Getting started with the railroad

Hello, I'm a hopeful applicant with the railroad industry. I've applied with a few railroad companies in my tri-state area. Unfortunately so far I've received a lot of No's but that is not stopping me as I'm continuing to apply. I have ZERO experience in the railroad but I'm young and want to make a decent living. This thread is not to ask how to get into the railroad, I know i need to keep applying and sometimes it takes awhile and like anything else maybe something with bite soon.

When you get started I notice they send you to their trade school to recieve training, my question is are there any text books or guide pages that I can purchase now to start my reading or what things do I need to learn so that I can start my process of gaining knowledge of my job?

Areas applied: track worker. intermodal service worker, and railcar repairer

Areas of interest: Conductor / Assistant Signal Worker

I write "areas of interest" because those positions I'm very unsure of with what their job entails, I haven't applied but I'm interested in them.
So generally my question to you is what material can I buy to start my learning process of the railroads.

Why not take some classes is a related field? If you want to be a carknocker, take a welding class. For the car dept., or track, get your CDL. The car department uses large trucks that can carry wheels. They go out to fix crippled cars, which can't be moved to a shop.

Some related industrial type jobs, which involve related skills might be helpful. A steady employment history is beneficial too. There aren't many jobs with the pay and benefits the railroad offers, so make yourself stand out.

Join the military. They might be able to teach you the required skills, even in the national guard. College is another option. In my conductor class, there were mostly vets and college grads. These routes show hard work and the ability to stick to a long and difficult commitment.

Well since the age of 19 I've been a Firefighter and while that may look good I do not have the time to take classes at a trade school or go to a college as my schedule constantly rotates and like the rest of America I pay bills. As a general doing something to take a step forward I want to find books to read towards the career do you or anyone know ones? What text books do the schools issue?

But yes those classes I want and do need to obtain , and slowly with my schedule am trying to work into.

MatthewSC wrote:Well since the age of 19 I've been a Firefighter and while that may look good I do not have the time to take classes at a trade school or go to a college as my schedule constantly rotates and like the rest of America I pay bills. As a general doing something to take a step forward I want to find books to read towards the career do you or anyone know ones? What text books do the schools issue?

But yes those classes I want and do need to obtain , and slowly with my schedule am trying to work into.

The trade school/college route is certainly good advice. Any courses that relate to the mentioned railroad career field can't hurt. What I WOULDN'T be tempted to do is go to one of the "Railroad U" schools as that may hurt you with some roads. Reason? The roads who look askance at "conductor" schools, etc, would rather train you their way. Furthermore, it is a huge waste of money one can ill afford! A couple roads DO look favorably at these schools, and I think, even sponsor one or two. However, it sure takes a long time to recoup your investment. After all with OJT, you get paid to "train" I know: bad pun) . Best of luck.

GF

are there any online classes or free online courses online that I can take? and thank you everyone for the advice and help. But yes on the job training seems to be the best way to get it. It's just such a catch 22 because if you don't have the knowledge the only way to get it is to get a job and start but companies want people with it.

MatthewSC wrote:are there any online classes or free online courses online that I can take? and thank you everyone for the advice and help. But yes on the job training seems to be the best way to get it. It's just such a catch 22 because if you don't have the knowledge the only way to get it is to get a job and start but companies want people with it.

Most hiring on the railroad have no previous experience. Some crafts like Carmen, signal department etc...might like applicants to have some previous related job experience with welding, electrical knowledge etc... It's not a requirement unless specified in the job description. Getting hired is just a roll of the dice. Some that have posted on here that got hired it took years to get through the hurdles.

This thread is old but I thought I would reply anyway. For MNR Signal they look for someone with electrical/electronics knowledge. They look to hire guys like auto mechanics or cable tv techs. If at all possible try to get hired in one of those fields. There are plenty of books out there about electronics and such. You would need to pass a basic electronics test so it won't hurt to read up on the principles of electricity.