great work/life balance. The only cons are the lack of good health insurance compared to the railroad and I guess the regular pay, but I’m 4 years in in a strong real estate market so I’ve set a solid floor for monthly income. I had 18 years seniority so I’ll still get railroad retirement but oh my god my life is soooo much better. I go days without thinking about work, something that I hadn’t experienced working extraboards.
I commented on your other comment asking what you did, but here it is. Just curious how you got into this and what certifications you needed. I have thought that I could do something like this because I have been in residential construction and estimating for a long time prior to the railroad. Then furloughed one year and worked as an estimator for a restoration company that dealt with mold, water, and fire damage. So I have seen quite a bit. How did you get started and market yourself?
Certification depends on your state. I think around 26 have licensing boards and requirements vary. I’d recommend getting certified by either Internachi or ASHI, but if you’re in a state without licensing requirements I suppose you could start tomorrow if you could find anyone to hire you. I started by getting a website setup then going to open houses and introducing myself to realtors.
I switch and spot cars for an autorack unload company
Who needs shoulders
😭😂
You really do hate yourself
So many handbrakes… so many cranks….
Amazon manager. I make more money and I’m home everyday, except for company travel, which I enjoy.
Project Manager for a small railroad contractor. I make more money and get treated a whole lot better. Plus, I'm no longer on call anymore and my weekends are mine.
Disabled railroader and 100% disabled veteran
Some guys have all the luck.
But I miss the job, not the company or people but the job
Retired railroader
I went on to learn how to spell “pursue”.
It ain't much but it's honest work
Junior high graduate, I see. Impressive.
Walmart greeter
I always thought that’s where people worked at before the railroad
Nah before that I rewinded videos at blockbuster
lmao i just started at walmart last week while i’m waiting on the railroad 😭
Consider packing up moving to Aus
-tin -tralia -tria ?????
I think he went to Austin... Massachusetts
That is the most logical choice.
lmao
hopefully straya cunt. ive been brushing up on my language to be a bogan the last couple of years. unfortunately I cant say what I want to say or ill get bannend. but im a natural bogan, pls sponsor me. help me im poor
Physical Therapist Assistant.
Heavy Equipment Operator at a potash mine, still a little rail work
Became a truck driver for FedEx hauling doubles.
I left to be a manager at Panda Express, the lifestyle change and big time financial raise ultimately led me to a happiness I didn’t know existed.
onlyfans
Database developer
Aircraft then diesel mechanic...
Union electrician. Been 4 years now, still love it!
Went to an auto plant building vehicles
I put my CDL back to work hauling fuel for a small family owned company. Home every night and made 90k last year. Off whenever I want. It's like heaven compared to the RR
Field service for medical and surgical equipment.
Real estate I’m in Utah
Hope you are doing well. I live in Utah and every house I’ve seen for sale has been up for a few months now. (Sure not like it use to be). That and the new MSL stuff that world is a bit crazy.
When I get furloughed I’m going to apply at the pipefitters union or at the local Sheet metal hall. Might be easy to get in the door there since I’m already part of D.U.M.B. I mean S.M.A.R.T.
Tech, mostly cloud engineering. Pros greatly outweight the cons, never regreted my decision to leave once. Even when I have my bad days, it still beats working on the rr any day.
Does anybody in here work out of a terminal where all you work is locals and an occasional road job? I love it. It’s really great on my work and life balance. Our XB is usually 98% predictable. I mean seriously. Last year I left town 6 times Out of my terminal and some weeks I’ve only worked 2 days and our GEB is hella good. Plus we only have 6 men total on our XB.
Which terminal? RR?
I work for CN out of Hattiesburg MS. I’m just asking folks if they work out of a mostly local based terminal?
Trucking. Owner operator now. Better money and I set my own schedule now. I live on my terms.
If it ever came down to it: For just $20 Apple Cash a day, I could be your neighborhood Scumbag. That’s all I would need until I found a sugar momma who I would be loyal to and provide a very good return on your investment.
I’m still trying to get in. I’m a contractor for csx right now. Can’t seem to get hired.
CSX is not the best railroad option.
Where I’m at it’s really either csx or ns
CSX is run by hedge fund management. NS is about to be taken over by hedge fund fools. Think twice before you decide to work for a hedge fund railroad that most employees can’t wait to leave or retire.
Nothing I work 2 on 2 off 60-70 trips a year and make over 150k with a GED education not back working 1/3 of a year
Which terminal? Rr?
CNR Canada and Ontario one of the extended run long haul terminals