The darkest night comes before the brightest dawn......

[Klinger]

I was starting to believe this was not true. I drove to Minot, North Dakota last month for a job with BNSF, 700 miles and $800 later, I did not get the job. I also could not apply at BNSF for 6 months.

So yesterday I find myself getting home from the hobby story with HO scale parts and get a phone call, I pull my phone out of my pocket only to hit reject by accident. So the guy leaves a message asking if I still wanted to work at the Georgetown Loop Railroad. I've never hit redial so fast in my life.

I go up there today for an "interview" and the guy asks me a few questions about Lakeside, and my time there. Finally the Superintendent comes in, who I worked with in Golden at the railroad museum for many years, who told me to apply in the first place and say's "Well what do you think"

The guy reply's "lets put will on the train the rest of the day as a student brakeman/conductor"

The single shortest interview of my life, I was already doing things today that people normally don't do for a few days at least. All that time at the Colorado Railroad Museum doing volunteer work paid off. I already knew half the job anyway.....and took FRA rules classes in the past (sadly not this year)

So take it from me, the single biggest pessimist in the world, things will look up.

Not bad considering when I got the call I was getting ready to fill out an application for Home Depot.....

 

[AJ_Fox]

A happy ending. Don't you just love those, like the girl you thought didn't know you existed only to find out later she's been madly in love with you for two years but was too shy to say anything.

Cheers

AJ

 

[cascaderailroad]

Working for a tourist line would be fun ... however most would find the first 3 years, or more, working for a US Class I RR would be a hectic, grueling, filthy job, that destroys your homelife, as you are rarely home, and usually relocating frequently, having your job bumped 5 times per year.

 

[JimDep]

So take it from me, the single biggest pessimist in the world, things will look up.

Not bad considering when I got the call I was getting ready to fill out an application for Home Depot.....

You are now an official RAILROAD MAN !!! :Y:

A little over a couple years ago I got to help load a BNSF truck with track that was being pulled from an abandoned line from Fort Collins that was going down to the Colorado Railroad Museum. I was in heaven just to be a part of that. What you've got going now is fantastic!!

 

[Dermmy]

Way to go Klinger...

Andy

 

[backyard]

GetaRailroadJob...

Way to go for sure Klinger!

Although at this time I wish I could work for Home Depot!

For anyone interested in a railroad job, check out GetaRailroadJob.com

Sean Martin runs the show, he has written an instruction book on what it's like to apply & what the recruiter looks for in a perspective employee.

There is also a forum for discussion.

Sean Martin is a BNSF Conductor, he is for real.

 

[Pencil42]

Congratulations, Klinger!!
Of course, the employee discount at Home Depot would be nice, also....

Curtis

 

[K4driver]

Congrats..
I would take the home Depot job personally at this point
Anyway, Congrats, Guess good things happen to those who wait.

 

[Euphod]

Congratulations Klinger, too bad you'll miss out on the cool retro orange apron though!

 

[sawyer811]

I envy you. You get to work on narrow-gauge steamers, in the most beautiful state in the U.S., working with history every day. Urgh, you're working my dream job. Good luck to you, that's a wonderful job to have.

Call me when they have the 2-8-0 running. you owe me a cab ride for taking my dream away:hehe: (just kidding).

 

[Klinger]

I envy you. You get to work on narrow-gauge steamers, in the most beautiful state in the U.S., working with history every day. Urgh, you're working my dream job. Good luck to you, that's a wonderful job to have.

Call me when they have the 2-8-0 running. you owe me a cab ride for taking my dream away:hehe: (just kidding).

Well, the Mexican #1 get to Silver Plume sometime in July. I just rented a room for the summer across the Highway. I WILL post picture when I can. And since the house I'll be living in is so close, its easy to get picture when things get loaded/unloaded, its just about out the front door.

Makes for an easy commute, get up, eat, walk under the Highway, and your at work!

However Big 9 became a massive project, and will take longer then we thought. But tomorrow we have the Pineapple Princess running, so its my first time working with steam at the Loop.

 

[JimDep]

If you run into a fellow named Art Mitchell there, tell him hello for me. He was very helpful to my Trainz project a couple years ago. He's a yard foreman for BNSF who has been volunteering at the Colorado Railroad museum of a few years.

 

[Wessex_Electric_Nutter]

I go up there today for an "interview" and the guy asks me a few questions about Lakeside, and my time there. Finally the Superintendent comes in, who I worked with in Golden at the railroad museum for many years, who told me to apply in the first place and say's "Well what do you think"

The guy reply's "lets put will on the train the rest of the day as a student brakeman/conductor"

The single shortest interview of my life, I was already doing things today that people normally don't do for a few days at least. All that time at the Colorado Railroad Museum doing volunteer work paid off. I already knew half the job anyway.....and took FRA rules classes in the past (sadly not this year)

So take it from me, the single biggest pessimist in the world, things will look up.

Not bad considering when I got the call I was getting ready to fill out an application for Home Depot.....

Thats quite interesting to see, although your world seems to be progressing faster than you'd expect and it is also nice to see you got the job in the rail industry.

On the subject of experieces, mine have not been as good. I applied to Southern (Or New Southern Railway, A UK Train Operating Company which happens to be my local one). The way it works in the UK is a lot different to the US, so don't worry about the differences, thats the way the fragmented rail system works here.

In August 2009, I applied for a job with Southern at their Brighton (Lovers Walk) depot which they had an automated email come back to me saying "If you don't hear from us within 28 days, this will assume that you have been unsucessful in the application process.". The 28th day came and the postal strikes started, that says a lot and I thought "time to find another job" and then came the 29th day, with a letter marked for me, from.... Croydon of all places.
So, I was invited for an assessment in late August 09. For anyone reading, the assessment to what I did (which isn't as indepth as other assessments) isn't actually much, its a 15 minute test in 2 parts, one part tests how well you read instructions and memorise them, for example (not an actual one), "This door must be closed at all times/ as leaving the door open will be a fire risk. This is because there is a furnace opposite the door." and you get questions asked about that statement.
The other part is all about filling the right circles that corrosponds with the right sequence. You won't complete the questions in time, so don't feel compelled to. (I noticed I adopted a completely different tactic to my colleauges in the room - I only filled half the page, after which, we were all removed from the room and each one called in one by one and I was the last one called in. Was I the most accurate one in the room, thanks to my tatic? I don't know. I was graded at 2 Cs.)


I was then invited for an interview at Selhurst Depot. Now for anyone like me, the word Depot means orange jacket and interview clothes, which aparently confused everyone because looked like a "Southern Manager"! Not the look I was intending. The funny thing is, I turned up 1 hour and 45 minutes early, because I took the train. (Well, its free for me, as long as I produce the letter saying I am entitled to free travel to get to the locaiton.) I had a reasonbly long interview which questions were asked, etc, after which, I got a call the next morning (while I was asleep, ha ha), then I was invited for a medical examination which is the last bit required. Passed that 6 weeks later and waited for a start date, that never happened, so 2 years, I still can reapply, in fact, if you pass the assessment, you can reapply as many times as you like as your assessment results are vaild for IIRC, 5 years, if you fail the assessment, you cannot apply for 6 months. (Should I've got the start date, I would then need to go for my training, which is a depot Personal Track Safety certificate, stock and cleaning methods training, due to the work, etc.)


With the experince gained, I applied for another position with a compeiting company, SWT, which is in Fratton (20 miles from me), but because I only applied within the last week, I can't tell you how that has gone. The only thing is, I don't want to let my assessment results go to waste, seeing as they are valid for a few more years yet.

 

[Klinger]

If you run into a fellow named Art Mitchell there, tell him hello for me. He was very helpful to my Trainz project a couple years ago. He's a yard foreman for BNSF who has been volunteering at the Colorado Railroad museum of a few years.

Yep I know Art. I talked to him for quite a while after I went up to North Dakota, he told me to come and talk to him before I try and apply for BNSF again.

 

[evan123]

Minot eh? I go over to the Gavin yard on our transfer switch (I'm on the CP), they have a giant yard compared to our sub... Would have been cool to see you on the BN in the minot area.. It's also known as the "little chicago" due to it's increase in stabbings/murders over these few years.. The CP is hiring if you're interested..

 

[Klinger]

Minot eh? I go over to the Gavin yard on our transfer switch (I'm on the CP), they have a giant yard compared to our sub... Would have been cool to see you on the BN in the minot area.. It's also known as the "little chicago" due to it's increase in stabbings/murders over these few years.. The CP is hiring if you're interested..

I don't know, Honestly I'm liking this Tourist line thing. As cascaderailroad pointed out, your not on call, you can't get transferred, you don't get worked to death.

I make pretty good money, I work from about 8:30am to 5pm, every other day we run steam (unless 12 is being a pain). I guess several days a week they are going to put me either in the shop on on the track crew. And I was told they wanted me to learn to fire by the end of this season.

 

[Euphod]

Yeah, well my boss at Home Depot just told me he wants me assembling gas grills by August! So there!:hehe:

 

[BobCass]

Euphod: Thats about the best come back I've heard in along time..:hehe: :hehe:

 

[evan123]

I don't know, Honestly I'm liking this Tourist line thing. As cascaderailroad pointed out, your not on call, you can't get transferred, you don't get worked to death.

I make pretty good money, I work from about 8:30am to 5pm, every other day we run steam (unless 12 is being a pain). I guess several days a week they are going to put me either in the shop on on the track crew. And I was told they wanted me to learn to fire by the end of this season.

Well lets look at things from the long term point of view,

The BN pays very nicely. The minot area for cost of living is "relatively" cheap for most urban type areas, the BN has a gas mileage reimbursement program (for when you do get hired) they pay the total miles from your home town to minot (I think it's 55 cents per mile). I know they offer their student conductors a guarantee (not sure on the exact number, mine on the CP was $737 a week), and then if you break 40 hours a week, which is not hard to do, you'll make overtime wage. I think some of my biggest halfs as a student I raked in $2300 in the pocket. The union contracts for the BN are quite competitive as well, as you may know they offer full benefits, and a healthy salary. If I could, I would take the BN over CP any day of the week. I know several guys over there who make an easy $80k a year, and who go on 2 maybe 3 trips a week.. So just something to think about. Congratulations none the less.

 

[SD45T-2]

Well lets look at things from the long term point of view,

The BN pays very nicely. The minot area for cost of living is "relatively" cheap for most urban type areas, the BN has a gas mileage reimbursement program (for when you do get hired) they pay the total miles from your home town to minot (I think it's 55 cents per mile). I know they offer their student conductors a guarantee (not sure on the exact number, mine on the CP was $737 a week), and then if you break 40 hours a week, which is not hard to do, you'll make overtime wage. I think some of my biggest halfs as a student I raked in $2300 in the pocket. The union contracts for the BN are quite competitive as well, as you may know they offer full benefits, and a healthy salary. If I could, I would take the BN over CP any day of the week. I know several guys over there who make an easy $80k a year, and who go on 2 maybe 3 trips a week.. So just something to think about. Congratulations none the less.

I think you mean BNSF, BN hasn't existed since 1996. (Unless you have time-travel tech your not willling to disclose.:hehe: )