A few questions from a newbie

This is my first post on here but would love to get some information before deciding on a major career change . Any information, tips or advise will be appreciated. First off I'm 35 and married to a woman that I love to no end . I've been working at a job for 14 years where I get paid very well for this area ( about 50k- 55k annual ) and have seniority and home at nights. My wife is very understandung in whatever choice I make but I have a few questions regarding train crew employment at Union Pacific . I know that a train crew is basically a step behind a conductor. How long does it normally take on average to become a conductor?
Also I would love to get as much detailed info on how all the " undisturbed time " works and how that starts and the mandatory rest periods. I've read tons of posts about the time away from home and I realize that . Just would like to know when one can expect some time home .from what I get. You leave your home terminal and when you get to your away from home terminal a 16 hour clock starts before they pay you while waiting . But also there is a 10 mandatory rest period ? I would like to get a better understanding on all of this .
My goal is to be a conductor. Thanks for the help everyone .

The 10 hr. rest is a law. The parts about going on held away pay is contractual. I don't work at UP, but it may vary. They likely still have separate contracts in place on former SP, UP, WP, SSW, MP, MKT lines.

The layover length is based on your mandated rest, train schedule, and even which traffic is planned. Sometimes you might get dead headed if there is a predominance of traffic in one direction, at a certain point of time.

Ok thanks . There is also a max number of hours allowed to be worked each month right ?

Yes there is a monthly limit, as well as a weekly limit. If one works 6 starts without a 24 hr. rest period, then 48 hrs. of rest is required. If the 6th start is an outbound run, then the person can work a 7th day for the return side of the trip, but 72 hr. rest is required.

Thanks spike , that was helpful information. I continued to look up things after your response .so is this correct ? .. After 6 consecutive starts they can call you and it's not undisturbed time off but you cannot actually work ? That's what I've put together after reading more . I'm getting a better knowledge for everything now. I learned today what limbo time was. Thanks for the help .

The seventh day would be a return trip from an away-from-home terminal to get you home. If you're on your 6th day and the trip takes you to an away-from-home terminal, you could either be deadheaded in combined service back to your home terminal on arrival, or, if they need you work a train home, they can put you in the bag for rest and then work you home for the seventh day. When you return from the 6th day combined deadhead, you would get the 6 day 48 hr. undisturbed rest period. If you worked the return train home for a seventh day, you would get the 72 hr. rest period on arrival home.

I'll add something beyond Spike's comments.

I don't know how UP works their progression, but most Class 1s will hire you as a Conductor or Engineer and then start you with rules class and ground work to familiarize you with railroading, giving you a certain amount of time to actually qualify as a Conductor (or wash out), then send you to school to become an Engineer when there's a class opening, if you were hired as an Engineer. So, you'll be working with more experienced crew members as part of regular crews while you qualify to become a Conductor. Time needed to qualify depends on quality of training, aptitude, company policy and a few other things, but with the exception of company policy, it's usually up to you on how fast you pick it up. Just don't rush it to the point you think you know it all and put yourself ahead of your ability. RRing is dangerous work, and inexperience can kill you and/or a coworker quicker than anything else.

Usually the local labor agreement will cover things like undisturbed time (local interpretations/policy/additions to the HOS law), but undisturbed time is undisturbed. They will tell you their policy on call time at the end of your rest periods, but they should not be calling you during undisturbed time. The days you have off may or may not be consistent or very predictable, which brings me to point three.

As for career change, I will say that while things have improved with the new HOS mandatory/undisturbed rest periods, it's still railroading and you will not have a 'normal' home life. How trying it will be depends mostly on crew base size and traffic levels at your location. RRing is not a job, it's a lifestyle. The ugly truth is that most (as in almost all) of the T&E people I worked with were on their second, third, fourth or more marriages. In a busy terminal you will likely be 'at work' except for your rest day(s), turning every eight or ten hours until you've reached the mandatory rest days. Your wife will be on her own most of the time - except during your 6th/7th days off. You might get home after she's gone to bed and be awakened and out the door after she's left for work more times than you care to see, and you might go days only seeing her in passing. Unless your wife likes to be away from you most of the time, wants most all of the burden of raising kids, taking care of the house and car, etc., and you have back-up income for the times you may be laid off while you accrue enough seniority to hold a permanent place on the list, you really have to think hard about T&E service. I wouldn't recommend T&E to anyone who really values their marriage and family time. And yes, I'm speaking from experience. The Class 1s do pay well, but that paycheck comes with a big price. Just food for thought.

thank you for the honest answer. That's what I was looking for completely. As far as what you were talking about I would start off as being hired in part of the train crew. Not sure how long that would last till I got a conductor position but i'm sure at least a year. But the main concern is what you said. My wife and I have a great relationship that I don't want to lose. That extra 20 thousand a year just isn't worth it to me. We have talked all of this over many times in the last couple weeks. I know some people may disagree with me on this on here. I work alot now at my current job. Usually 12 hour days ,sometimes 6 days a week. But i'm home every night. I've been a truck driver before and it wasn't bad but I was single at that time. We were really trying to go with that fact that the 48/72 hour time off would be ok but in reality she would still be alone alot, taking car of kids and all the common chores. Not to mention the point you said about the layoffs. I had to deal with that the first 8 years of my current job. uggggggh. HARD TIMES. I think after careful thinking and the help from people on here with experience Im just going to stay at my current job and make the best of it and be happy with what I do have. Growing up and living near the track, I always thought that would be such a awesome job being a train conductor but wasn't aware of all the behind the scenes thing that they have to deal with.
thanks

testlightst wrote:thank you for the honest answer. That's what I was looking for completely. As far as what you were talking about I would start off as being hired in part of the train crew. Not sure how long that would last till I got a conductor position but i'm sure at least a year. But the main concern is what you said. My wife and I have a great relationship that I don't want to lose. That extra 20 thousand a year just isn't worth it to me. We have talked all of this over many times in the last couple weeks. I know some people may disagree with me on this on here. I work alot now at my current job. Usually 12 hour days ,sometimes 6 days a week. But i'm home every night. I've been a truck driver before and it wasn't bad but I was single at that time. We were really trying to go with that fact that the 48/72 hour time off would be ok but in reality she would still be alone alot, taking car of kids and all the common chores. Not to mention the point you said about the layoffs. I had to deal with that the first 8 years of my current job. uggggggh. HARD TIMES. I think after careful thinking and the help from people on here with experience Im just going to stay at my current job and make the best of it and be happy with what I do have. Growing up and living near the track, I always thought that would be such a awesome job being a train conductor but wasn't aware of all the behind the scenes thing that they have to deal with.
thanks

You get hired as a Conductor. They put you through company mandated training that varies from company to company and then you report to your home terminal for OJT as a conductor trainee. Once OJT is finished you're off doing Conductor things on your own with the engineer driving. There are so many variables in this job nobody can tell you how your path will progress. good luck. BTW...My OJT is 26 weeks for Jacksonville Division with CSX.

testlightst wrote:thank you for the honest answer. That's what I was looking for completely. As far as what you were talking about I would start off as being hired in part of the train crew. Not sure how long that would last till I got a conductor position but i'm sure at least a year. But the main concern is what you said. My wife and I have a great relationship that I don't want to lose. That extra 20 thousand a year just isn't worth it to me. We have talked all of this over many times in the last couple weeks. I know some people may disagree with me on this on here. I work alot now at my current job. Usually 12 hour days ,sometimes 6 days a week. But i'm home every night. I've been a truck driver before and it wasn't bad but I was single at that time. We were really trying to go with that fact that the 48/72 hour time off would be ok but in reality she would still be alone alot, taking car of kids and all the common chores. Not to mention the point you said about the layoffs. I had to deal with that the first 8 years of my current job. uggggggh. HARD TIMES. I think after careful thinking and the help from people on here with experience Im just going to stay at my current job and make the best of it and be happy with what I do have. Growing up and living near the track, I always thought that would be such a awesome job being a train conductor but wasn't aware of all the behind the scenes thing that they have to deal with.
thanks

Probably a wise decision! Railroading really isn't the "romantic" job people think it is. I can remember when I was working (clerk) and on the Extra Board, I sometimes worked 20 days straight with NO rest days. It was called "moving from one assignment to another", and as long as you were "booming" on piece work (work a day or two, then back to the 'board, work a day, back to the board), jumping from one assignment to the next, you might see your wife 2 -3 hours a day and then it was off to the races again. When she was her regular daylight shift at Southern Bell, *I* would be coming in off a 60 mile deadhead, coming off third trick. We'd wave at one another as we passed on the street! I'd shower, shave, go to bed. I'd see my wife for supper, then at 7 PM, I was off to Hayne Yard (Spartanburg, SC) to work a porter's job and load baggage on the Southern Crescent.

It is hard on families. Perhaps, its not for you as it isn't for many. I've known a many a rail buff who was shocked at the rough environment and the huge changes in lifestyle & they quickly lost all their former illusions. Some even became bitter. It does, however, take a certain sort of person to adapt to the railroad life, a few may even be born to it. Dunno about that. For many people, it disrupts their lives, it wasn't what they thought it was, and there were huge costs in family and "daddy/mom" time. Only you can decide if its for you for real, or its just a fantasy.

GF

It isn't always on your rest. Sometimes things slow down to having a day off between jobs. You might get stuck on a night switch engine, with midweek days off. New guys are often weekend warriors because many regular jobs have weekends off, so they might be filled spare. Senior guys might mark off on weekends too.

The others are right about it though. I've been cut off. I got back because an engineer died at work. One time I could only hold a job 5 hrs. from here. Luckily there were others, so we shared a hotel room, since we all had different hours. For a while I was forced to a local which is supplied from here, but was an outlaying assignment 2 hrs away. That time the company gave me a room. It had weekends off, which was good.

The pay quoted seems low. This might be for a basic 8 hr. 5 day job. That might be your lot, until you can hold something better. An ambitious employee, who stays marked up, and catches some good runs can do better.

You might get lucky too. Right now we have an engineer class going. This has taken away several conductors. My wife's cousin just marked up about 2 months ago. He is holding a pool turn which is 198 miles each way. Our pools are married, and he happens to be my conductor.

You have to think it though for sure. I got to be close with one of the engineers with whom I trained, since I had no family nearby. When I got engaged, the engineer's wife asked how my wife would deal with railroading. It's been 14 years. She gets mad, and we've gone through all of the above incidents though.