Railroaders

**97Z4CZ28** · 12-01-2013, 03:03 PM

Just curious if there are any other folks that work for a railroad on the forum besides me???

**LTXMONTE** · 12-01-2013, 06:16 PM

I'm a short line dispatcher

**97Z4CZ28** · 12-02-2013, 01:18 AM

Where are you a dispatcher at and for what railroad? I am an Engineer out of Portsmouth, Ohio for Nazi Southern myself. I knew there had to be another railroader somewhere lol.

***Fastbird*** · 12-02-2013, 01:29 AM

How easy did you guys find it to break into the railroad industry? I know they like to hire Vets and it's something I've considered in the past.

**97Z4CZ28** · 12-03-2013, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Fastbird

How easy did you guys find it to break into the railroad industry? I know they like to hire Vets and it's something I've considered in the past.

Well I found it very easy but that was before they went all online applications so they can pick and choose very easily. Used to be you had to know someone or related t someone to get on the railroad, not anymore. Yes, they love Vets because of the rules oriented mentality of the railroad that Vets are accustomed to. It's great money and great benefits, we used to never pay a dime for benefits at all. Depending upon what one does for the railroad determines what type of lifestyle one has. Railroad I work through goes through Ft. Wayne actually. I know with NS go onto their website and you can find every job listing they are hiring for in each state they are in.

**Ardent_Z28** · 12-03-2013, 10:15 PM

I'm a Lead Locomotive Electrician on the Union Pacific Railroad. Been railroadin' 20 years this month & got 10 more to go till I "pull the pin". I hired out in Houston with the Southern Pacific Railroad, which "merged" with the UPRR. I kinda stumbled on this job in the Houston Chronicle after gettin' laid off from Houston Lighting & Power (now Reliant Energy...sponsor of Reliant Stadium next to the Astrodome). I cut my teeth working with 69KV, 138KV, and 345KV voltages building substations as a Journeyman Electrician, so the voltage levels on locomotives are small time to me. One can say I know the difference between a regular thief and a railroad thief...LOL.

**97Z4CZ28** · 12-04-2013, 11:20 AM

LOL that makes 3 of us so far...I knew there had to be more than just myself that worked on a railroad! UP...how are they to work for? They out of all of the Class 1 Carriers seem to be the best from my point of view. I wish they would take NS over! I've got just over 16 years now and all I want is 20 years or just over. My Wife is finishing her Masters and will be a Nurse Practioner...6 digit income, no need for me to slave away! I will be Mr. mom haha. The thought of having time to do what I want and such before becoming so old I can't is great. I will be 54 when I have my 20 years in, I'd be 64 when I have my 30 years in. The railroad industry is changing for the worse n so many ways I don't like it like I used to. Oh well guess we will see what time brings!

**Ardent_Z28** · 12-04-2013, 09:59 PM

The Up is like the other big corporations I've worked for in that they all have made some baffling idiotic business decisions. I like the railroad retirement cuz it's 3x social security, and I won't have to wait till I'm 67 to be fully vested. Americans can thank President Reagan for takin' that dump on the middle class!!! However, the UP is really big on hiring military ppl so I gotta say that makes 'em shine.

**LTXMONTE** · 12-17-2013, 09:03 PM

Sorry forgot all about this thread, I work for a company that runs a series of short line, WATCO companies, we dispatch for 27 railroads out of my office. I actually knew my chief when I hired in, she hit me up to apply. Short lines seem to be much easier to get hired on to with no to little experience for most positions. I've been doing this for a little under 9 years and have 29 to go if I wanna hit my 60. The benefits are excellent.

**97Z4CZ28** · 12-18-2013, 07:08 AM

Yes RR retirement is much better than SSI is! A lot of folks think that RR retirement is funded by the government and not one dime from the government goes into it. A lot of politicians like Ryan who wanted to take RR retirement doesn't understand we the workers fund it so the government has no right to it. Yes I will have 30 years in come 64 years of age if I make it that long! After I get my 20 which is about 3 years 9 months I dont care. Wife is an RN/BSN going back to get her Masters and then become a Nurse Practioner, so she makes better money than I do now and she will be raking in the bucks once she get her NP...so I have no desire to work until I am 64 and then be to old to wanna do anything else lol. Thats the plan but who knows. Yea I know UP is like the rest of them but NS isnt referred to as Nazi Southern because they are good to work for and believe it or not they are the lowest paying Class 1 carrier! They suck period. But I got to much time to let it go now so I am in it for the long haul. Yes the benifits are excellent than most, but then again we work for them and pay for them too. When I hired on we never paid a dime towards our insurance...nothing. LTXMonte I almost took a Dispatchers job once...glad I didn't...to much of a headache lol.