This article caught my eye on another site, thought folks might be interested... Working on the railroad Also, this bit prompts a question... My not-so-zealous attempt to learn more about railroad fuel consumption through Google has taught me that railroad fuel efficiency is measured in gross ton miles per gallon. Why is it relatively easy to find BNSF touting their achievement of (for example) 761 GTM/gallon in 2006, whereas I can't find UP's figure on their website? And, why is the national average (400 GTM/gallon? in 2001) so much lower?
It may be that BNSF hauls lots of really long, heavy trains for very long distances, so they get a nice high GTM/gallon number, but the locals and short-lines and class II's end up with low GTM/gallon numbers, sort of as in how most cars get better highway mileage than city. Union Pacific is always circumspect with information. They have their own motives, which are also unavailable on their website. Adam
Improvements in Railroad fuel efficiency, prompted by increasing fuel costs, and the search for increased profit, has been effected by operating procedure changes(shutting down engines even temporarily unneeded on the road, etc.) and acquisition of newer (more fuel-efficient) locomotives, trade-in/sale/retirement of older power. Over a 5 year period, this has made a lot of difference in expense/revenue $, earning the RRs more business. Five years can bring major change with a focused agenda. It's not Rocket Surgery! Bob C.
I considered applying to UP here in Portland a few years back when I was still cleaning windows and toilets in new McMansions for peanuts. The big thing I wasn't sure I could handle well because of my family was the on-call nature of the work. I asked my ex-rail grandpa and he said that he was on-call for most of 40 years and that there were times he'd get a call just as Thanksgiving dinner was starting or on Christmas morning and that that part was always difficult to juggle with the job. I decided not to apply. The pay still looks attractive, but I am really attached to the M-F day shift schedule and I would have a hard time doing that. Plus, I love what I am doing now (no more McMansion toilet cleaning) so I wouldn't want to leave it. I like my job and I like that I can go foaming all those other hours that I am not at work.
Well, there are some restrictions. For example, I can't just go whenever because sometimes my wife is working late and I have to watch the kids. Of course, I have gotten around this a little by raising my two girls as little foamers in their own right. Why not? They aren't exactly rivet-counters, but they recognize immediately the 4449 as "Papa's train" since I told them it was my favorite when I was their age (and it still is), the 3985 as "grandpa train" since we went to see it with my dad, and pretty much anything else steam as "Punka train" ("Punka" being the nickname they gave my grandpa, their great grandpa, I think because he used to always say to them, "Hey, pumpkin!"). They don't discriminate by roadname with the level of enthusiasm, and I think that's just peachy.
i did it for 5 years and got out just in time, my marriage was crumbling from the time away. yes we understood what i was getting into when i applied and accepted the job but there is alot they don't tell you when you go for the testing and hiring. pay is good but when you take out the union dues, job insurance, rr retrirement, meals for the other end, it really subtracts form the total. don't get me wrong i loved it just love my family more!!!!
Life on the rails is often like being with a beautiful woman who treats you badly. You enjoy being around her (on big, powerful machines) but in order to do this (and get paid handsomely, atleast on Class1 rails) you HAVE to be at her beck and call 24/7 most all the time. If you show any devotion or interest in other "loves" ie; romance, marriage, family, education, hobbies etc., she will quickly jerk you back to reality by letting you know who rules your life. I know this sounds harsh but it is the truth. Take it from one who has spent the last forty years on the rails it can get pretty tough. That is why since 1987 I have been employed by regional and shortline railroads who while not paying as much as Class 1 roads do offer a more stable lifestye with often more job satisfaction at a fair wage. I know that I would not have much time for my wife and family or even a desire for model railroading as a hobby if I were still working for a Class 1 as an official or locomotive engineer. Simply not enough time for that valued commodity of enough sleep and rest. Sorry folks, it all looks like fun on a beautiful sunday afternoon when the temperature is a mild 75 degrees and you are photographing my locomotive pulling a fast freight, running a daylight switcher or in charge of a steam excursion, but most of the rest of the time especially when it rains and lightnings hard or it is blizzard conditions with sub zero temperatures life can be hell and you wonder why in the world you chose the rails for a career? I do not regret a day I spent on the rails but if you do chose her as a "love" just realize what you are getting into. A few words of wisdom from an "old head" railroader. Barry, training railroaders in Kansas
Thanks all for the interesting feedback, guys. I'm glad I started this thread. Anyone know if the national average for GTM/g is higher than 400 nowadays?
My theory on why railroads have a lack of employees I don't know what the article has to say, since I have not read it. I will do so, just not right now. Just wanted to share a theory I have on the subject of the shortage of workers. The theory I have is that there is a combination of things that cause many people to reject railroads as a possible place to work, or they do not stay with the railroad for very long. That combination of things is: the unpredictable and long work hours, combined with the fact that you are away from home off and on so much, missing out on family life, being out in all kinds of weather having to do difficult and dangerous work, plus not enough sleep and the fact that it takes quite a while to get enough seniority to hold down some of the better jobs. All those factors must come into play to keep people from wanting to work for railroads, regardless of the size of the railroad, even if they are railfans. I am aware that railroading is very much a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, 365 day a year business. But surely, the railroads can somehow find some solution to these problems, though I'm not sure what.
Railroading is a love/hate relationship from the word go. The problem is keeping anyone around long enough to aquire a taste for it. I probably quit 3 times a week for the first year and an awful lot of new hires don't last even that long. The carriers admit that employee retention is terrible but don't seem to be making any real effort to change it.
Now that is a real condemnation of the railroad company. I would think employee retention would reduce costs and improve profits. The company management should do something even if it is wrong! To do nothing doesn't improve profits and improving profit should be the ultimate goal for all at the company, including the employees.
Folks: I train and test new and experienced railroads for a shortline/regional company so I am a bit familiar with this problem. Part of the problem begins at home and school way before new workers are ready to join the work force. Because the railroad industry depends/demands compliance with safety and operating rules there can be no room for error or non-compliance by railroad employees. If there is, it can result in derailments, hazardous material incidents, injuries and fatalities to both workers and the public. Because of our permissive attitudes in raising children and lack of accountability in our education system the last four decades, we are reaping the results of such behaviors not only on the railroad but also in the business world in general. It is tough to hold onto people who do not wish to be on time to work, to get along with others fail to provide self discipline in their life, to avoid substance abuse and who never before in such drooves bring countless personal problems to the job site. We in the shortline buiness offer a better lifestye where most workers sleep in their own beds at home every night and many have day and afternoon shifts with weekend days off. In return, in order to economically handle our business we have a little lower pay scale. The class 1 railroads cannot offer these benefits because they run much higher tonnage trains at any time of the day and night and folks need to be on call to handle them much like truckers, policemen, firefighters, medical personnel and others who work shifts. All new people are told up front what to expect when going to work for a class 1 railroad and in return for being paid handsomely they basically surrender their life to the rails. Possibly in the future some of the large carriers will be able to operate a more scheduled operation similar to what the CN does on the old IC property, but it will be very difficult to incorporate such changes on all lines. The real challege will come in the next five years or so when about 35,000 experienced railroaders are due to retire. Who will be trained and qualified to take their place. All railroad companies whether big or small are aware of the issue of employee retention and are working daily to provide the best we can for our employees. However, in the end this problem affects all business whether you teach children, switch railroad cars, cut hair, or work in an office. We are all doing too much, too many hours of the day, with too little support and not enough people or equipment. "We the willing who have done so much with so little for so long, can now do absolutely no anything with nothing forever." Barry, teaching railroaders in Kansas
barry not to start a war but when i started rr'ing, the railroad i will leave un-named but is a class 1 and has a donkey on the front of the loco, leaves alot out of their orientation for testing. like telling a person that in their first year you can make 50-60,000. how can you do that when you spend a minimum of 6 months in training at a $500 a week training scale? also they tend to hide the fact of gone all the time and on call, no family time, behind their high pay and benefits. the biggest problem for them right now is they can't get more than 10-25 people out of 200 that can pass a drug test. when i tested there were 500 people there, the first question from the rr people was if we give you a drug test right now if can't pass it please leave, that left 250 there. the next statement was if you have ever had a felony conviction you may leave. after those 2 statements there were about 50 people left. i am a firefighter, a member of our ambulance, and also do emergency repairs with a 24 hour service so i knew going into it what the on call thing was like and actually the rr is easier on that as they kind of schedle trains in the computer so you have an idea what is going and coming, my problem was i was spending more time in the hotel than at home, several time a week making all my holdaway and then still nothing and they won't do anything about getting you home. i made 3 holdaways on one trip to chicago, which is completely stupid. after going off holdaway the 3rd time they finally deadheaded us home. that combined with them trying to fire me because i got hurt on a defective locomotive was the last straw.
:tb-confused:I thought the "Donkey" was in the Engineer's seat... At least that's what the Conductors say:tb-biggrin: When they're awake:tb-wink:
MOPAC 3092 No problem. I appreciate knowing that there may still be railroads out there which don't tell the whole truth when hiring/training new people. We always make sure that new hires realize what they are getting themselves into by explaining not only the upside but also the downside of railroading. If knowing the full facts of employment and they decide to continue they usually stick with it. Believe me, we want everyone who passes groundschool to join us and become good rails...it does no good to deceive them to begin with. Thanks for input. Barry
Drifting off the subject a little...an old aquaintance of mine used to say, :lightning:"The smell of victory is the smell of a wet conductor." :rain: The donkey in the right seat laughs last! :we-laugh:
Now back on the subject... It's true that most of the carriers tell new hires what they're in for. Crummy hours, on call, evil weather, all of it gets spelled out. Hey, they did it to me but I was still nuts enough to sign on the line. IMHO though, people just don't comprehend what it's really going to be like when the phone starts ringing at 0200 to go and you have no idea when you'll be back. It's plain old miserable for a while and the money just ain't what it used to be to make it worth the trouble. Yes, it's a pretty substantial income once you get settled in and up to 100% (entry rates...that's another story) but if you do the math, by the time you figure all the unpaid hours in hotels, the meals, the travel, the time spent waiting for calls that don't happen etc., you wind up not really making much more per hour than anyone else. You're just putting in a lot more hours. Unfortunately, it takes just about to the end of training to figure that out and a couple of years to learn how to better balance your real life and the RR. A pretty good percentage won't hang in there long enough to really get the knack of it and bag out almost as soon as they solo.
