For those of you who live around these areas:
Job alert for conductors!
8am for each location. These are open sessions! You do not have to apply online prior to attending.
Job Location: Altoona, Pennsylvania
Wednesday July 2, 2014
Blair County Convention Center
One Convention Center Drive
Altoona, PA 16602
Job Location: Conneaut, Ohio
Thursday July 3, 2014
Ramada
1860 Austinburg Road
Austinburg, OH 44010
Job Location: Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Thursday July 3, 2014
Holiday Inn Uniontown
700 West Main Street, Rt 40
W. Uniontown, PA 15401
What ever you say doing the interview DO NOT say anything about "liking" RRs - models or prototype. Just talk about wanting to be employed in that craft for that RR & what you know about being safe on the job.
And remember..Hello Railroad job---goodbye life as I once knew it..
If you are hired remember to check your modeling and railfaning at the door when you sign in..
Remember this and you will do well : Railroads doesn't suffer fools or carelessness.
My fiancé is going down to Altoona tomorrow for the interview. Sadly though I can not go due to my knee not being in the best of shape. So I encouraged her to go and she is up for the challenge.
I'll take the opportunity to tell a story that was told by my FRA inspector at the KJR. He was an old timer, and a great guy, but very strict with the rules that related to safety. CSX had had several severe wrecks on one of the substantial grades in the Allegheny mountains and he had to go ride with the various crews down the grade to make sure they had had proper train handling classes. (he had 30 years railroad experience before joining the FRA).
So, he tells me one morning he climbs in the cab and there is this little girl doesn't look old enough to be out of grade school at the throttle. Kind of dismayed he asked her if she had ever taken a coal train down this grade. She told him she had, and sit back and relax. He related that she handled that train better than any trainman he had rode with, and he asked her how she came to be an engineer.
She told him her husband was taking the test so she went along too. He didn't pass, she did.
So keep it in mind there are some darned good engineers out there and their gender has nothing to do with it.
I wish all the candidates the best of luck. We need to have these trains crewed.
Charlie, my brother is a conductor on NS and is based out of Altoona. He said he had rode with a female engineer and said she did a very good job at driving the train. There are only 3 females out of Altoona but more in Conway and Harrisburg. That was a great story and thanks for sharing it Charlie.
