Allllll Aboard!!

[cosmicfolklore]

Hey, a Citizens, nice choice.

I'm jealous that you get to toss hobos. That sounds like fun, kind of like tossing spammers off of the forums. ::

 

[fitzy]

Congrats.
I had no idea freight trains had conductors. I thought they had only the engineer driving the train.
Where do you go while the train is in motion? Is there a caboose? :P

 

[didimauw]

Lol, no they basically got rid of the caboose. I'll be in the engine or locomotive with the engineer, telling him what to do all day. Seriously the conductor is the boss of the engineer and the train.
And no, I'm not allowed to smoke on the train, and I don't think it's against the rules, but it's highly frowned upon smoking outside, because of the hazardous materials we move.

 

[huntertrw]

didimauw:
So, you completed your training, did you? Congraduations! Since the CN doesn't give you a hat, here's one in your honor:

 

[robwoodall]

Congratulations!
But, I feel compelled to give you some advise. Those steam trains are OK, but watch out for the diesels.
I was watching a documentary with my son. It was set on an island off the coast of England, but I assume it's true everywhere. The diesels are always up to something, always causing trouble.
There's even one, called Diesel 10, who has a giant claw on his back. He's a violent SOB. I hope you never run into him!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

CRAP!! That's scary, Rob! Be careful Didi!!

 

[cortezattic]

Congrats and best wishes for a rewarding new career. :clap:

 

[davet]

Congratulations :clap:

 

[warren]

Saskatchwan in January, at speed, in the night, yup that's my kind of job! And, don't forget yer wellies!

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'm jealous that you get to toss hobos. That sounds like fun, kind of like tossing spammers off of the forums.

You mean "residentially challenged persons", not hobos, and "overly zealous internet and email senders", not spammers!! Let us be PC! Hah!
A seriously neat job. One I wanted desperately when I was a kid.

 

[nevadablue]

Congratulations! Job well done! Good luck on the trips and the 'mark up'.

 

[sablebrush52]

Congratulations! So what kinds of things do you need to learn to do this job?

 

[tslex]

I can only presume you had to learn to sing this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjoU1Qkeizs
There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run

when the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun

Long before the white man and long before the wheel

when the green dark forest was too silent to be real

But time has no beginnings and hist'ry has no bounds

as to this verdant country they came from all around

They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall

built the mines, mills and the factories for the good of us all
And when the young man's fancy was turnin' to the spring

the railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring

Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day

and many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay
For they looked in the future and what did they see

They saw an iron road runnin' from the sea to the sea

Bringin' the goods to a young growin' land

all up through the seaports and into their hands
Look away said they across this mighty land

from the eastern shore to the western strand

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails

we gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails

Open 'er heart let the life blood flow

gotta get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails

we're gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails

Open 'er heart let the life blood flow

gotta get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow

get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow
Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declinin'

The stars, they come stealin' at the close of the day

Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping

beyond the dark oceans in a place far away
We are the navvies who work upon the railway

swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun

Livin' on stew and drinkin' bad whiskey

bendin' our backs 'til the long days are done
We are the navvies who work upon the railway

swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun

Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges

bendin' our backs 'til the railroad is done
So over the mountains and over the plains

into the muskeg and into the rain

up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe

swingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay

Layin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down

away to the bunkhouse and into the town

a dollar a day and a place for my head

a drink to the livin' a toast to the dead
Oh the song of the future has been sung

all the battles have been won

On the mountain tops we stand

all the world at our command

We have opened up the soil

with our teardrops and our toil
For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run

when the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun

Long before the white man and long before the wheel

when the green dark forest was too silent to be real

when the green dark forest was too silent to be real

And many are the dead men too silent... to be real

 

[didimauw]

Sable, we needed to learn all 75 signals that we will encounter. We spent a long time learning radio communication with the engineer. We took a course on hazmat, and one on learning how to read our track charts (or maps). Switching cars around in the yards, compared to how they will need to be dropped off. There's over 1000 rules in our rulebook that we needed to learn (most of them at least). I'm sure I'll think of more things I needed to learn if people have more questions.

 

[lifesizehobbit]

Congrats didmauw...I live 50 feet from a very active set of freight tracks in Ohio; always thought it would be a cool job.

2. No, I'm in charge of organizing the trains, in the order the cars get dropped off. My section, doesn't do passengers, only freight.

So essentially, you're Chris Pine in "Unstoppable." Can't wait to see how they trained (pun intended) you to run along the top of the cars.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ooooooo, running on top of a train just made my bucket list. If you see me out there, Didi... just look the other way. ::

 

[didimauw]

Hahaha yeah, we aren't even allowed to get on or off moving trains anymore. So running across the top is way illegal.
So Cosmic, if I see you do it, " I didn't see nothing".

 

[davet]

Some CNR awesomeness about an hour from home :clap:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yja2VmZOfdA

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Davet, that was KICKASS!! I have a gemstone dealer who drops by twice a year. He is retired RR, and one of his hobbies is to film different railroads and trains from around the world. He gave me a stack of DVDs that he sells also. There are tracks in South America where everyone uses at will. All you need to do is build you a sled of some sort. He had some really cool scenes of him flying down the rails on this skateboad thing, alongside the trains. Crazy stuff.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ooooo, one more question... why is it that so many cars go dead on RR tracks? In my town we have to cross three sets of track to get in or out of town on any road, and about twice a week we have cars die on the tracks and get hit by trains. Of all the places, why the tracks? The car could stall on the bridge, or the stop sign, or the red light, but why is it always the RR tracks?

Is it some sort of short or grounding out that happens on the tracks?