DJ, your videos are marvelous. I thoroughly enjoy them. Don't get me wrong, I could never have been an engineer or any other operating employee. I just enjoy listening to you and your guests enthusiastically describe your lives. Please keep these posts coming. Thanks
As a former GM worker, I can recall new hires buying houses... At GM (especially after the mid nineties), even seniority would only take you so far in job security... Great explanation of train physics in a nutshell.
I never wanted to be in train service. My dream was a telegrapher/train order operator. But that avocation was flushed down the dumper three decades ago.
I cant add anything to the career advice these two gents offered except to say that what they said is gospel truth. Forget the "romance of the rails"... there ain't any. Yeah you have to like trains to be effective in this industry, but "romance" is not in the picture. As to their train handling techniques, I wasn't a mountain railroader...it's a different world. However a lot of what they were talking about can be found on the "C & I" on the BNSF from Chicago to Savanna IL. it is uphill and down dale with a loooonng hill(Oregon hill). BNSF is pretty picky about train handling. Dunno if I would have handled the downhill uphill stunt described. I imagined a busted knuckle or drawbar as a result of that. The C & I is famous for being a junkyard of broken coupling machinery and MOW is famous for leaving the broken evidence on the side of the track so all can see and remember what can be your fate. Interesting discussions though!
