Miner Dave wrote:
Well, I still have to graduate from HS, and then go to a nearby Tech school for machinist/welding training. The local shops are hiring, and I see that as a stepping stone. I want to work around the equipment before I decide to become an engineer. I wnat to know if that is really what I want to do.
Dave,
Well, yeah, I mean you for sure need to graduate from high school to get just about anywhere. As far as working around equipment, I'd go around bugging short line operators after you graduate and make it clear you'd want a job with them and would even be willing to make sacrifices on pay or hours to gain experience. But try not to come across too much as a "foamer". Just show dedication and work ethic, that's all. Once you can show you have experience, you can always go knocking on Class 1 doors later.
You know, I can tell you a personal story. When I was in high school many, many years ago (in the 1960's, in fact), I wanted a career in railroading in the worst way imaginable. My mom had a very close friend whose brother worked for the SP as a brakeman on the road at Tucson, Arizona. (This was still 4-person crew days). I was like "Oh my gosh! I HAVE to meet the guy!".
So, we were invited over for the evening one time and his father was also there who was a switchman in the yard in Phoenix. It was a most enjoyable evening and they told me a lot of neat railroad stories. When it was time to go home, the guy told me, "When you turn 18, give me a call and I'll get you on. I know people". But then tragedy struck. I had some health issues that made this impossible. The health issues were fleeting and I never had another problem after I turned 19 but, of course, I didn't know that at the time.
So, I was encouraged to go to college and get a degree so that I could get a job later in RR management. Yeah, that sounded good, I thought, but it only took ONE semester of freshman economics to change my mind about that! Then disaster struck again in the 1970's with the Penn Central bankrupty and all that other negative stuff that was going on at the time and I became discouraged. Over the years I forgot about pursuing a career in railroading. Then by the 1990's, a rail revival got underway and I began to think about it again. But by then, sadly, I was too old. In spite of my age, I interviewed for a conductor's position at Conrail in Elkhart. Nothing ever came of that but it was a wierd experience, that's for sure!
Then, I got a new idea. With the railroads coming back, maybe a better way to participate in that would be by buying stock in them. So, that's what I did. I now feel like I am a part of this industry but I have none of the disadvantages of working on the road. Life has indeed been good to me.
Regards,
Fred M. Cain
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
