BNSF vs Amtrak (extra board)

[CPJorgensen]

Hey guys, currently on a furlough with BNSF as a conductor out of Los Angeles and was thinking about moving over to Amtrak as an engineer if I can get in. Been with BNSF for 18 months now and the conductor extra board for freight is almost not predictable at all unless you're in the yard (even then there's still that surprise phone call). I love the job and I even love split and night shift mainly because freeway traffic is clear. I have no complaints with BNSF at all but I hear Amtrak has a slightly better quality of life.

So for you current (or past) Amtrak employees, how does your extra board turn? I'm mainly interested in the west coast extra board (Metrolink, Pacific Surfliner, southwest chief etc..). With BNSF, the road gets a 3 hr call and the yard gets a 2hr call off the extra board, how is Amtrak's call time? Is the possibility of furlough less than with freight? Is there more than 1 extra board and which jobs do they cover?

I was thinking of hopping on a surfliner and seeing if the engineer had a moment to chat, too! I've got a few more questions but those are my main ones. Thanks for any feedback!

-Chase

[CPJorgensen]

Are there any Amtrak employees on here that can check how big the extra board is in L.A.?

[amtrakhogger]

Cannot speak for the L.A. list, but as an extra board engineer you are guaranteed 40 hrs. per week with a 6 day work week.
You get one assigned rest day (based on seniority.) Also, you can bid hold downs for engineers who go on vacation. Contractual is a 2 hour call for jobs.

[CPJorgensen]

Appreciate the input! I'm hoping to get on with Amtrak. It's projected here at BNSF in L.A. to be about 6-8 years before someone with seniority like mine gets a chance to go to the seat. I just wonder how Amtrak's computer system is with checking projections, bidding etc. It's the old command prompt style over here (think of the 1980s green screen computers) along with a limited mobile web app to check projections.

[Engineer Spike]

Why not bid to another terminal where you stand for engineer school sooner? I started on the BN side, and also had no shot at E school for a while. Fate has it that I got cut off. The place where I landed put me right in line. Both places were in the same seniority district.

A year or so later, guys in my old terminal, who were senior on the trainmen/ conductor roster, at my old terminal were finally going to school. This let me run around them with my engineer date. It was a good move.

[CPJorgensen]

Thanks Spike!

If you mean bid on engine service at a different terminal on the same engineer seniority roster, I keep an eye out for them. The L.A. engineers roster encompasses 3 terminals. One of the terminals has 3 yard jobs and it hasn't run an engine service class since the 90's I believe and it's not due anytime soon. When I bid to the last class (that got cancelled due to the economy tanking) I was about 50 on the list of bidders according to one of the train masters. I thought about going out of state, but a couple guys have transferred their engineers seniority from out of state and they said they had to wait 3 years before it was approved.

[ACT1FTX]

Thanks Spike!

If you mean bid on engine service at a different terminal on the same engineer seniority roster, I keep an eye out for them. The L.A. engineers roster encompasses 3 terminals. One of the terminals has 3 yard jobs and it hasn't run an engine service class since the 90's I believe and it's not due anytime soon. When I bid to the last class (that got cancelled due to the economy tanking) I was about 50 on the list of bidders according to one of the train masters. I thought about going out of state, but a couple guys have transferred their engineers seniority from out of state and they said they had to wait 3 years before it was approved.

Hey CP,
I got a buddy who just applied for Passenger engineer trainee and got an email with a questionnaire and then another saying they will call him with an interview date....Did you apply already?

[CPJorgensen]

What city did your buddy apply to? I applied and did their culture fit test (the Hogan test) and haven't seen anything since. App says its still under review.

[ACT1FTX]

What city did your buddy apply to? I applied and did their culture fit test (the Hogan test) and haven't seen anything since. App says its still under review.

he hasn't done a test , just some questionnaire...They said they will be calling him for an interview tho...????? Were not sure what to make of it!!!

[CPJorgensen]

Well the test I did could be considered a questionnaire. It was one of those Strongly agree, disagree etc... I didn't get an email after that, just a message at the end of the questionaire saying I would be contacted for an interview if they were interested. I wish I knew the results of that questionnaire.

[ACT1FTX]

Well the test I did could be considered a questionnaire. It was one of those Strongly agree, disagree etc... I didn't get an email after that, just a message at the end of the questionaire saying I would be contacted for an interview if they were interested. I wish I knew the results of that questionnaire.

Ok

[CPJorgensen]

Oh interesting, I haven't seen that yet. Good luck to your buddy! I might have to email Amtrak to see if my email server rejected something from them. I applied through the Amtrak careers site and not with Facebook or LinkedIn, maybe he applied a different way? Anyways, appreciate the info!