NARS - National Academy of Railroad Sciences

I guess I will throw in my two pesos worth. You are better off trying to get hired off the street then spending money on NARS. In fact, I almost went to NARS but got hired by a shortline railroad instead. If you are having trouble getting on with a class 1 try getting on with a shortline railroad to get some experience first. I spent a year at a shortline and was then able to go class one....best part was i got paid to work instead of paying some college program. Also my education at the shortline was much better. In fact, after working at a shortline you will or should appreciate your class 1 job much more even when the BS is making your life hell.
Also everything you pay for at NARS the railroad will pay you to learn when you get hired.
When I was at a UP interview, the UP official who gave us the "scare talk" ( I mean job description) asked who had prior railroad experiece. I raised my hand along with another guy. The other guy was asked what kind of experience he had and he said NARS. The UP official then said, " well, I was looking for real experience, not pretend stuff." So depending on who it is, they may not think too highly of NARS.
The only reason I could see going to NARS is if you could not get picked up by any railroad whether it be shortline, excursion, class 1 or class 2. Some railroads say they require it but if you have experience you will be a cut above the NARS folks and they will look at you.
One last thing, try to find out who the HR person is that is doing the interviewing. You may want to call them once in a while and express an interest. If you get an interview, try to get a mailing address for the HR person and send a thank you card. Even if you dont get hired, they will remember you next time.

Where are you getting your statistics? "They don't hire a majority from NARS". Also, they don't every say they assure you get a job, first of all they tell you up front you have to get a 90% plus on the tests, so right there it's not assured. It's got nothing to do with "fair". You can't just pay and get a job. When you go to college, no one promises you that your assured a job at all. So your suggestions are not accurate at all. Your are paying for training, if you make the most of it, you get a shot. If you qualify and pass the tests, you go on the new hire list. If they get openings they DO call back. But you have to QUALIFY. No company owes you a job. Remember, not confuse your opinion for facts.

Which class did you graduate from? What was your class number? Who were your instructors when you were there?[


quote="freshmeat"]The thing that really p---es me off about NARS is that BNSF dangles this carrot out there in their job postings, then they don't hire a majority from NARS. They need to either make up their mind. Hire everyone from NARS, or no one. It isn't fair for a guy that shelled out $6,000+ expenses to be hired and then go through training with someone that didn't go to the school. If it is so darn important that they put it in their job announcements, then put your (BNSF's) money where their mouth is.

For my money, it isn't worth it.

If you get an interview, just remember, safety, safety and patience with your fellow man. That's all they want to hear.[/quote]

Where are you getting your statistics? "They don't hire a majority from NARS". Also, they don't every say they assure you get a job, first of all they tell you up front you have to get a 90% plus on the tests, so right there it's not assured. It's got nothing to do with "fair". You can't just pay and get a job. When you go to college, no one promises you that your assured a job at all. So your suggestions are not accurate at all. Your are paying for training, if you make the most of it, you get a shot. If you qualify and pass the tests, you go on the new hire list. If they get openings they DO call back. But you have to QUALIFY. No company owes you a job. Remember, not confuse your opinion for facts.

Which class did you graduate from? What was your class number? Who were your instructors when you were there?[


quote="freshmeat"]The thing that really p---es me off about NARS is that BNSF dangles this carrot out there in their job postings, then they don't hire a majority from NARS. They need to either make up their mind. Hire everyone from NARS, or no one. It isn't fair for a guy that shelled out $6,000+ expenses to be hired and then go through training with someone that didn't go to the school. If it is so darn important that they put it in their job announcements, then put your (BNSF's) money where their mouth is.

For my money, it isn't worth it.

If you get an interview, just remember, safety, safety and patience with your fellow man. That's all they want to hear.[/quote]

hattrick wrote:I guess I will throw in my two pesos worth. You are better off trying to get hired off the street then spending money on NARS. In fact, I almost went to NARS but got hired by a shortline railroad instead. If you are having trouble getting on with a class 1 try getting on with a shortline railroad to get some experience first. I spent a year at a shortline and was then able to go class one....best part was i got paid to work instead of paying some college program. Also my education at the shortline was much better. In fact, after working at a shortline you will or should appreciate your class 1 job much more even when the BS is making your life hell.
Also everything you pay for at NARS the railroad will pay you to learn when you get hired.
When I was at a UP interview, the UP official who gave us the "scare talk" ( I mean job description) asked who had prior railroad experiece. I raised my hand along with another guy. The other guy was asked what kind of experience he had and he said NARS. The UP official then said, " well, I was looking for real experience, not pretend stuff." So depending on who it is, they may not think too highly of NARS.
The only reason I could see going to NARS is if you could not get picked up by any railroad whether it be shortline, excursion, class 1 or class 2. Some railroads say they require it but if you have experience you will be a cut above the NARS folks and they will look at you.
One last thing, try to find out who the HR person is that is doing the interviewing. You may want to call them once in a while and express an interest. If you get an interview, try to get a mailing address for the HR person and send a thank you card. Even if you dont get hired, they will remember you next time.

I was hired directly out of NARS to a class I on graduation, and that was during the big slow down. Since you didn't go to NARS how do you know what's best? Again, there is not "right" answer.

And again, here we are with guys who didn't go giving opinions on what was best despite the fact that you did go. While you were working at a short line, I was working at BNSF and my seniority date is higher than any new hires that might come in from Short Lines.

There is not a correct answer, just different approaches. But the statement that "its a waste of money" is NOT a fact, it's just an opinion and not based on some absolute knowledge someone has.

Everyone in our new hire class with BNSF was NARS, no off the street, so don't kid yourself.

Hey Santa Fe guy,what railroad did you get on with and when did you get hired?

Choo Choo wanabee wrote:Hey Santa Fe guy,what railroad did you get on with and when did you get hired?

At the time I graduated NARS (middle of 06) there were no BNSF jobs available so I went with KCS. Worked with them for 6 mo's but by early December we weren't getting any turns, so since I had a house payment and family I couldn't afford to pay for a place in Mississippi and at home and not get any work, so I had to resign. Came back. Got a "new hire" letter out of the blue from BNSF last May, they still had me on the list, wanted to know if I was still interested. So I'm with BNSF now and I like them. The KCS had good people, they mean well, but they just didn't seem to have enough cash flow to pull off what they need too. They really need to put buckets of money into the Meridian Speedway to make it live up to it's potential. I'm not sure they have access to that kind of cash. If they were to ever get it in shape, they could push A LOT of trains through from DAL to ATL and back.

As far as the job, it took almost a year before BNSF had an opening. Around here, UP hired like crazy, but then as people marked up they all got furloughed and that was in the summer. Not sure what was up with that, I think they didn't realize how much the economy was going to shut down. Everybody out of our NARS class who got 90% or above was put on the "new hire" list. Almost all have been hired, but it seems BNSF waits until there are for sure going to be openings before they follow up. Some guys came back who also went with KCS, but some stayed with them. About 70% of my class (that's a guess on my part) didn't get a 90% in two tries, and a lot didn't try twice just gave up after the 1st test, I know several in that situation, they ended up with short lines. And of the one's that passed, 5 went to UP in North Platte, lived out of RV's till their new hire letters came through last winter. 4 of them went to BNSF in Oklahoma, one stayed in North Platte with UP.

Just curious as I have never been to NARS. What is the 90% that you're talking about? Is it the GCOR test? Or an overall test?

Man, this is really strange. I was the last class to get hired in KC with BNSF. Only 1 guy out of 15 of us didn't go to NARS and he was a MOW transfer.

I went to NARS last January(07) and graduated in Febuary with a 94% score the first try.My problem is that BNSF gave all of us an interview,but only hired the minorities and women.The top score in my class was a woman,and the bottom score was a woman,and they both got job offers from BNSF,but failed the drug test.I never heard squat from BNSF for a job offer and my 6 month interview time expired.By the way their job replys were worded in the past,they insinuated that you couln't get on unless you went to NARS,now they have reworded this when they send out SOL letters.The rest of the minorities that they hired didn't really have places to work,but they formed special classes in four different cities for them.My background is clean,and I have since found a job with a shortline.Also,the help you recieve from NARS after graduation for job hunting is nill,even if they get e-mails for jobs from railroads they do not make you aware of this after you are out of school,which just isn't right with communication nowadays.There were about 100 conductor students in four classes @ 6,000.00 apiece you can do the math.All didn't pass the GCOR exam either.Also,military has a one-up on others because of federal reimbursements for hiring .BNSF would get good reviews from me if only they had even offered me something later,but that hasn't happened and I don't think it's going too,either.They have simply decided to take most of the money and run.

Choo Choo wanabee wrote:I went to NARS last January(07) and graduated in Febuary with a 94% score the first try.My problem is that BNSF gave all of us an interview,but only hired the minorities and women.The top score in my class was a woman,and the bottom score was a woman,and they both got job offers from BNSF,but failed the drug test.I never heard squat from BNSF for a job offer and my 6 month interview time expired.By the way their job replys were worded in the past,they insinuated that you couln't get on unless you went to NARS,now they have reworded this when they send out SOL letters.The rest of the minorities that they hired didn't really have places to work,but they formed special classes in four different cities for them.My background is clean,and I have since found a job with a shortline.Also,the help you recieve from NARS after graduation for job hunting is nill,even if they get e-mails for jobs from railroads they do not make you aware of this after you are out of school,which just isn't right with communication nowadays.There were about 100 conductor students in four classes @ 6,000.00 apiece you can do the math.All didn't pass the GCOR exam either.Also,military has a one-up on others because of federal reimbursements for hiring .BNSF would get good reviews from me if only they had even offered me something later,but that hasn't happened and I don't think it's going too,either.They have simply decided to take most of the money and run.

Affirmative action as it were. That's not a BNSF or even a railroad thing, it's the PC world our government created. Don't blame the railroad, blame the politicians that are in Washington, Republican and Democrat alike. Basically the euphanism "Affirmative Actions" says the cost of past descrimination should be completely born by a few workers that get aced out of current jobs by other candidates hired totally because of race. It's a screw job for sure, you don't cure racism by being racist and that's what it is.

I'm not complaining about minority hiring in general,but I think BNSF should have offered their former students that qualify(like me,for instance) a job when these openings occured even at a later date.At my interview,they made it sound as if there really were going to be openings for conductors,and we discussed several places for possible employment,but I suspicsion this was all just BS and they even knew at the time there would be no openings for most of us.Their hiring policy has changed since 2006 when they were offering qualifying candidates positions as they became available and really tried to accomodate.Now,it seems that NARS has become just another way for the BNSF Railroad to make money by blowing cold smoke up your (you know what).I'm not making this up,I've investigated and asked questions from former students.I have a soil scientist that I've used in the past for my business and he got hired (from NARS)for Springfield,MO.His class got cancelled and they sent him to Alliance,NE,for training and he transfered back to Springfield.I,at this time,probably wouldn't recommend that anyone spend there money on NARS unless they are a minority,Woman,or military,as this is who will probably get hired by BNSF.If you want to work as a conductor for KCS,then maybe,but be ready to move to the deep south.I've been to NS and UP interviews,and frankly,I think NARS probably hurt me at these interviews.Until BNSF becomes more fair in their hiring practices,no,don't go there.

Again, this sounds like sour apples. Every person in my class was a white male. No offense, but it just sounds like you might not have been qualified. I've seen guys that bragged about scoring a 97% on their GCOR run clear over a derail out of the service track. Anybody from KC remember the 5101 incident? The Flash was really intelligent....just couldn't railroad to save his life.

Oh, and again, we were all from NARS minus the MOW craft transfer guy who is long gone.

Well son,call it what you want to about not being qualified,but I've been around the block a time or two and a heavy equipment operator for 20 years so I'll bet I'm just as qualified or better than most,plus I have been self-employed since 1994 and have managed to survive which puts me in a catagory above many that have never and will never even try it.But I don't know why I have to explain that to you.What you do need to know is NARS has changed from 2006 to 2007 and they don't help white guys find work like they used to,so if you fall into that catagory you might want to talk to people who have been there recently before you plop down 6,000.00 for a nice piece of paper that don't mean squat!Like I said before,they won't refer you after graduation and you can't even get them to return your phone calls or e-mails.I just got hired by a shortline and if I hadn't already been to NARS they would have picked up the tab.

I went to NARS and am still waiting. I don't regret doing it. I feel I gained alot of knowledge that will pay off. As for the cost my previous employer paid for that through my education benefit. I get a response to every email I send. It may not be the answer I was looking for but I do get responses.