College for the railroad

After high school I am interested in working for a railroad. I know that you do not necessarily need a college degree to work for a railroad but I heard it can help. So what would you consider a good major or some good college courses to take to prepare me to work for a railroad. Any info would be great. Thanks. -Ryan

RCH022 wrote:After high school I am interested in working for a railroad. I know that you do not necessarily need a college degree to work for a railroad but I heard it can help. So what would you consider a good major or some good college courses to take to prepare me to work for a railroad. Any info would be great. Thanks. -Ryan

Transportation/Logistics Management?

I would say a lot depends on what you want to do. A college degree is wasted, if you aspire to be a mechanic, track worker, or even a trainman. I have 2 degrees, acquired while in my 15th through 20th years, on the railroad. Never helped me with a job, unless I was applying for a managers position. Try "Labor Relations/Human Resources", in a 2 year course, and "Transportation Planning/Management" in a 4 year course, if you aspire to be a trainmaster, General Manager or even Superintendent. The "smartest" way to go, is to get hired on, as a trainman, and take the 2 year course, while you work, and the 4 year course, via online, or correspondence class, also while at work. While some roads want "virgin" brains, to assimilate into their own vision of a corporate clone (UP, for example) the best bosses of them all, know the road, because they worked the road, and know the ins and outs, of the operation. Anyone can get a degree, but there is no substitute for the "school of hard knocks". Give me a well trained engineer/conductor for a managers job anyday, before I would place a green guy, with only a college diploma in his resume. I don't care what you were taught in school, the railroad is the real world, and without a good working background, you won't get the respect, of the "troops", so to speak. My .02 cents, anyways. Regards

GOLDEN-ARM wrote:Anyone can get a degree, but there is no substitute for the "school of hard knocks". Give me a well trained engineer/conductor for a managers job anyday, before I would place a green guy, with only a college diploma in his resume. I don't care what you were taught in school, the railroad is the real world, and without a good working background, you won't get the respect, of the "troops", so to speak.

Amen to that !!! So true!!

If you are interested in rr management you might consider Transportation Management/Logistics Major at either Iowa State, Penn State, Michigan State, Tennessee or Maryland. They are the top schools in the field. An Engineering degree would lead to the engineering department. Iowa State and Virginia Tech have good engineering programs. I know that UP recruits heavy out of Iowa State and NS has lots of Va Tech and Auburn alumni. If you are considering train service, Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS has a highly regarded program. BNSF is very involved with this school. However if you are looking for train service it would be best to get hired on and let them educate you.

From UP's website.

http://www.uprr.com/employment/rrdegree.shtml

The Associate's Degree in Railroad Operations

Listed by State or Province

A Partial Listing of Educational Institutions Offering or Intending to Offer the Degree
California Sacramento City College, Sacramento
Georgia Clayton State College, Morrow
Kansas Johnson County Community College, Overland Park*
Nebraska Western Nebraska Community College, Alliance*
Pennsylvania Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia

Quebec, Canada Cegep Andre-Laurendeau, Lasalle
La Commission Scolaire, 8700 Boulevard Champlain, Lasalle

Tennessee Pellissippi State Technical College, Knoxville*
Texas St. Philip's College – Southwest Campus, San Antonio
Tarrant County College, Fort Worth




*has obtained preliminary certification

A Brief Overview
The railroad industry, recognizing the need to begin training at the college level to prepare employees for the challenging careers available in railroading, has worked with a number of community colleges to develop an associate's degree in railroad operations. This two-year degree is intended to give the student a general knowledge of the railroad industry and its history, and prepare the participant to apply for an entry-level postion in the field. Several of the sites listed above give a more detailed description of the degree and the specific courses involved.

Give me a well trained engineer/conductor for a managers job anyday, before I would place a green guy, with only a college diploma in his resume.

Sorry, but this often results in perpetuating the pathetic situation that is railroad labor, labor-management relations, and management today. How many times will railroaders say, "because we've always done it that way," before someone gets that maybe it's about freakin' time for a different way to look at things.

There's nothing more amusing than hearing yet another "executive" tell you how he started with the railroad pulling pins on X hump on the third trick.

Before the brothers give me s***, why are there are STILL isolated pockets of fireman rosters on Class 1s?

Cowford wrote:There's nothing more amusing than hearing yet another "executive" tell you how he started with the railroad pulling pins on X hump on the third trick.

Sure there is. The book smart, street stupid trainmaster just out of college who the oldheads have convinced that a caboose can be moved under it's own power using that electric motor and drive belts. God forbid you should ever ask that same trainmaster to show you how to change a knuckle.