I’m applying to CP currently for a conductor position. I’ve always wanted to work for the railroad as long as Ive had memories. I tried once years ago and had 2 interviews but in the end was passed over for more qualified candidates. Now I’m ready to try again and I’m just hoping to get another chance. I need to make a change in my life. I’m tired of the same old same old and always trying to catch up instead of getting ahead. No wife or girlfriend. No kids. I figure if I’m gonna do it, now would be the time.

Damn thats fucked up, they dont care much for their employees. I wanted to work fir NS until watching one of your videos about them going in ppls hotel rooms

I had the COOLEST thing happen today! I met a train master out of Acca yard in Richmond Virginia, and we got to talking about work in acca, and he told me to hire on there and then transfer out to Tennessee. What are your thoughts in this?

Dont get me wrong dude, i know times have changed, I know things arent what they used to be, but people have gotten soft. For generations, a railroad worker has been known to have "2 of everything" two cars, two houses, two boats, some even two wives, etc. The trade off was, you came to work and theyd line your pockets with as much money as you wanted. People started wanting more time off, and the carriers said "ok, we'll give it to you but we'll pay you less" and they started coming after claims, coming after pay, benefits, etc. It was a beautiful place to be when attendance was never an issue, back before the government got involved and said we HAD to take rest days, and we HAD to take 10 hours rest. It made railroaders lazy. The carrier never cared or even noticed if you marked off sick for 30 days at a time because they always had people to run trains. Anymore its just people who sit on their ass half not knowing how to even do their job, that want maximum pay for minimum hours. Those days left when people started crying for more time off.

Assuming that i get time to study signals, how long do i get to study them. It seems like there is a lot of different signal types. I mean i see a ton of different types of signals on the csx and even Norfolk Southern tracks where i live.

Word on the street is that Rock Island Rail is going to file to discontinue service on the Clarksdale line.

I will admit I don’t know much about trains or the derailments that have happened the past few years, but complaining about paying an extra engineer is ridiculous if it improves safety. These trains pass through our communities and there should be no amount spared. Hell if you need to charge a little more for the freight! Maybe I’m an idiot, but I just don’t see any logical argument against 2 man crews.

I want to work for CSX in the future and I have some questions 1: can I take days off 2: if I have a child, can I take them with me 3:what's training for a train engineer like

The anxiety and testing your mental toughness and testing your relationship is a very real thing. I’m aircraft maintenance looking to get into railroading I work the overnight shift I don’t travel nearly as much as you guys do but it does test you mentally and it will make or break your relationship even just working overnights can make you feel alienated from your family. It’s a very real thing and guys don’t talk about it much if at all. Well said sir

45 years old, still dream of railroading, but I'm to old and the young years are gone, not gonna be able to work a yard.

This was really cool! 👍

Been a while since I've been here but,i must say..... if you have a choice between working for the railroad and having your junk cut off...... say bye bye to your junk. less stress and less headache... Bro i need to message you maybe tomorrow....i think you'd like to hear the story of how NS and I parted ways last year.....ill be in touch with ya and yeah, this story i may just do a live feed for myself...... SMH.... stay safe brother and holler at me when you get a minute...

Me too i wanna work for csx i loved trains since i was younger and never get tired of watching them and love it when they honk for me

It also depends on the demand my hire date was June 16 1997 I got qualified in Nashville turned in in September I think transferred to etowah tn APKD then in march of 98 me and 4 more guys were headed to Cumberland Maryland so my experience as a conductor was limited which was fine to me I wanted to be an engineer anyway it pays more and it rarely gets boring but it is a lot more responsibility I can tell you take your turn do not pass it up they will let you as long as there is someone younger to take it but sooner or later they can force you to take it and when they do you go behind everybody else you will even go behind younger marked up conductors they haven’t offered it too because they haven’t had the opportunity to go but you have and turned it down it’s complicated to explain bottom line if you plan on making this a career don’t turn it down

I know in 97 I had to take an achievement like test I think it had 4 timed tests and a hogan’s personality test besides a back ground check and a physical for CSX I’m like you I don’t remember much about the background check I know when the guy started speaking to the class he said if you had been convicted of DUI in the last five years you might as well get up and leave then he said that honestly if you had ever been convicted of a DUI or felony of any kind he said honestly you might as well leave so I don’t know things may have changed what really helped me is I had worked for a CSX contractor for about 5 years so i could run heavy equipment I could weld so like you said put down everything also I had a perfect score on the entrance exam the lady said I was only the third person to do that so if you really want to stand out have good scores but it also opens up too many doors a lot of times they want to put you in their management program which might be your thing it just wasn’t mine I had rather go to work when they call and live my life when they don’t and I can tell you if you are in management you are the railroad they can send you anywhere they want too with about 48 hours notice and if you don’t your fired

been there and have done all of this stuff try it at 19 below zero with the wind and snow blowing and its a different story entire.

It’s not bad

$1 PBR night at Applebees LMAO I can only imagine the shit show

Love the info bro!! I start school in Atlanta on January 6!! I’ve drove trucks and operated equipment most of my life!! Swapping from job to job!! I’m 42 so a little late getting to stat but better late than never and I’ve always wanted to do this!! So I’m ready to start this career and not have to swap jobs anymore!! Any advice??

How many guys in your class failed. What’s the pass to fail ratio

am I the only one is here because i was stuck in traffic waiting for the train to pass by?

You have to really love what you do if you work for a 24 7 365 industry especially if travel is required or you will hate your life and you won’t last long. I’ve never worked the railroads I’m aircraft maintenance for one of the major airlines I work 4 10hr overnight shifts travel is not required but the occasional road trip is offered for a broken plane in a non company station that I never do anymore the younger guys usually take them. Work life balance is good but I do miss out on some family events and some holidays but I love my job I’m a airplane nerd

I used my bulletins once

Get wet butt wipes instead!!

I work(ed) at CN. 3rd Generation. Been a Conductor since 2001. I was recently fired for getting injured. (Isn't the 1st time) I'll be back again eventually. Never seen a company pay so much money and time into hiring new employees only to spend the rest of their career trying to FIRE THEM.

Good topic

Are there inspectors in the United States who can fine a conductor or train driver for violating safety or occupational health regulations? And do they set up ambushes to catch an employee for a violation

Are there inspectors in the United States who can fine a conductor or train driver for violating safety or occupational health regulations? And do they set up ambushes to catch an employee for a violation

Are there inspectors in the United States who can fine a conductor or train driver for violating safety or occupational health regulations? And do they set up ambushes to catch an employee for a violation

Are there inspectors in the United States who can fine a conductor or train driver for violating safety or occupational health regulations? And do they set up ambushes to catch an employee for a violation

Our railroad don’t let us get off moving equipment

How many of you out there can tell me what a torpedo is? Not the maritime version.

They do it all, this coming from the son of an Illinois Central conductor on passenger til 71' and freight as a brakeman switchman starting in 59', then he bid on the Fulton KY coal run in 83', almost a 3 day round trip, hauling Powder River Basin coal from WY from the Sauget Il Hump, when he started he worked out of E StL, Madison/Venice yards then the Sauget yard was built, then the Ballwin coal haul came up for bid and with his seniority I doubt anyone bid on that one. And without 1 sick day in any of the contracts, and it's still that way to this day.

Dad started working for Illinois Central in 59', I'm 58 and back in 70' he took me to the yard in the brand spankin new Rally Red Road Runner he just bought where I met his boss Sy, Dad worked passenger as a conductor and also worked freight back in the caboose when they still were in use, he was classified as a brakeman/switchman, then became a freight conductor in the caboose, then around 83' he bid on the Fulton KY coal run and got it as freight conductor up front so to speak, then the big kahuna of coal run jobs for Dad's subdivision, Ballwin Lake Power plant came up for bid and, well I doubt there were many that signed knowing Dad was gonna get it. Back to that new Road Runner, he took me to A yard, to my best recollection I think it was the Madison/Venice yard and I got to operate a locomotive, I wasn't even kindergarten yet, and about 5-6 cars with a caboose about 250 yds then reverse all while knowing about the slack, Dad passed in 13' I've got some stories about things that you would not believe from hunting rabbits and quail creeping along to a buddy of Dad's that saw a big hornets nest in a tree after they got a stop order out in BFE, well Dad and Moss went back out there after getting back to the yard, well because beer, lol, and Moss(think noodling inventor) climbed up that tree with an Army duffle bag and well you know the rest, wait, they went to a bar called The Judy Inn in Glen Carbon IL, after realizing said hornets nest was still in the trunk of this 76 Impala that 6 IC guys had a key too, taxi's took too long, they told everyone in the bar what they had in the trunk, no one believes them, so the proof had to be in the puddin, needless to say the hornets had chewed through the canvas duffle bag and when Moss, I know Dad well enough to know he didn't open the trunk, well all that were there, about 25 from what Dad said had to stay there til the sun came up, about 7 hrs, because the hornets were all over the place.

Dad worked for Illinois Central starting in 59', he worked passenger as conductor and freight until IC stopped passenger service in 71' he worked out of E StL/Madison/Venice then the Sauget hump as a brakeman switchman when cabooses were still being used, he mentioned many times that cooks could cook you up everything from biscuits and gravy to pork steaks, and of course back then, and I'm not condoning it but RR workers liked to drink a few, and it was nothing back then. Dad eventually got the seniority to bid on the Fulton Ky coal run hauling the coal from the Powder River Basin, 2nd best bid job for his seniority, it was almost a 3 day round trip but hauling coal is the best job because you're only hauling 1 thing, then he got the Ballwin Lake Power plant job hauling the same WY coal there 2 loads a day.

Работаю машинистом тепловоза в России, интересна как эта же работа в вашей стране.

I am a train conductor in Brazil , i dont know if you guys are open for foreigners , i would like to work in a developed country

Hello I've recently applied and received my second email that my application has been moved to the next step, do you know how long it normally takes to get the next steps which I'm assuming will be the interview

Awesome Video! THis is the life for me.

Thanks for your videos. I grew up super close to a N&W track as a kid.. The engineer actually let my dad and i see the inside of the engine back in the late 70’s early 80’s.. I have always had a love for trains. Ironically my buddy is a CSX conductor and engineer… He said they call people like me that love trains “foamers” .. btw nice guitar 🎸 i play too and always had an interest in what its like to be a conductor. Im 56 but prob too old to look into it… but its great to watch these videos.sorry to hear about your friend. Glad hes ok