Commuter or Freight

Railroaders are NEVER happy, it just seems to be part of their makeup.

oh how true that is... $68k us funds is great pay... i made just over $50k cdn funds last year... not so good... being at the bottom of the pile sucks

Thanks Razor for the input on the NS side that kind of money is something i have to consider. I was offered a position out of Croxton, NJ can you tell me antyhing about the work there and money i could expect if I worked out of there.

You might have alot more fun working for NS?

newyawkkid,
I don't know much about Croxton, I'm not qualified out that way. I did however pull up their conductor's extra boards. Both the yard and road boards have very few people on 'em. That means you will have all the work you could ever want and probably more than you can stand. If you could go to work right now, you'd get 6-7 starts a week. Roughly $250-300 a start, since you will probably work 10-12 hour shifts.

Your first year on the NS, you'll only make about $40K though, since you have 5 months of training pay ($500 a week).

Also, keep in mind that in 2-5 years, you will be promoted to engineer. They make about $30K a year more than conductors.

Don't get me wrong, joining the NS is like joining the military, it really impacts your life. The NS owns you and there is no arguing. If you decide to work for the NS, just put it in your mind that you will have to give them your life for awhile until you can hold a job. "Short term pain for long term gain" if you will. As a whole IMHO, the NS has a horrible managment system, but just show up on time and do your job and it won't really matter.

-r

Thanks razor im really going to give this some thought over the next few days.

$500/week for training....wow......CSXT is closing in on $700/week nowadays

You guys really get paid a flat rate of pay all threw training? During UP hoghead training its set up that way untill you work more than 48 hours in a week then they start paying you overtime.

500/week for training....wow......CSXT is closing in on $700/week nowadays

Yeah, but the NS don'et make you cough up $5000 up front for school.

The $500 a week is pretty lame though. Be nice if the UTU could help out the new guys.

And yeah UPRR engineer, it's $500/wk no matter how many hours trainees work. The NS won't them deadhead either, they sometimes spend days in hotels waiting for a train home.

-r

razor wrote:
Yeah, but the NS don'et make you cough up $5000 up front for school.

The $500 a week is pretty lame though. Be nice if the UTU could help out the new guys.

And yeah UPRR engineer, it's $500/wk no matter how many hours trainees work. The NS won't them deadhead either, they sometimes spend days in hotels waiting for a train home.

-r

That is messed up, when i first hired on i got the same pay, 2nd trips and what not just like all the rest of my crew, at a lower rate of cource. That whole CSX paying for your own schooling is a wad of crap. How long has it been like that? anyone know?