When you hire out on the railroad, you start at the BOTTOM. Even if they
tell you when they hire you that you will be in Rocky Mount (or somewhere
else for that matter), there is NO gurantee that you will be able to work
there all of the time.
As the bottom person on the roster, you could be sent to an "outpost"
assignment miles away for a week or more at a time. The terminal could
close as a result of operating conditions and most jobs could go
somewhere else.
You have to be flexible when you work for the railroad especially as a new
employee, be willing to work when and where they need you, day, night,
weekends, holidays or whenever and wherever.
If you can't accept this, I would suggest that you try to get work with a
small railroad that is not all spread out or that you consider some other
line of work.
I got bumped around all over the place in my early years, sometimes I
had to go 100 miles or more away from home to work and we did not
have most of the expressways to drive on that we have now. I never
missed work because I was willing to travel over the years to where I
was needed and could find work.
Railroading is NOT for everyone.
Noel Weaver
