Railroad Forums 

  • Applying to an Amtrak Engineer position

  • 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

 #1336029  by abc8251
 
I applied to an Engineer position with Amtrak out of Philly. Do you think that was a waste of time? I graduated recently from the Modoc Railroad Conductor program. The posting said they prefer Engineer certification, but I've heard they hire "off the street" as well. I actually believe I'm capable of doing the job (with training of course). I am very mature and safety aware. I never take chances, and I have excellent judgment (don't mean to brag lol). Engineers do have a lot on their shoulders though, and you're the only one in the cab. I think they should have a second set of eyes up there.
 #1336510  by 8th Notch
 
If your truly interested in the job then it's never a waste of time to apply, you never know what could happen. Back the the reality side of things, Amtrak can be really hard to break into (especially as an engr). I came in with a class 1 license and it took me numerous tries... I noticed the majority of the people off the street either are Vets or have some type of heavy machinery operating experience so if you have of of those aside from the Modoc then you probably have a fair shot but don't get your hopes up. As it was passed on to me, remember engineer is the hardest job on the railroad to get and the easiest to lose.
 #1336712  by mvb119
 
I'm not ashamed to admit I've tried many times, and I am an Amtrak employee, so that doesn't help you any these days, at least not when you're coming from my end of things trackside. My suggestion is to try conductor, since apparently you went to school for that. They hire pretty often for it if you watch the career website. And if you really want to become an engineer, then you'll have a much better chance down the road. In the northeast the position is just way too competitive for them to hire off the street when there is many qualified applicants that want it both within and from other railroads. They love to hire from other railroads because it saves them quite a bit of money when the person already carries a certification.
 #1337417  by AmtrakLocomotiveEngineer
 
Although hiring previously certified engineers may sound beneficial to the carrier, it is not always the case. Many Road Foremen prefer to hire off the street or other employees from other crafts as opposed to hiring Class1 engineers. It makes sense, many engineers from other railroads have to be "de-programmed" of old habits and experience. Many RFE prefer to "mold new hires" their way from day 1.
 #1337419  by AmtrakLocomotiveEngineer
 
If you want the job, apply and follow up. Yes, many times a Class 1 engineer will be hired over somebody off the street or from other crafts within the company. However, I know some RFE that prefer not to hire previously certified engineers because they already have experience running, but not the way Amtrak wants. Basically, if they hire a guy from freight who has his Class1 already, they have to deprogram him of any bad habits. Meanwhile, if they hire from within the company or off the street, they can mold people to run exactly how they want. (Ie no bailing, no powerbraking etc)

Good luck.
 #1337681  by EM2000
 
You sound like a know it all whose going to hit the wall real fast, if you actually end up as a Locomotive Engineer. How do you figure you have the level of judgement required to be an Engineer? And who are you to say a "second set of eyes" is needed?
The reasoning to pass over already Licensed Engineers sounds like a steaming load of BS. Not debating whether it's true or not. It's the Class 1's who don't want the powerbraking, and Amtrak who will allow it. I understand each RR has their own school of thought, but the only people who should be selected for this job are Engineers, or off the street people who have held a similar position; Pilots, Maritime, Law Enforcement, etc.
 #1338172  by slchub
 
Amtrak will hire student engineers who have no previous RR experience but will look for those individuals who have a background that would require intense bookwork and then heavy seat time (think commercial pilot). The FRA mandates the minimum amount of hours running the route to qualify as a locomotive engineer without a Class 1 engineers license and a differing amount of time and characteristics training for those already holding a Class 1 license. While it is unusual for Amtrak to hire a student engineer off the street without a RR background it has been done. But only at crew bases where they are having a tough time filling vacancies.

The best course of action is to hire on as an assistant conductor and gain time/experience over the territory and promote to engineer at a later date. You'll be far better prepared and understand the complexity of the rules and gray areas of same by doing so.

Good luck.

(current Amtrak engineer and previous Class 1 freight dog as well)
 #1338234  by abc8251
 
slchub wrote:Amtrak will hire student engineers who have no previous RR experience but will look for those individuals who have a background that would require intense bookwork and then heavy seat time (think commercial pilot). The FRA mandates the minimum amount of hours running the route to qualify as a locomotive engineer without a Class 1 engineers license and a differing amount of time and characteristics training for those already holding a Class 1 license. While it is unusual for Amtrak to hire a student engineer off the street without a RR background it has been done. But only at crew bases where they are having a tough time filling vacancies.

The best course of action is to hire on as an assistant conductor and gain time/experience over the territory and promote to engineer at a later date. You'll be far better prepared and understand the complexity of the rules and gray areas of same by doing so.

Good luck.

(current Amtrak engineer and previous Class 1 freight dog as well)

Yeah, I'm sure Philly will have many applicants with RR experience.
 #1338696  by Gadfly
 
abc8251 wrote:I applied to an Engineer position with Amtrak out of Philly. Do you think that was a waste of time? I graduated recently from the Modoc Railroad Conductor program. The posting said they prefer Engineer certification, but I've heard they hire "off the street" as well. I actually believe I'm capable of doing the job (with training of course). I am very mature and safety aware. I never take chances, and I have excellent judgment (don't mean to brag lol). Engineers do have a lot on their shoulders though, and you're the only one in the cab. I think they should have a second set of eyes up there.

You have been given good advice. Not an expert by any stretch, but IMHO, one is actually better off without the "railroad U" thing. I can' say they won't hire off the street, but I DO know they prefer to promote from within. These are people who have been around awhile. They know the ropes, the railroad culture, the particular way of doing things unique to the business, the lingo. In order to be safe on the railroad, one must also spend time ON it in order to learn the hazards.
This is not a criticism but an observation. To me it is amazing the number of people who decide that railroading is for them, and they want it NOW. They want to waltz right in as if they've been doing it forever. It just doesn't work like that. While they might hire off the street in rare cases, railroads usually have a sh--pot full of furloughed employees with seniority over newbies. Anytime there's openings, these can be "forced" to the board OR they have to resign instead before YOU are hired. Since these people were essentially "laid off" (often seasonally), they aren't likely to just up and quit! :-D They want those jobs, so they will protect their seniority. Any new hires will come in at the bottom of the roster, receiving the worst assignments (usually).

Going to some "school" never guarantees getting hired. Some railroads look negatively on this & would rather hire and train employees off the street. That way they don't have to undo any bad habits that don't fit with their particular way of doing things. Its kinda like why they often won't hire rail buffs who gush and coo over how much they "Luuuuuuuuuuv" the railroad. :-D They are a safety liability.

I hope you achieve your goal. As to "applying to an Amtrak Engineer position", stop and think a moment. Who would really hire someone off the street for a dangerous job with no prior experience, no knowledge of the Rules, no experience with signals, no feel for the job? It is truly unrealistic, like hiring an airline pilot with no prior experience with flying!

If Amtrak doesn't work out, try one of the freight roads like NS. Don't even mention the Modoc thingie. Gud Luck!!!!!! :-D

Gadfly