Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Failures with signal exam, plus they want to get ppl trained based on the expected amount of ppl retiring. Better to have them ready for when they are needed, then to have to call back retired workers due to shortages
@pelham25 not one ring! Them other guys are probably focused on school car now, as they should. Now Im thinking maybe October. If not Im going to try to be a elevator mechanic.
@mtahopefull - Well it's gonna happen, we just have to hold off a bit longer, i know the last #i know of was 297x. So it will happen, your first then me. Like everyone says, patience.
Hey guys, second week of school car in the books. What we've done so far......
Learning signals...(everyday quiz)
Walk tracks of the yard.(with TSS and on our own)
Gone up to the towers.(mulitple locations)
Learning equipment. (Handbrakes, doors, doing routine checks of the each cars)
Oh yeah and getting behind the controls and actually moving a train, which was extremely fun and nerve racking.
For guys coming in or waiting, you'll be lucky, this heat has been draining all of us being out in the yard. But when you guys come in, be ready, you will have alot of stuff to carry on a daily basis. Books the size of Yellow pages, equipment, safety gear, and any extra stuff you might need. Oh yeah, and walking the tracks, those bags cannot be on your backs. you have to side carry them. My forearms are killing me. Next week we are already doing road posting(taking a train on revenue tracks.) School car might be alot of stuff, but its stuff you MUST know. Also it goes by very quickly. Just take this bit of advice, people think operating a train is just getting behind the controls, follow signals and go....its not and thats not what you do right out of school car. Most likely you will do yard posting which is very physically demanding. Alot of checklists, knowing the lingo and how & what to say, signals and how to follow them. How to do cuts and adds( bringing or taking away train cars). Alot of work. I will say to you guys, if you have any questions about SCHOOL CAR, I will try and answer as best I can. Anything dealing with benefits and pay, please wait till orientation, they will answer any questions you have.
It's open competitive & at the moment they're working off the list for exam 8098 which had 11,000 passed, certified is up to list #4618. The list doesn't expire until Sept 2016. Once that hits then if more are needed, they will put out another open competitive exam. This is for train operator not conductor. Conductor is totally different.
The demand is so high because they are anticipating up to a large group of retirees over the next -16 months. A lot of people have already completed their time, and they will need a lot of new operators.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
