Locomotive Engineer

Need some info please. I put in for the NYC posting for Loco Engr. Can anybody advise me on where the home terminal is and what the crew book for that area is like? For example..where some of the runs are and are they over nighters. I live on LI and i was curious how they work. I am familiar with how the LIRR works. Is it similar? Thanks in advance for any input.

NYC locomotive engineer? Please elaborate. NYC Transit? (The specific term for the subway are train operators). Metro North is currently advertising for locomotive engineers. Not sure if this is who your talking about.

If the posting was for Amtrak, it depends on what zone you're hired for. Zone 2 works from NY to PHL or WAS. Zone 1 works from NY to New Haven or Boston. Neither require a hotel stay overnight. You work or deadhead home during that tour of duty. There are also a lot of yard jobs in NY. Road jobs signup at Penn Station. Yard jobs signup at Penn Station or Sunnyside in Queens.

Sorry..Amtrak Loco Engr. I just applied for the posting.

emd645e3 wrote:If the posting was for Amtrak, it depends on what zone you're hired for. Zone 2 works from NY to PHL or WAS. Zone 1 works from NY to New Haven or Boston. Neither require a hotel stay overnight. You work or deadhead home during that tour of duty. There are also a lot of yard jobs in NY. Road jobs signup at Penn Station. Yard jobs signup at Penn Station or Sunnyside in Queens.

Thank you. That's some good info. I applied for the Amtrak NYC posting. And I was curious how life as a NYC Amtrak Engineer was like.

Question about Amtraks training process. I am aware that it is located in Wilmington DE. Do you have to commute there everyday or do they place you in a hotel? I live almost 4 hours away from there and that would be some commute to do everyday for 12 weeks. Any insight to how the training program works would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again

Amtrak will provide accomodations. Don't invite your girlfriend to visit you or you'll be expelled. Don't spend any time drinking as you'll want to arrive next morning in class nice and fresh. I was at an Amtrak Finance seminar some years back (no engineer, conductor or obs classes in session, so we had the run of the facility) and we used the training facility. At that time, don't know if it has changed, Downtown Wilmington was pretty quiet after 6 pm. Even the Dunkin Donuts were closed by then. We ate at hotel dining room in evening. Weekends are yours, but you'll have homework. NY-Washington mainline is right behind the training center and weather was good every day I was there so we took breaks outside. Impressive array of trains, one right after the other.

edbear wrote:Amtrak will provide accomodations. Don't invite your girlfriend to visit you or you'll be expelled. Don't spend any time drinking as you'll want to arrive next morning in class nice and fresh. I was at an Amtrak Finance seminar some years back (no engineer, conductor or obs classes in session, so we had the run of the facility) and we used the training facility. At that time, don't know if it has changed, Downtown Wilmington was pretty quiet after 6 pm. Even the Dunkin Donuts were closed by then. We ate at hotel dining room in evening. Weekends are yours, but you'll have homework. NY-Washington mainline is right behind the training center and weather was good every day I was there so we took breaks outside. Impressive array of trains, one right after the other.

Good stuff...thanks edbear

Can anyone touch on the medical and dental benefits, pension etc. I head they cut something back for new hires?

I applied for the same position so, I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed. I don't have any railroad experience, or any in transportation for that matter. But, I do have a CDL will all endorsements and hopefully that will help. I spent most of my work history in public safety so, I don't know how Amtrak, or others rails would view this.

Nothing has been cut. It would have to go through the union vote.

Medical/Dental is with Aetna (used to be United Healthcare and Aetna for dental).
Pharmacy is CVS/Caremark
401K is through Fidelity with no match (same as for the other other major railroads, no match for the 401k as they provide monies to the RRB for your pension)
RRB (Railroad Retirement) is still with Amtrak
2014 Employee Tax Withholding:
Tier I - 6.2 percent (Maximum earnings taxed is $117,000)
Tier II - 4.4 percent (Maximum earnings taxed is $87,000)

Neophyte wrote:I applied for the same position so, I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed. I don't have any railroad experience, or any in transportation for that matter. But, I do have a CDL will all endorsements and hopefully that will help. I spent most of my work history in public safety so, I don't know how Amtrak, or others rails would view this.

You should probably apply for assistant passenger conductor trainee first. Amtrak (or any railroad) usually don't hire engineers off the street.

Good luck.

Not true.

EM2000 wrote:Not true.

Usually being the key word. It is pretty well accepted that they like to either hire from within or people that already have a Class 1. The best place to start out in the northeast is as an assistant conductor, or start out in another craft on the railroad. The day I took the test for passenger engineer a few months ago, it was all internal employees myself included, not a single outside applicant. New York in particular holds especially true. Take my word for it, I work in the very building they hold the interviews in.

chrsjrcj wrote: Amtrak (or any railroad) usually don't hire engineers off the street.

Good luck.

That's not true at all. The class behind me had 3 guys in their early 20's with NO railroad experience and they both did very well.