Railroad Forums 

  • A Scam Alert Post - Allen Railroad

  • 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

 #615871  by Cohoon
 
Hi, Everyone,

I guess I need to post this, I think now I can. I recently took a course with Allen Railroad in Stanton, Ky.(allenrailroad.com and other names as well) to be a FRA Track Inspector. They garuanted me a job with a RR Company after the course completion, then after the course completion they were almost impossible to communicate with. A year later they offered me a job after countless calls to them and e-mails at their office for a track inspector job. A year later they offered me a job at there office I took the job, they had me relocate imediatley (over a 150 miles away from home), when I got there they put me to work as a tele-marketer not what I was hired for. I also recieved calls from countless people complaining that they were promised jobs, I was told to say the owners were not in even if they were standing next to me, one even was hired and drove from Kansas City they didn't meet him or give him any kind of coursety to talk to him, I met him by accident at the railroad musem which they claimed they owned but in reality Bluegrass railroad owns it, Oone of RJ Cormans retireed workers maintains there track there that I knew from Guthrie Kentucky, he advised me of a lot of information that I didn't know. They let me go after one week without a paycheck, I never complained about anything to them, I actually could do the work and was having fun not being in an office even thou I'm 50 years old and have had a heart stint put in, they absolutely promised to pay me but didn't. After putting me on a railroad track in Versailles Kentucky pulling and replacing crossties by hand, no hydraulic machinery to assist us on the weekend after a full 40 hour week. After normal hours, I was hired as a Track Inspector, one or two crossties I wouldn't mind helping replace with a Track Crew. They fired me cause they thought I couldn't physically do that job. Actualy they had hired someone to take my place, I complained to the Kentucky Labor Board, it seems like a lot of people have the same complaint against the company and filed charges against them also, mainly being worked without pay and being fired even thou they quit for non-payment for labor. I suggest anyone being scammed by these guys join in the complaint, one or two more and the State will go after them criminally, or if you plan to use them as a school don't spend your money you will loose it. If you need more info you can e-mail me at [email protected]

If this is the wrong thread to post this in Moderators please post this in the proper thread. This is a sincere alert to protect people wanting jobs and training. I understand this is only my opinion and should be taken as such. I will stand by it thou.

sincerely,

Michael Cohoon
 #615895  by BR&P
 
Maybe in the "Employment" section would be good.

It's too bad you got jerked around. This reinforces the need to get as much as possible in writing, even that may not prevent something shady but at least it gives you SOMETHING to use in legal action if it comes to that.
 #616450  by charlie6017
 
I'll follow BR&P's advice and toss this to the employment forum.........
 #616654  by COEN77
 
You're not the first one or the last to be hoodwinked by these schools that make promises they can't keep. Unfortunately the railroads a few years ago were part of this scam. Everyone seemed to pass the course but it didn't gaurentee anything. Some people paid up to $9000 with out of pocket expenses for lodging and meals. CSX even provided the instructors who were retired officials at the course at Marshall U. in Huntington, WV. Some actually got hired after they paid the money took the course then if they could pass the physical with the railroad which these schools didn't evaluate before entry if a person could make it physically. Some railroads even reembursed the tuiton if the person remained with the railroad two years CSX was not one of these railroads. When I first heard of these schools and the railroads being indirectly involved it sounded like extortion to get a union job. Except this time a union couldn't be blamed.
 #616655  by changed
 
Not sure how it was everywhere else but in Clifton Forge they wouldn't send you to school unless they had a position for you. Passing the class the physical etc was up to you.. you might of got done with school did your OJT and got furloughed but thats still pretty much the same!
 #616657  by COEN77
 
changed wrote:Not sure how it was everywhere else but in Clifton Forge they wouldn't send you to school unless they had a position for you. Passing the class the physical etc was up to you.. you might of got done with school did your OJT and got furloughed but thats still pretty much the same!
Your thinking about the CSX REDI center in Atlanta something totally different. This poster was taken by a school not affiliated with any railroad. If you ask around in CF some of those hired in the late '90s or up 3-4 years ago went to these pay to get a job railroad courses. I know those in Richmond who went to these schools were angry when CSX started the REDI center and those hiring didn't have to spend anything.
 #616892  by changed
 
No I am talking about the school that they went to and paid $4500.00 for the class like $900 for lodging and you could get a loan up to 7k or 8k to help cover other exspenses. You would go to a hiring session just as they do know if you got selected they would get you set up to go to school IF they needed people or they would put you on a waiting list! You would not pay to go to school unless they had a posistion for you. I know this because I was on the waiting list to go and got on at NS before I got called to go and my best friend went thru the school as well as a good bit of the people I work with! It could be different from place to place but in CF you would not go to school and pay for class unless they had a job for you. They school had a 99% job placement rate the 1% are the ones that failed the class,physical,or whatever!!
 #617571  by Chicagorail1
 
People hello, are you that ignorant about railroading!

if you think you can be a certified track inspector after a week course, you did not due your home work a deserve to be riped off!

Track inspectors for the FRA are previous inspectors and MOW Foreman for railroads with years of on the job experience.

Track Inspectors for Railroads have years of experience working Maintenance of Way and move up to being an Inspector after YEARS of on the job experience.

Please people due your home work, call class 1's, short lines, and other consulting firms, before forking money over to ANYONE that's going to train you for a Railroad job. Anyone working for a railroad, knows this class is a scam, just by seeing home little the training is.