Anyone here work for Amtrak?

[TotalLamer]

CSX Conductor here. Just shy of 7 years in. Looking to make a move to the passenger side of things as the "Precision" atmosphere is just exhausting and oppressive. I applied for a few T&E positions last night and already got the email to take some online tests... I assume one of them is the personality test. I did apply before, a year or two back when they were hiring a bunch in Portland, ME... took the tests then too, presume I flunked the personality bit? What are they looking for in those?

Also, anyone work in / familiar with the crewbases in Rennselaer, Pittsburgh or Savannah? Seniority situation (are they actually in need of people / will new hires actually work on marking up, or straight to furlough?), what their territory is, that kind of thing?

 

[Thirdrail7]

CSX Conductor here. Just shy of 7 years in. Looking to make a move to the passenger side of things as the "Precision" atmosphere is just exhausting and oppressive. I applied for a few T&E positions last night and already got the email to take some online tests... I assume one of them is the personality test. I did apply before, a year or two back when they were hiring a bunch in Portland, ME... took the tests then too, presume I flunked the personality bit? What are they looking for in those?

They're aren't looking for specific answers. They are looking for "you," so they can match you to the type of job that may fit you.  This may help you a bit.

Also, anyone work in / familiar with the crewbases in Rennselaer, Pittsburgh or Savannah? Seniority situation (are they actually in need of people / will new hires actually work on marking up, or straight to furlough?), what their territory is, that kind of thing?

If they're hiring, the personnel are generally needed now or in the immediate future.  Furloughs are rare unless trains are cut (which is always a possibility.)  The territory can vary by craft,  but PGH generally goes west towards TOL(while protecting a small section west towards PHL and CUM) , SAV generally goes south to JAX and north towards FLO. ALB is all over the map, protecting a wide range of outlying points/terminals  including NYP, BOS, RUT,SYR, MTR.  You'll need quite a bit of books for that crew base. ^_^

 

[TotalLamer]

They're aren't looking for specific answers. They are looking for "you," so they can match you to the type of job that may fit you.  This may help you a bit.

If they're hiring, the personnel are generally needed now or in the immediate future.  Furloughs are rare unless trains are cut (which is always a possibility.)  The territory can vary by craft,  but PGH generally goes west towards TOL(while protecting a small section west towards PHL and CUM) , SAV generally goes south to JAX and north towards FLO. ALB is all over the map, protecting a wide range of outlying points/terminals  including NYP, BOS, RUT,SYR, MTR.  You'll need quite a bit of books for that crew base. ^_^

Thanks for the help!  Lots of other places they're hiring too, but I'm in Richmond, VA right now (wish they were hiring here!) and don't exactly want to move all the way out to Denver or LA, haha.  Not really interested in NYC, Buffalo, New Haven or DC either.  Albany at least seems to have a pretty reasonable cost of living, albeit cold.  Pittsburgh looks like it's getting really expensive, really fast.  Savannah I'm not sure on.

EDIT: Also, if Albany runs to NYC, where does NYC run to?  Doesn't DC do the DC -> NYC leg?

 

[OBS]

Thanks for the help!  Lots of other places they're hiring too, but I'm in Richmond, VA right now (wish they were hiring here!) and don't exactly want to move all the way out to Denver or LA, haha.  Not really interested in NYC, Buffalo, New Haven or DC either.  Albany at least seems to have a pretty reasonable cost of living, albeit cold.  Pittsburgh looks like it's getting really expensive, really fast.  Savannah I'm not sure on.

EDIT: Also, if Albany runs to NYC, where does NYC run to?  Doesn't DC do the DC -> NYC leg?

Crews in NYC operate to Wash DC, Phl, Harrisburg, Bos, and NHV as well as work SSYD yards, work trains, flag jobs etc....

 

[TotalLamer]

Crews in NYC operate to Wash DC, Phl, Harrisburg, Bos, and NHV as well as work SSYD yards, work trains, flag jobs etc....

So where do DC crews work to?  I know Richmond does the leg north to DC.  So if NYC works south to DC, what territory does DC have?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Really a Wonderful Area except for the less than ideal Winters. But no place is perfect when it comes to Weather!

 

[pennyk]

MODERATOR NOTE:  a few posts were removed because personal information was provided without permission.

Because OP responded to a removed post, his post was also removed.  I will quote it below (so it is not "lost").

Nice.  I really wish I'd have been able to get on when they were hiring in Portland, ME.  Seems like a neat place and I hear the run they protect out of there is a pretty nice quality of life.

 

[Thirdrail7]

So where do DC crews work to?  I know Richmond does the leg north to DC.  So if NYC works south to DC, what territory does DC have?

There are territories divide into work zones. Sometimes, work zones meet at a crew base or turnaround location. 

Was crew base is an example and they cover assignments operating north, south and west of their crew base.

 

[TotalLamer]

There are territories divide into work zones. Sometimes, work zones meet at a crew base or turnaround location. 

Was crew base is an example and they cover assignments operating north, south and west of their crew base.

Ahh, so crewbases don't have a monopoly over their territories?  Weird coming from CSX.  Like Richmond "owns" the pool to Rocky Mount, who "owns" the pool to Florence, etc.

 

[dgvrengineer]

Amtrak currently is advertising openings in the DC zone 5 base. This runs from DC south (Richmond, Newport News, Raleigh, Charlottesville, etc).  You may be interested in that.

  Forgot to mention that is for engineers.

o

 

[TotalLamer]

Amtrak currently is advertising openings in the DC zone 5 base. This runs from DC south (Richmond, Newport News, Raleigh, Charlottesville, etc).  You may be interested in that.

  Forgot to mention that is for engineers.

Yeah I saw they were hiring in DC.  I just don't want to have to live up in the city or NoVa or wherever... cost of living and traffic are just insane.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Thanks for the help!  Lots of other places they're hiring too, but I'm in Richmond, VA right now (wish they were hiring here!) and don't exactly want to move all the way out to Denver or LA, haha.  Not really interested in NYC, Buffalo, New Haven or DC either.  Albany at least seems to have a pretty reasonable cost of living, albeit cold.  Pittsburgh looks like it's getting really expensive, really fast.  Savannah I'm not sure on.

For the record, T&E employees have a nationwide roster. If you have relatives, friends or ex's that you can live with for awhile, you can hire at that location and after a year, bid to wherever you decide to reside.

 

[caravanman]

the "Precision" atmosphere is just exhausting and oppressive.

A bit off topic, but wondering what the above statement means? Is it that everything has to be done 100% correctly, or some other "railroad" meaning?

Ed

 

[Ryan]

"Precision Railroading" is a new theory of operations that Hunter Harrison applied at CSX before his demise.  It's widely (but not universally) thought to have been a disaster at CSX.

Here's a three part article that covers some of the basics.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/railroad/precision-railroading-primer

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/railroad/trends-in-precision-railroading

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/railroads/precision-railroading-primer-part3

 

[TotalLamer]

For the record, T&E employees have a nationwide roster. If you have relatives, friends or ex's that you can live with for awhile, you can hire at that location and after a year, bid to wherever you decide to reside.

Unfortunately none of my relatives live anyplace they're hiring just now, save for NYC.  Got a brother there.  Intruding on him for a whole year probably would get really old really fast for the both of us though, haha.

 

[TotalLamer]

A bit off topic, but wondering what the above statement means? Is it that everything has to be done 100% correctly, or some other "railroad" meaning?

Ed

"Precision Scheduled Railroading" is just kind of a dumb brand name for Hunter Harrison (and his cronies) brand of railroad management.  Don't get me wrong it has -some- positives, but as at its core it's a method of juicing stock prices, a lot of what's involved is cutting things to the bone.  Selling off lines, consolidating jobs, etc.  So extra boards end up getting out on their rest constantly to the point of burnout, the management / labor relationship becomes 10x more toxic than it ever was before, etc.  Like... the agreement becomes more meaningless than ever, because management will demand you do anything and everything.  Against the agreement?  Too bad, we'll charge you with insubordination if you refuse!  And any claims of course are denied.

 

[railiner]

Unfortunately, the practice of financier's "raiding and pillaging" railroads, is a time-honored practice that goes back into the nineteenth century, and sadly probably always will...

 

[Skyline]

Thanks for the help!  Lots of other places they're hiring too, but I'm in Richmond, VA right now (wish they were hiring here!) and don't exactly want to move all the way out to Denver or LA, haha.  Not really interested in NYC, Buffalo, New Haven or DC either.  Albany at least seems to have a pretty reasonable cost of living, albeit cold.  Pittsburgh looks like it's getting really expensive, really fast.  Savannah I'm not sure on.

EDIT: Also, if Albany runs to NYC, where does NYC run to?  Doesn't DC do the DC -> NYC leg?

Depends on where in Pittsburgh. Some city neighborhoods are undergoing drastic gentrification and the cost of housing has soared. Downtown, where almost no one resided 20 years ago, is suddenly a hot ticket. Both were needed.

Other neighborhoods are more blue collar/middle class still; prices (and the residents) relatively stable. And the 'hood is the 'hood -- cheaper housing, deteriorated conditions, a few exceptions that are limited success stories.

As manufacturing has been waning since the late '70s -- medical, educational, and tech jobs are taking their place as Pittsburgh enjoys a third (fourth?) renaissance. The usual pro's and con's, but overall it's positive. I think if you had a RR job, you could still find decent affordable housing in the region if you're willing to research and settle in city or suburban communities that might be second-tier but relatively safe and stable. It's the unemployed, disabled, fixed income, or underemployed residents who are having a tough time in Western PA, like many other places.

 

[TotalLamer]

Depends on where in Pittsburgh. Some city neighborhoods are undergoing drastic gentrification and the cost of housing has soared. Downtown, where almost no one resided 20 years ago, is suddenly a hot ticket. Both were needed.

Other neighborhoods are more blue collar/middle class still; prices (and the residents) relatively stable. And the 'hood is the 'hood -- cheaper housing, deteriorated conditions, a few exceptions that are limited success stories.

As manufacturing has been waning since the late '70s -- medical, educational, and tech jobs are taking their place as Pittsburgh enjoys a third (fourth?) renaissance. The usual pro's and con's, but overall it's positive. I think if you had a RR job, you could still find decent affordable housing in the region if you're willing to research and settle in city or suburban communities that might be second-tier but relatively safe and stable. It's the unemployed, disabled, fixed income, or underemployed residents who are having a tough time in Western PA, like many other places.

It's much the same in Richmond, VA.  There was a year in the mid 90s when the city had the second highest per-capita murder rate in the ENTIRE COUNTRY.  And now?  Well just as Pittsburgh, housing costs are through the roof.  It's the same story in a lot of these "cool" small to medium sized cities.

Unrelated but I took the assessment.  Quite long.  Had to bust out the calculator for the last "read this graph / chart and answer these questions" bit.  Overall relatively confident about everything but the personality test.  Crossing my fingers.

 

[OBS]

Good Luck!

 

[Thirdrail7]

Also, anyone work in / familiar with the crewbases in Rennselaer, Pittsburgh or Savannah?

https://jobs.amtrak.com/job/Savannah-PASSENGER-ENGINEER-TRAINEE-90245604-Savannah-GA-31415/523449900/

 

[railiner]

https://jobs.amtrak.com/job/Savannah-PASSENGER-ENGINEER-TRAINEE-90245604-Savannah-GA-31415/523449900/

Looked over that, and was wondering about where it detailed the duties and responsibilities....there was one heading for "supervisory responsibilities", and it stated:  "No"...

Isn't a passenger train engineer sometimes supervising an 'assistant engineer'?   Or in the event the Conductor is incapacitated, in charge of the rest of the train and OBS crew? :unsure:

 

[Thirdrail7]

They aren't really supervising an assistant engineer. They are equally responsible. In terms of the Cndr being incapacitated, there have been changes. Under conductor certification, a train must have a certified conductor. If the engineer is not dual certified, the engineer may not act as conductor...unless an emergency develops en route (conductor illness as an example). At this point, the engineer may move the train to a point where a new certified conductor can meet the train.

That is one of the main reasons you no longer see Amtrak hiring assistant conductors.  There are assistant conductor positions but they want everyone to be a certified and qualified conductor.

 

[Triley]

Looked over that, and was wondering about where it detailed the duties and responsibilities....there was one heading for "supervisory responsibilities", and it stated:  "No"...
Isn't a passenger train engineer sometimes supervising an 'assistant engineer'?   Or in the event the Conductor is incapacitated, in charge of the rest of the train and OBS crew?

In addition to what ThirdRail said, if you're talking about in an emergency situation, both the engineer and LSA/Diner (or LSA/Lounge if there isn't a diner) are considered both on the next level of command. Ideally the LSA would actually take charge though, because we've been onboard with the passengers and would be more likely to know about any one onboard requiring special assistance, etc.

 

[Acela150]

That is one of the main reasons you no longer see Amtrak hiring assistant conductors.  There are assistant conductor positions but they want everyone to be a certified and qualified conductor.

It's my understanding that even when they hired as AC's they had about a year before promotion to Conductor.