Conductor Trainee Questions

Hello everyone I'm new to this forum and have some questions I would love to have answered by BNSF conductors. I will try to keep them short and sweet. Thank you in advance everyone.

1- What is the pay rate per day while in training in the Chicago area? Is it $160 a day before taxes or is that what you actually make a day?

2- Is class 6 days a week or just Monday through Friday?

3- Once done with class do you get to try and pick(bid) between yard or road?

4- Also I would like to know how hard is it to get on with the road crew? Do you have to work on the railroad for a long time before you can be on the road crew?

Thank you again everyone I got my projected start date and to say the least I am more then excited to begin my long career with the railroad! Looking forward to hearing everyone's input!

I also have a couple questions for whomever may know. Are there any furloughs still happening? And, if I am hired, can I expect to begin work immediately after a job offer?

JEC23 wrote:
2- Is class 6 days a week or just Monday through Friday?

6 days/week... I don't know what the training rate of pay is these days.

JEC23 wrote:3- Once done with class do you get to try and pick(bid) between yard or road?

You will be a qualified conductor, therefore they will put you where your seniority permits. Your instructors will show you how to look up what jobs are vacant and how to place a bid.

JEC23 wrote:4- Also I would like to know how hard is it to get on with the road crew? Do you have to work on the railroad for a long time before you can be on the road crew?

Time has nothing to do with working the road... If there are vacancies, you may be able to go straight to the road, but I wouldn't advise it. Learn how to switch cars first, train make-up, yard tracks, signal and derail locations, and then go on the road. I find it very frustrating when I get stuck with a new conductor who wanted to be on the road, and has no clue how to set out or pick-up some cars in route. There is much more to being a road conductor than just riding on the engine and watching the world go by. Don't be to anxious to be on the main line. Inexperience will get you fired very fast!

If seniority allows bounce from yard to road during the year. Getting experience in the yard for switching, lining switches ect...is helpful but making it a carreer could do harm. I had to many people who came out on the road after working yards for 2-3 years that hadn't a clue about signals, taking orders over the line of road on the radio from the train dispatcher, familiarization of subdivisions ect...it was if they were new all over again. The bad part railroads usually refuse pilots if a person was qualified but let it lapse. I haven't a clue what conductor FRA certification retrictions are but with a locomotive engineer it's making a trip once a year to stay qualified on a territory. If the LE loses qualifications thru their own fault they must requalify on their own time minus pay time limits are determined by the local RFE. At least that's the way it was defined on CSX. BNSF might be different as to it's interpataton. That's the bad part of FRA certifications seems nothing was concrete.

Ok perfect thank you so much for the answers. I would love to be on the road, but want to do everything the right way to insure a long successful career with the railroad! I have one other question how are the engineers with the new conductors? I have heard from some guys that they are hard on the conductors, and I have also heard that some are willing to work with them to teach them the "ropes" of being out on the road? I look forward to the challenges ahead and can't wait to get started!! Thank you again everyone that posted I appreciate the time and knowledge you guys put into your answers!!

COEN77 wrote:The bad part railroads usually refuse pilots if a person was qualified but let it lapse.

BNSF is still pretty good when it comes to re-familiarization. Trainmen get the brakeman's rate of pay while making their trips with an experienced conductor. Also, bouncing from yard to yard trainmen get paid familiarization.
Some BN territories have negotiated a "no pay familiarization" local agreement to keep the outsiders from bumping in.

COEN77 wrote: If the LE loses qualifications thru their own fault they must requalify on their own time minus pay time limits are determined by the local RFE. At least that's the way it was defined on CSX. BNSF might be different as to it's interpataton.....

Engineers get a flat rate of $210/day when re-familiarizing. There is a minimum number of trips required for each subdivision.

jz441 wrote:

COEN77 wrote: If the LE loses qualifications thru their own fault they must requalify on their own time minus pay time limits are determined by the local RFE. At least that's the way it was defined on CSX. BNSF might be different as to it's interpataton.....

Engineers get a flat rate of $210/day when re-familiarizing. There is a minimum number of trips required for each subdivision.

CSX will pay the basic day on requalifying if a person is forced on the job. The only time they don't is if it's a voluntary move.

JEC23 wrote:I have one other question how are the engineers with the new conductors? I have heard from some guys that they are hard on the conductors, and I have also heard that some are willing to work with them to teach them the "ropes" of being out on the road?

You've heard right. Some engineers are going to be a pain with a new conductor. Don't take it personal it's been that way forever even when we had cabooses and full crews. The new brakemen was always assigned the head end position on the locomotive. Some of those engineers would hit the roof arguing with the conductor to ride up front. lol. I learned more about railroading from those grumpy engineers who had to guide me along to get the job done. Let's say it's part of tradition paying the dues. lol

JEC23 wrote: I have one other question how are the engineers with the new conductors? I have heard from some guys that they are hard on the conductors, and I have also heard that some are willing to work with them to teach them the "ropes" of being out on the road?

COEN77 put it well... It's part of paying your dues. Sometimes guys will give you hard time just to see if you can handle it. I am pretty hard on my (new) conductors and have high expectations, but I will also help them if they are willing to learn. For example: I had a conductor last year marked up a few months and forced to the road. We were switching form one subdivision to another and had a Form "B", which is a track gang working on or around tracks. Normally the boards (flags) are placed 2 miles in advance, but in this case working limits were just past junction and we had "short boards" which was noted in our track warrants. My conductor was so deep in his (political) conversation that he completely forgot to call the foreman. I began to slow down to see if he will remember, but nothing. He noticed that I was stopping, but still continued renting about politics. I rounded the curve and came to a stop in front of the "RED BOARD". My conductor then realized what happened.... There were men with machines on the track. I told him: "May this me a lesson for life". If I had forgotten, these men would have been dead. He didn't say another word the rest of the trip!

I truly look forward to getting out there and earning and paying my dues. I look forward to my training and also for the truly one of a kind training I will get from being put through the paces by the "Vets" if you will. I know I have a ton to learn and from what I have been told the day you think you know it all is the day you need to find a new career, because things are always changing, and new or better ways are having to be learned. Again I can't thank you guys enough for the awesome insight and words to learn by, its great to have the ability through this forum to have a chance to hear from the guys that have been working on railroads for a good amount of time!! I truly look forward to learning and doing things the right way for a long successful career!