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  • Anyone worked as a conductor in Grand Junction, Colorado?

  • General discussion about working in the railroad industry. Industry employers are welcome to post openings here.
General discussion about working in the railroad industry. Industry employers are welcome to post openings here.

Moderator: thebigc

 #577335  by ArkansasAlex
 
Hello all, I recently attended and completed the conductor training corse at N.A.R.S. And I recieved a conditional job offer with BNSF for Conductor Trainee (primary recall) for Grand Junction, Colorado. I went and took my drug screening/medical test, and I think I am finished with all of the test. I know this isn't anything 100%, but I have started researching the city, and surounding area. So what I am wondering, is if anyone on this board has any experience in that area, as a conductor or any other RR position. It looks like a nice city, with plenty to do (but hopefully I will be working too much to do anything, except rest up), but it is hard to actually tell much about a place from reading about it on the web. Someone told me there might not be much work, he said not many trains are ran through there daily. Does anyone know if this is true or not?

Thanks in advance, I God willing, I will be working with you all soon.
-Alex
 #578151  by ArkansasAlex
 
Anyone else have any experience, or heard much about this location? I have been so stressed out, waiting to hear the final decision from BNSF. This is probably the most stressfull situation I have been in, in a while. But I am hoping for the best. Oh, and it felt good to get an email from the HR represenative that interviewed me, she said that the class had been moved back to Oct. 13th. I was so nervous when I saw I had an email from BNSF, I almost didn't read it, lol.

So, if anyone has heard anything about the area, or even heard anything about working there it would be awesome, Thanks in advance.

-Alex
 #578363  by chemin-de-fer
 
GJ is a cool place, you can find some nice small-town neighborhoods or live nearer the downtown or out in the country. There are orchards to the east around Palisade, there's the mesa, flat-topped 10k feet with snow on top in late spring, theres Monument National Park with lots of hiking. You could live way up in the sky near Colbran. To the west not that far are the cool places to visit in Utah. So outdoorsy, artsy.

IIRC, BNSF runs on UP there, so you'll need to carry a whole library to work with you. The line east is gorgeous, you can see it if you drive on I-70. Also means you'll have to deal with UP dispatching, which ain't great. UP mostly runs coal through there.

Winters can be rough. Lots of retired folks. Some surprising amenities for a town that size. Like an REI and a nice outfitter downtown. Good eats.

Sounds like an ideal mix, nice Colorado town and BNSF.
 #578637  by ArkansasAlex
 
Thanks for the info! It seems really nice up there, I think I would really like it! Like I mentioned, my offer was conditional, so it is not a sure thing. Hopefully I will hear the final decision in the next few weeks. A few people have told me that BNSF doesn't run many trains up there, so that kinda sucks. I have heard it is a really laid back town, but still has some stuff to do. I think you're right about BNSF using UP track up there (atleast that is what my father told me, he retired from BNSF a few years ago as a yardmaster). That would be ok with me, just more stuff to carry around.

Thanks again
-Alex
 #583849  by conrail_engineer
 
ArkansasAlex wrote:Anyone else have any experience, or heard much about this location? I have been so stressed out, waiting to hear the final decision from BNSF. This is probably the most stressfull situation I have been in, in a while. But I am hoping for the best. Oh, and it felt good to get an email from the HR represenative that interviewed me, she said that the class had been moved back to Oct. 13th. I was so nervous when I saw I had an email from BNSF, I almost didn't read it, lol.

So, if anyone has heard anything about the area, or even heard anything about working there it would be awesome, Thanks in advance.

-Alex
Grand Junction is a smallish, high-desert town in the Western Slope region of the Rockies. It's a town with character...not in and of itself the prettiest location; but you're within an hour's driving time to some magnificent outdoor recreation areas. The air is fresh and thin; and the people are friendly.

I would move there in a heartbeat; but if you're younger you might find things a bit dull to your taste.

This is a fabulous opportunity for you if you want to relocate to the Rocky Mountain area.
 #586482  by ArkansasAlex
 
Yea, I got the job and start training in Denver on the 20th of October. I have heard from a few people that Grand Junction is a really artsy area, and most people that I have talked to tell me it is somewhat of a dull town also. That isn't going to be a problem since the town I live in now has a population of 1300 people, haha, can't get much duller than that.

-Alex
 #586525  by slchub
 
I lay over in GJT on our run from SLC. You'll find GJT the perfect setting for the single guy, the family, the outdoorsy type, the artsy type, really anyone who likes all of the comforts of a big town (good medical, stores, variety of entertainment, etc) but still having the small town feel. If you have the need to go to the big city, SLC and Denver are close enough to drive to.
 #586555  by ArkansasAlex
 
slchub wrote:I lay over in GJT on our run from SLC. You'll find GJT the perfect setting for the single guy, the family, the outdoorsy type, the artsy type, really anyone who likes all of the comforts of a big town (good medical, stores, variety of entertainment, etc) but still having the small town feel. If you have the need to go to the big city, SLC and Denver are close enough to drive to.

That seems to be the way everyone describes GJ, really laid back, and more of a small town atmosphere than a big city. I am glad you said it is a cool place for a single guy, although I am hoping to be working too much to find out if you're telling the truth, haha

-Alex