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Gadfly has given you good advice. You just have to "go with the flow". Don't start out a railroad career with the expectation that you will never have to spend your rest period in a hotel. 90 mile runs from a designated home terminal is an unusual situation, and, given that jobs are held d...

I've never worked with an automated call system, but many Dispatchers will give you a little extra call time if you ask for it. A two hour call is not unreasonable. If that is not possible, see if the Dispatcher can give you at least a rough estimate of when you will be called. If he can, head to yo...

True "Candy Apple" colors are a two-part paint. I don't know if CP uses real Candy Apple red, as it would be pretty expensive. For a real Candy Apple Red, a translucent red topcoat would be applied over a metallic undercoat. Most Candy Reds are translucent red applied over a gold basecoat....

13, I think the idea of pissing on a grave is pretty disturbing. Very boorish...I don't think I could have watched that without confronting the perp. Gadfly, Don't you wish you could have used a forklift? Put the crate in the baggage car on a pallet jack and run the tines of the fork lift under it. ...

That is so true! People can either handle that lifestyle or they can't, and the ones that can tend to thrive in it. It is an internal motivation that enables railroaders to be self-starters and able to work without close supervision. The railroads do understand that, maybe because many of the manage...

At the time I worked on the Milwaukee Road in Madison, WI in 1973-74, we used the former coach yard for TOFC. Three former coach tracks alongside the turntable were fitted with end ramps for circus-style loading and unloading. Much of the business was in cars operated by subsidiary Milwaukee Motor T...

EM2000, Reading your reply, I get the distinct impression that you do not know what you are talking about. Have you ever held either position? If so, for how long? If your impression of the job of a conductor is someone who sits in the left-hand seat and sleeps, I don't suppose that would have worke...

Yes. It is true. The Engineer and the Conductor share joint responsibility for the safety of the train. The Engineer is responsible for the safe and proper operation of the locomotive(s). The Conductor is responsible for, in addition to train safety, the proper care and delivery of all cars in the t...

13ronin, Whether 39 cars are a lot depends on the context. If on a local train with 25 or 30 industries to serve, that would be a lot. Remember that many industries require getting more than one car at a time. How many places you have to switch is more important than how many cars. Some places have ...

You might try spraying on a thinned water-based acrylic varnish. These are available in matte, satin, and gloss finish at craft stores.

Les

It sounds like you have already had to put up with a lot of the features of train crew service. I have to admit, I could not do what you are doing now. The part I think I wouldn't be able to take would be working with grieving families every week. That would get to me pretty quick. Anyway, to help a...

I doubt if any railroad would give you a leave of absence so you can go work as a contractor. You need to either do this or not, and don't try to have it both ways. Most contract agencies will not let you quit contracting to work for the railroad they sent you to. There is an agreement with them you...

Don't even think about taking a contract job that does not pay Railroad Retirement. I worked through two agencies that supplied both engineers and conductors, and those jobs were always covered. If you are working for an engineering contractor (like Herzog) doing maintenance of way work, you will pr...

Well, now there's some good news!

Les

CNJ999, MR used to be an inspiring magazine, well worth its cover price. I used to buy (or subscribe) to both MR and RMC because I could learn much and gain much inspiration from each of them. The first issue of MR I bought was the Jan. 1969 issue that featured a big photo essay: "A Local Run o...