Railfans as professional railroaders

Is it a good thing for railfans to work on the railroad or a bad thing?

I was recently told that RR's dont like to hire railfans because they are more likely to get hurt due to gazing off at a rare sight rolling etc.

Also, some RR's actually ask that question (Are you a railfan?) when hiring and may shy away from hiring you if you answer yes!

has anyone ever heard of this being true?

SPACEMONKEY wrote:Is it a good thing for railfans to work on the railroad or a bad thing?

I would say that it's neither a good thing nor a bad thing. It's like any other industry. For instance, in education you have teachers who love to teach and always wanted to teach, and you have other teachers who teach because it's a steady job and nothing more. Or you might have a person who loves computers and who works in the computer industry, compared to somebody else who also works in the computer industry but doesn't find computers interesting and doesn't even have a computer at home.

I was recently told that RR's dont like to hire railfans because they are more likely to get hurt due to gazing off at a rare sight rolling etc.

It is true that many railroads shy away from hiring "open" railfans, but I'm not sure whether or not it has to do with safety issues. I hadn't heard that particular argument until now, although I guess it wouldn't surprise me. It's a silly argument, though. Railfans have been working for the railroads since the beginning of railroads! I don't know of any statistics showing that railfan railroaders are more accident-prone than non-railfan railroaders.

Also, some RR's actually ask that question (Are you a railfan?) when hiring and may shy away from hiring you if you answer yes!

That is true. Some railroads do ask. It may also depend on the person who is interviewing you. A manager who hates railfans would obviously be biased against interviewees who admit to being railfans, whereas a manager who is a "closet railfan" might not hold it against you, and might even consider it an asset.

Which brings us to the term, "closet railfan." These are railroaders who are also railfans, but they hide it while they're at work so that their coworkers and supervisors don't find out about it. I know plenty of professional railroaders who are also railfans. Some of them are open about it at work, while others prefer to keep it quiet. I guess it depends on where you work, who you work with, etc.

Bottom line... if you're applying for a job at a railroad, it might be best to keep it to yourself, at least in the beginning. Once you're hired, then it becomes more of a personal preference. I haven't heard of anybody being fired from the railroad as a result of being a railfan.

I think it all depends on your mindset. I for one, am a railfan and a "professional" railroader. (I use the quotes because I'm still fairly new to the industry, and am therefore by no means a pro yet.) I just keep in mind that I'm there because they are paying me to do a job, and to do it safely. That's the priority when I'm at work. Get the work done, stay safe, and then, if there's time, take in the sights.

I would think it to be entirely illegal not hire someone for a reason such as that. It is illegal for employers to ask question like "are you married" or "do you smoke or drink", "where are you from", "are you disabled" amongst other things, so I would assume not hiring someone because they are a "fan" could potentially be against the law. I wonder how many people that were "railfans" and better candidates for the job were looked over in favor of a non-railfan who was less qualified for the job?

At various times during my 41 year career with the railroad, I helped
more than one railfan friend get a job with the railroad. Most of them
worked out very well and had long and good careers. A small number of
them did not and I regretted helping them. I remember one fairly well
know individual from the New York City area whom I helped get on the
railroad many years ago who came with an attitude. He was a "know it
all" who thought he knew more than the officials and supervisors. He
lasted a couple of months and got canned, maybe it was for his own good
but I was sorry that I stuck my neck out for him.
If I were a decision maker today, I would check out any railfan very
closely but if I were satisfied with what I found out, I would probably hire
him or her. I would also follow up the hire for at least a few months.
Of course during my career I also knew more than one railfan who I
would absolutely not help get a job and one or two of them were so bad
that I put the railroad wise to them just in case.
The biggest problem today with railfans working for the railroad is that at
least some of them think it is a dream world and it is NOT. In train and
engine service you work all hours of the day and night in all kinds of bad
weather and you have good trips and good days and bad trips and bad
days. You are expected to work maybe even on days or nights when you
do not want to work and you will have to deal with that too. Some
probably expect too much when they actually get the job.
ATT'N moderator, this might not belong on here, I just tried to answer
the question, feel free to transfer it if you need to.
Noel Weaver

who the hell deleted my post? are you joking? that is ridiculous, hurry up and delete this one before somebody reads it!

[moved to Employment since this topic is not specific to Guilford - omv]

You can generally tell when a co-worker is a closet railfan. We'll be chatting about something and they bring up a fact that such and such engine has a variable rotating constant running valve in-lined with the draft gear where as the old Geep's did not have that. And your like what? All I do is pull her back to notch 8 and go. If I have a mechanical issue on the road I'll call Mr. Goodwrench and he can tell me all about it. LOL

I say go for. Do what you love. But understand and know that RR'ing is not a sport or a hobby. It is a career. One in which the safety of yourself and others comes before looking at the rare boxcar or motor rolling by while your lining switches and making joints.

Jonny Bolt wrote:I would think it to be entirely illegal not hire someone for a reason such as that. It is illegal for employers to ask question like "are you married" or "do you smoke or drink", "where are you from", "are you disabled" amongst other things, so I would assume not hiring someone because they are a "fan" could potentially be against the law. I wonder how many people that were "railfans" and better candidates for the job were looked over in favor of a non-railfan who was less qualified for the job?

Is this a joke? Can you identify any jurisdiction anywhere in the world that lists railfans as a protected class?

I do believe that being a railfan can have some good and bad results to getting a hiring on the railroad. I for one am not really a "railfan" in the sense of the word. I dont know car counts, weights, lengths... etc... I certainly wouldnt think I know more than the crew involved... what I am is a railroad photographer in all sense of the word... I look for the beauty in the machinery and the labor of the people... and that intrigues me so I shoot pictures of it...

That being said...

I spend a lot of time on the road shooting pictures, and I see and (sometimes if I choose to) meet railfans out there... some are normal people who enjoy watching railroads... and some are of a much more extreme breed... I can personally see in my own mind why some of those "extreme breed" may not get hired from an interview at a class 1. Its not really a hit against anyone... but understand that when you go in the office of the man... and you leave a drool trail behind you, that it could be construed as someone who wants to be there just a little too much...

With that being said... its always good to get into a scenic line or such and prove yourself there... get some *real* experience at a site where they would be much more friendly to someone being a railfan... help out a little making a difference for free... and with your qualifications you will have a much easier time with the discerning HR person that you are trying to convince to hire you...

Don't ask, don't tell.

We had one in our class, this guy was 40 and was like a giddy kid when he got anywhere near an engine, kinda scary really

Kick'em wrote:Don't ask, don't tell.

[insert clap icons here]

Jonny Bolt wrote:I would think it to be entirely illegal not hire someone for a reason such as that. It is illegal for employers to ask question like "are you married" or "do you smoke or drink", "where are you from", "are you disabled" amongst other things, so I would assume not hiring someone because they are a "fan" could potentially be against the law. I wonder how many people that were "railfans" and better candidates for the job were looked over in favor of a non-railfan who was less qualified for the job?

lol, a railfan is not a legally protected status

Jonny Bolt wrote:I would think it to be entirely illegal not hire someone for a reason such as that. It is illegal for employers to ask question like "are you married" or "do you smoke or drink", "where are you from", "are you disabled" amongst other things, so I would assume not hiring someone because they are a "fan" could potentially be against the law. I wonder how many people that were "railfans" and better candidates for the job were looked over in favor of a non-railfan who was less qualified for the job?

UP asks if you smoke and will not hire you if you do in some states.