Hey wmt!
Congrats! You have to be over at Deer Path on Friday? You'll prob. be there all day to hear speeches from the higher-ups. Whatever you do, <b>don't fall asleep</b>. If Mike Wilson gives a speech, act like it is the most important thing you ever heard...
Some of you may be assigned to the road as new ACTs, but most of you will land in the yard. I don't know if they started the ACT extra board yet, or if they are still doing a schedule thing. If they started the ACT extra board, you will work anywhere, anytime.
Right now in Harrisburg/Enola, both the road extra boards are close to full. However, they never stay that way for long, and there is talk about expanding the size of the list anyhow. Most people move off the extra list when they can hold a job and some of the guys/gals on the extra board are only there for a short time to make $. In fact, I bumped onto the extra list to make some extra $ this month. I've had 28 starts so far this month, and will probably be called out tonight as well. Considering today is the 29th, you can guess how fast the list is turning. I've never seen the extra list full, but I guess it is possible. The yard extra lists are not even half full, so you may be assigned there. You may also be force assigned a job if nobody else wants it. (Usually the jobs that nobody wants are the ones that make the least amount of money. As soon as you start making money, someone will bump you off the job. Welcome to union bullsheet.) You may also be able to take a temporary job. If someone takes a leave or goes off to school for something, you can hold their job for a while.
Anyway it works out, I wouldn't worry about it.THERE IS TONS OF WORK OUT THERE. We are chronically short of crews. When you get marked up, the NS will put you to work, probably the next day (no kidding).
Right now just worry about getting through Phase II.. You aren't qualified to do anything, so nobody will expect much out of you.
My biggest advice to you is to tune out all those guys that bitch and moan. You will find a lot of bitter boneheads out there. Don't listen to them! Hang in there, the ACT thing is only temporary.
Oh and Amtrak...you will only need to qualify on Amtrak if you work the Enola side, nothing to worry about now, you'll do that in Phase IV.
If you need anything at all, write to me! Check your private messages.
-r
PS: If the guys let you get on the locomotive first, they just want to look at your ass.