Anyone work for the rail road?

Question

There's a good chance my husband will be offered a job this evening w/ Union Pacific and I'm a little nervous. He just got out of the military and his only reason was he wanted to spend more time at home and with our son. This new job will require 8 days on and 6 days off. Those 8 days he could be gone anywhere from Oklahoma to California, from what I understand (assistant signal person). The pay is good but there's a lot of downfalls, it doesn't sound as good as they made it out to be.
Has anyone done this or know someone who has? Any advice would be much appreciated!!!

Answer 1

Speaking from many years of experience, railroading of any sort is a demanding profession.

Signalmen, tie gangs, steel gangs, surfacing gangs get bounced around the system where ever they are needed. Trainmen with lower seniority are often sent to where their services are needed temporarily as well.

Even if never leaving ones home district, absences are frequent and long. The pay is good, the benefits are decent. As a signalman, your husband will be covered by The Hours of Service Act (Hog Law) just as enginemen and trainmen are, which limits the number of hours an employee can work before having any rest.

As a military wife, if your husband has been deployed for any length of time, you already know about the rigors of having him gone for extended periods of time. It is not easy. But, I would recommend he take the job anyway. Once a foot is in the door, he will be considered for transfer into engine service or train service, where he can work as an engineer or conductor. Still lots of time away from home, but not usually weeks at a time or all over the system.

Really, there's nothing to lose, since if the job doesn't work out for you, he can always seek employment else where, as long as you don't fall into "the trap." The money is good, and there will be temptation to buy a new car, truck, ski boat, motorhome, motorcycle, etc. If that happens, then he and his family belongs to THEM, and walking away is no longer an option. So, that having been said, I would say "go for it."

By the way. Thank your husband for me for his service to our country.

Answer 2

I join the others in asking you to thank your husband for protecting our country. I can't speak to the position of signal maintainer as I was a conductor. I was married when I was on the road. I found that we could work time together as my wife would occasionally meet me at my away from home terminal. The UP will give you the worst case scenario when they hire you. It won't always be a long seperation. The bright side is you won't be apart like you would be on an overseas deployment. The insurance and pay is wonderful and will be a good way to provide for your family.

Answer 3

i work a similar job when i got out. i work offshore oil rigs. i work starting now two weeks on and two weeks off. i spend half the year at home. i actually in three years out here i would have more time off than i did in six years in the army. so a job like that has its off time that works out better. but ur still looking at time away from home. ur already used to him being gone. so it wont be that hard for you. and u can look at it this way. he will be home alot more than he was before all the same. good luck with the job. and send me an email about how it works out for u. and tell your hubby from one former solider to the other thanks for the service to our country.

Answer 4

A JOB IS A JOB SO IT WOULD BE BETTER TO WORK FOR THE RAILROAD AND COME HOME WEEKLY THA N BE GONE ON A LONG DEPLOYMENT

Answer 5

IT'S A JOB AND A START FOR YOUR HUSBAND. TRY TO BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT PART. IT'S BETTER THAN NO JOB FOR RIGHT NOW. AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WORKING FOR THE RAILROAD.

Answer 6

Get used to the time alone.