A little help

I just looked through all ten pages of the Employment Discussion posts and found it's very informative and helpful.
I've been "Released to start", just waiting for a start date.
But on to the questions, I found some posts that answer some of my questions and others that bring up two more on what to expect at the school, and how it differs from what I was told at the interview on what the school is all about. I need some calcification,please

1- Does the UP Conductor school last 5 weeks or 14 weeks?
2-Were can I get more info on the material that I will be learning?IE:Signals,Hazmat,GCOR,Air Brakes, and Safety.( Found one post on Signals, helped a lot.)
3-If you fail a test can you take it more that twice, like the Signal test?
4-Any other info on this would be appreciated.
You can be detailed as you like in answering.

THANKS
A Future conductor

vf1s wrote:2-Were can I get more info on the material that I will be learning?IE:Signals,Hazmat,GCOR,Air Brakes, and Safety.( Found one post on Signals, helped a lot.)

The railroad will supply you with the books.

vf1s wrote:3-If you fail a test can you take it more that twice, like the Signal test?

Don't worry about failing. Learn your stuff and concentrate on passing.

Can I buy these books before hand so I can start to study now?

DUDE!!! CHILL OUT Your gonna learn everything you need to when class starts. The rules change so much theres no sence learning the wrong stuff. Your gonna go over everything when you get there, OK buddy?

Thats good advice right there buddy. Ever get your other thing worked out?

No not yet, but I have a call into the the person that the background investigator gave me the number to.

The way it was when i hired out buddy, you would have to sleep threw the whole thing to fail. They damn near read you the test the day before the big ones. Plus they tell you exactly what to study. They give you a neon marker and tell you exactly what to mark. Dont worry, show up early for class, ask good questions, sit up front, be respectful and you'll do just fine.

Thanks UPRR, just really nervous about the stories of all the people that have failed. Don't mean to be freaking out, just want to know what come next in for the school and how much time I have in school.

There's nothing to fear but fear itself. Do as UPRR says -- listen in class and stay ahead of the workbook assignments. Also, it's a good idea to get into a study group so you can help each other through the material. The ones who fail are often slackers or lone wolves who don't do any of the above. Freaking out is the worst thing you can do at this point.

If you are hiring as a new trainman, you will be in class for 3, 6-day weeks. There will be quizzes on the material as you go along. Failing quizzes doesn't wash you out. There will also be final exams as you go along on Safety, Air Brakes, Hazmat, TWC Operation, Signals, and the Grand Finale final at the end. You get two chances at any one final, but the second attempt will be the very next day after the first attempt -- but you would have to have really not been paying attention or doing the workbooks in order to fail the first time.

Chill out, pay attention, ask questions when you're not sure about something, and don't join the losers who are out carousing every night and you'll do fine.

vf1s,

UPRR brings up some great points. Relax and have fun. When you get to the hotel or office space where your classes will be you will find a nice stack of books, pamphlets, highlighters, etc. for you to understand and know everything about the job at hand. You will know when you will have a quiz and a final. As long as you study, participate in class and do the workbooks you will have no problems. It helps to get together with a couple of guys and form a study group as well after class on the nights before a final. You need to get 85% on the finals. If you get 84.7%, you'll do a retake the next day. 84.7% on the second go round and your calling your old boss back to see if he still has your job open. The parts that seem to get the most guys seems to be air brakes, TWC (Track Warrants) and signals (assuming your going into trainservice). As long as you study and do the workbooks you will sail through. Of the three classes I went through, brakeman, conductor and engineer, all of the instructors were willing to help and answer any questions. Best of all they were all old heads with great stories to bring all of the knowledge together instead of just memorizing rote crap out of the books.

GOOD LUCK!

Things have changed over the years here but, i think its 3 weeks "brakeman" in the classroom training. Then ya go off to take student trips for awhile. Come back for 2 weeks of conductor stuff, then more student trips, then you might have to do a week of RCL classroom training, then out in the field RCL student trips. The whole thing takes quite awhile. 6 months at least, if you dont have to do RCL. Tack on another month or two if you do.

What gets you kicked out of the program is, being late for class, not showing up all together, pissing off the instructor, sleeping, or your not able to learn. Your first day, he or she will tell you whats expected of you to pass. You'll learn...

Thanks UPRR,slchub,& LCJ for input and your words of confidence.
So if I fail conductors school I can still re-apply at a future date? Or is it like the engineer's test that if you fail that's it for you at UP?

Thanks for your input!

There you go worrying about failing again!

I know, I know. I shouldn't do that. Bad me!

vf1s wrote:So if I fail conductors school I can still re-apply at a future date? Or is it like the engineer's test that if you fail that's it for you at UP?

vf1s, now you are starting to worry me. What part is it that you did not understand? You will fail ONLY if you are a total moron. And if you do fail, ... yes, you are done with UP and with all the other railroads. What are you going to put on your application under reason for leaving UP? Incompetence? Unable to pass the test? Get the picture?

Relax,.... IF you are such a paranoid in real life as you are on the forum, maybe the railroad career isn't for you. To be honest with you: I don't like working with paranoid conductors and neither does anyone else. It's ok to be nervous, but this is paranoid. Now, you might wont to get a book (non railroad related) to read until your class starts to relax a bit...

Sorry about that didn't know the answer and my girlfriend wanted clarification.
I know I sound paranoid, but I come from a background where it's a part of the job. That's one of many reason I'm getting out of that field.
All you guys have made me a lot more confident about passing the test and I appreciate y'all putting up with me and my posts.
This WILL be the last on this post from me.

Thanks again. And see you on the rails.