CSX school first to last week

What a week this has been! I started school on Monday in Cincinnatti. I will give you a brief rundown of what we did. I sort of got in a bad class (afternoon) 3pm-11pm. The first day I arrived at class around 1pm, to get kind of a heads up of what was to go on. About 5-6 people in my class were already there doing the same thing as me.

Our class got under way around 3 oclock and we did some preliminary paperwork. We worked through some general railroading information and started on safety. We were supposed to get a ten minute break every hour and one half hour supper break. We got only one half hour supper break and one 5 minute other and didn't get out until about quarter after midnight.

We have daily quizzes each day with a weekly test on Mondays. Tuesday and Wednesday we finished with Safety, then got to work on operating rules,throwing switches, mounting equipment,proper liftting technique, etc. We got out at 11:45 tuesday and 11:30 on Wednesday. Thursday was our first field day which started at 11:00 am (we got to start early because it is too dark to do it late). It was fun but miserable cold. We ran through throwing switches, applying hand brakes by hand and with a brake stick, changing out a knuckle, changing air hoses, putting on EOT device, using hand signals with a lantern and fusees, plus lots more. Then back inside for our daily test and some final instructions, we got done a lttle after 7:00. Today (Friday) we started on the computers learning how to use the CSX mainframe- pulling up system wide as well as regional bulletins and seeing how (in general) the system works, we went into class and learned about FRA hours of service work and regulation as well as went over more terms and jargon. We spent a little less time in class today, only about 6 1/2 hours, but have a big weekly test on monday and about three hours of homework to do before then.

There are 7 people in my class for New Castle and 3 for Chicago. I am the second youngest, which I was kind of suprised because I am 30!! The ages are as follows, 23, 30 (me), 33, 37, 37, and the other 5 are in their late forties or early 50's. We orignally started with 9 for New Castle, and 2 didn't show up after the second day. They both dropped out- good for me because they were both older than me, and since all of us for New Castle will have the same start date seniority goes by age. That means the two who dropped, who were older, CSX will put those two slots in the next class, Yay for me.

I missed the signal test the first day I took it. I matched all the signals but was off a word on one of the definitions. Have to have every word exact. For the doll arm defintion i put "A track intervenes between the signal and the track governed by the signal, when more than one track intervenes, the number of doll arms, with or without blue lights, is consecutively increased" it was supposed to be "corresponingly increase". Made me take it over, oh well I nailed it and got it over with. There are only 3 of us that passed it this week. I am doing well on the tests, so far I got a 92, 100,100, 100- you have to maintain an 85% to continue. So far so good.

Also on Tuesday CSX will be there for formal interviews and they have changed the drug urine test to a hair sample drug test. They just changed that a week or so ago they tell me. I think that was why one of the guys dropped the class so early. Also we have a female in our class that is mid 40's, she seems to be able to hold her own so far. sorry this is so long but I hope this gives some insight for those who dont know

Great going! Keep it up and best of luck. Cheers!

John

Would you mind breaking that down into a few parahgraphs?

real funny

I have seen this has been viewed 155 times but only a few responses. Let me know what you want to know about training and I will answer as best I can. We are midway through our second week and we have the CSX interviiews tomorrow. Just a formality though--except for one I think LOL, will explain later. Lots of rules tests so far, and recieved a 98% on the last test (made me mad), my average is still a 99% so I guess it is no big deal. If you have questions about CSX training, ask them now for I am the latest in going through it. The biggest difference I have noticed so far is the hair test instead of the pee test for drugs as opposed to the classes who went before me. Also the one week in Atlanta has been changed to 2 weeks , for RCO training (letting us use remotes), probably going to spark a debate.Let me know your questions. Later. NewCastletrain....also let me know if the info I provide is useful, otherwise I wont waste my time screwing with this

I find it very helpful. I start class this Monday in Waycross Ga. Did they give you a chance to correct any dates on your original application? I'm sure some of mine are probably off a little so that worries me a some. Have you passed your signals test yet? Have you taken the strength test yet? After shelling out $4250 for this class i'm getting a little skittish about making it through. hehe

You stated that you took the signals test two times, and there are those that have to take it next week. Does that mean you have more than two times to take this test before you are kicked out? Some other posts state you only have two chances. Also keep us up to date. I myself am very interested in any details. I have to go next week to a testing session to be placed in the school pool in Jacksonville.

I was in the CSX cond. school in Atlanta, GA. in 1996. My method for remembering the signals was to make a tape recording of the exact definitions. Each night as I fell asleep I had the tape-recorder plugged into my ear. It worked, passed the sgnals test. As the man said, word for word, no mistakes allowed.

Ok we started last monday which seems like a month ago. I, honestly never believed everyone who said how much time was spent at the school. With an associates and bachelors degree and also a certified firefighter and EMT --I have had my fair share of school, but yet i was still suprised. Take today for instance- I woke up around 8 am and studied for our daily test until around 9:30 or 10:00 and left at 10:15 because our CSX rep was here for our interviews and mine was scheduled for 11:00 a.m.. Didn't want to be late. I did sit around for a while, but also gleaned a bunch of info from my classmates about the interview. So I went in and had a very formal interview, yet it did feel like a formality and everything went well. They offered conditional offers of employment to all in our class. Even despite some very marginal scenarios that had taken place the same night ( I will explain later). I left tonight after class at near 11:00 pm.The moral is everyone got a conditional offer of employment (i.e. have to pass course with 85%, pass drug test which has changed from a urine analysis to a hair sample, and pass physical portion--sitting in mechanical chair).

As far as the signal test goes....you can take it as many times as you want until you pass. You have to achieve a 100% on it. You can take it every day you are there, there is no limit but you must get 100%. These signals are of the utmost importance as you can tell. I, personally, would recommend getting it over as soon as possible so you can relax and concentrate on the daily tests and the others. When I said they had to take it next week I meant they "should" take it to get it over with. The signal test is required to be hired-if I said you only had 2 chances I was mistaken because you could literally take it every day and not pass until the last day and you would be in good shape.Daily Tests are fairly easy but most people miss questions because of 1. they read too much into the question and bring personal judgement to cloud their aanswer or 2. Just marked a wrong answer on accident when they truly knew the answer.

You do not want to fool around with a few things. 1. Do not give any information to the CSX representative that is sent to give the orientation and do not ask any provocative questions in that session, because he/she will more than likely be the one interviewing you the next day (yes it is a formality, but if you state during the orientation that you sued your last boss for a back injury recieved at work when you actually hurt it roofing your house---see what happens) Let me qualify my statement-for 80% of "normal" people this IS a formality, but the longer I live I see that too many people are not "normal". 2. Do not fool with safety aspects - just check out CSX's motto

Also you get to fill out a new application at school for CSX and make sure everything is correct, because prior to being in a union you can be fired for withholding or falsely stating info on your application. Also be aware the interviewer will ask some key questions that are automatic disqualifiers 1. Are you willing to relocate? you must aanswer yes. 2 How many mles from the terminal do you live? Most of Csx requires you live within 30 miles of your terminal, I guess after my class they are checking into this better.

Well to shorten this up I will post another time about any specfic questions anyone has but before I go I will agree with jg greenwood- do what it takes to learn your signal aspects and indications-and get it over with as soon as possible. It will be a big weight off your shoulders. Also I stated the schooling is fairly easy but there will be times when you may be as confused more than you thought you would be and cannot picture how it will actually work, but they do a good job with words, pictures, books, rules, etc, but I do believe it will come together in OJT and the rest of the class. I will post more tomorrow, sorry it was so long.

Hey guys,

I'll be wrapping up my 4th week of conductor school tomorrow. I'm doing my course with Marshall University in Huntington WV. I figured I'd drop a few hints, assuming that the cirriculum is the same through all of the schools.

Don't stress it, if you drop a daily quiz or two. They won't hurt you immensely. Those quizes, all 17-18 of them, combine to make up 25% of your grade. I'm sure you've already been told this, but it seriously doesn't hurt your grade, if you bumble one.

The hardest sections come in your third and fourth week. Equipment handling II, Switching, and Air Brake Systems. They're all a pain, and the daily quiz that accompanies them is too. I bumbled EH II with an 84% and squeaked by Switching with an 88%. My GPA is still 94.8, so if I continue to do well on the weeklys, and excellent on the GTI and Operating Rules final, I'll still get my 'honors' on the certificate at the end.

As for the signals test, I really don't know what to tell you. Just read them and practice writing them. I started learning mine on a Monday night and I passed the test the first time I took it on the next Wednesday, two days later. Try to get it finished as soon as possible, though. It gets rid of one of the huge black clouds (physical, strength test, drug test for some) out of the way.

If you guys want to know anything in particular about the course, feel free to contact me.

My AIM is goomba83 and my email is [email protected]

One more thing, if your instructors haven't printed out a copy of the System Bulletins applying to the most recent operating manuals, get yourself a copy.

Then proceed to go through and update the rules with a margin-note that indicated the rule has been updates in a bulletin.

I've heard they check your books in Atlanta to make sure you're up to date with everything, and I can only assume it would look excellent if you were.

Hey Jason P, are they taking hair samples for drug test there at Marshall also? I didn't care personally because I am clean but I was just suprised because I thought those tests were really expensive. Where will your home terminal be? Also I will post again after the conclusion of this week. Probably tomorrow or Saturday.

I think as of January 1st, 2005 CSX has implemented a system-wide policy that uses hair testing on new hires. They took ours on a Tuesday, and distributed letters of conditional employment on Friday.

I'll be working out of Clifton Forge, VA. Hoping to get a transfer up North or get into train dispatching, in Jacksonville, after I finish my bachelor's.

Do you guys live within the thirty mile radius of the city you are trying to get hired for? Just wondering if there are any exceptions to the rule. I live about ninety from the one I want and wonder if I have to move before I can get hired. This would suck! I was hoping to wait till after the school to be shure I get the job before selling my house and moving.

Get a PO box in the city.