Getting Hired at CSX...

I am currently trying to get hired at CSX.. I have railroad experience though. I worked for Norfolk Southern for 5 yrs in my early 20s. I was young and niave then and didn't realize how lucky I was. I am now married with kids and in my early 30s.. I have a decent job but have always missed the railroad life.. At NS I worked in the maintanance department. I began traveling on a tie and surfasing gang, then eventually bid to a section gang before I quit to pursue other interests..

I've been trying to return to the railroad, through CSX. I prefer to return as a Conductor. I have wanted to be in transportation even when I was at NS in the maintenance dept.. Currently though I am accepting anyway way possible to get my foot in the door once again. I currently have 10 applications in numerous departments including transportation, signal, and maintenance..

Any helpful hints for someone in my position? Should I include my previous railroad experience or would it hinder my chances of getting hired for CSX.. I have already been turned down a few times by the Transportation Department and once by the Maintenance department.. I do understand that is a lengthy process that takes numerous tries to finally get a bite though

So what are the chances that I can get hired with previous railroad experience from a different company I alsohave applications in norfolk southern as well, but have not had any luck... Idid not leave NS under bad terms.. Just resigned to pursue other interests..

Catmando38 wrote: I was young and niave then and didn't realize how lucky I was. I am now married with kids and in my early 30s.. I have a decent job but have always missed the railroad life..
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I think you are still young and naive. You want to leave a decent job to be a conductor, of all things? And you now have a wife and kids? Hope she is on board with this 110%.

I've known a couple people (2 maybe?) that quit NS and got rehired. But they are the exceptions. I've known others that quit (under good terms), but changed their minds and now can't get hired again. Fool me once sort of thing.

I'd put down the 5 years with NS. I don't think it would hinder your application with CSX. You're mostly screwed with NS. I've known people who previously worked for shortline railroads where the experience even though it wasn't current it helped them get hired on. If you do get to an interview they might question what has changed in your life to try the railroad again. Just be honest.

You need to think more than twice about doing what you're thinking. With the advancements in technology and the future possibility of 1 man crews some of these guys that are already working will be lucky to stand for a job a few years from now. Some might think that's bulls*it but me and a lot of others never thought they'd be a guy humping cars with a control box around his neck, like he was operating an RC car.

There will never be one man crews on trains. You are referring to technology that will drive the train like an autopilot. It wont operate 100% of the time. And remember, airlines have had autopilot for decades flying for them, they still have 2 man crews, sometimes 3. It has already been said a hundred times. There will never be one man crews, it is not safe. What happens when your train breaks a knuckle down the road. It's a two man job. One to drive the train while the second is on the ground making the repair. There cannot be one man crews, its impossible to do the work with one person. If you get a hotbox on the way, and need to set out some of your cars because they are overheating, that is a two man job. Engineer drives, conductor sets out the cars. One man crews is impossible outside of a hump yard.

I've typed this out before, so I will repeat it:

I've been thinking about this for a bit. Even though I work in the industry and the impact could force me out of a job, I think the writing is on the walls. One man crews are coming. I worked in a terminal that had a brakeman list. When the locals were heavy a brakeman would be called out. That list went away despite doomsday predictions. Then beltpacks came. Again the doomsday predictions failed to materialize. Remotes are still here.

My point?

Railroads exist to maximize profit for shareholders or investors. Period. What are the biggest expenses? Wages, benefits, and fuel. Any wonder why one-man will ever eventually happen? And now add PTC with its huge price tag and its ability to pretty much run the trains itself. I'm sure they'll be a need for some conductors on some trains or to act as yard and road utilities, but you aren't going to find them on every train.

So instead of the unions passing around useless online petitions or shoving their head into the sand, they need to realize this is going to happen and get into a position where they can make sure that the most of their members will see maximum benefit from this inevitable change.

It sucks but it is how this country is. Most work out of the fewest people. Maximize profits.

····Just my opinion. Yours may vary.···

PS. It's not just technology (which is evolving to the point of becoming scary), but it is the ways rules are being rewritten. I would even wonder if these chronic crew shortages at some key places aren't being manufactured as a way to force in one-man crews in the not-so-distant future?

To add to what gp80mac said, what I think will eventually happen is the roving conductor that will have certain limits or territory, the same way signal maintainers and section crews have, and when the train leaves that conductors limits it's then 'handed off' too another roving or traveling conductor. I can see that becoming a reality very easily. And while we're talking about it I can count on both hands, and still have fingers left, the number of times a train was stopped for an actual found hotbox or a jerked drawhead on the CSX Lineville Sub.in a span of 12 months. Remember when people said they'd never replace the caboose? Look what's back there now. A box with an antenna that does a whole bunch of stuff that people were doing. You bet your ass 1 man crews are on the horizon.

There was only one job lost after the caboose was taken off the rear the flagman. The UTU & it's members greed took the other brakeman job by 1994 on the C&O. Shortages in terminals are normal during hiring. Not everyone is suited to work for the railroad. My old terminal is still hiring because it's a constant turnover with people quitting while in training. It's no different than when I hired out in the '70s except this time no brakeman. They use to hire 10 people as brakeman hoping 2 would stay. Seems no one thought about it 20 years ago.

I don't know if one-man will ever happen. That rumor has been circulating for over 20 years. When we saw MOW cutting wider access roads along the tracks we would tell the conductor that's for his truck when they cut his job off. That was back in the '90s.

Freddy wrote:To add to what gp80mac said, what I think will eventually happen is the roving conductor that will have certain limits or territory, the same way signal maintainers and section crews have, and when the train leaves that conductors limits it's then 'handed off' too another roving or traveling conductor. I can see that becoming a reality very easily. And while we're talking about it I can count on both hands, and still have fingers left, the number of times a train was stopped for an actual found hotbox or a jerked drawhead on the CSX Lineville Sub.in a span of 12 months. Remember when people said they'd never replace the caboose? Look what's back there now. A box with an antenna that does a whole bunch of stuff that people were doing. You bet your ass 1 man crews are on the horizon.

Not saying 1-man crews won't happen (I believe they will) but where I work (CSX North End Subdivision, Richmond -> Rocky Mount) I couldn't count train-in-emergency incidents I've seen on fingers AND toes... and I only transferred up here in March! Granted it's not USUALLY drawheads (though someone did just get one on the single main a couple of days ago) but parted airlines are plenty common, especially between two long-drawhead cars. Zip ties are your friend!