Archie,
Reading these stories about training experience years ago, I think we have made
some progress since the days when you and others on this list started. Today,
on the major railroads, training is more formal including classroom time. In
some places, such as Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS, an
individual can take a formal class on train service including both classroom
work in the college and field work nearby on BNSF industrial trackage with live
equipment set aside for training purposes. I think the course is six weeks long
and upon completion, the school even works with the students to prepare resumes
and arrange interviews with major RRs. Of course, once hired, most of the RRrs
send the candidates through additional company training and indoctrination.
Student trips still occur, but the students have a better chance to be prepared
for their job. Today, all of the training is as a conductor. Later, with some
experience, most major RRs want the conductors to qualify as engineers. On the
U.P., they have another training facility for that purpose in Salt Lake City.
That course, conducted by the RR, is also several weeks long. In addition to
that, the RR has simulators located at a number of major points around the
system for training updates. Occasionally, U.P. will send some of their better
engineers to a simulator training facility to develop and test different
methods for handling new train consists and concepts.Times have changed and in
this case, maybe for the better.
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
On May 21, 2014, at 3:11 AM, CBQ@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> Re: Student Trips
> Tue May 20, 2014 9:01 pm (PDT) . Posted by:"archie hayden" archieh1946
> Pete and group, We hired out at Hannibal but were sent to Galesburg
> on #55 at 4 or 5 in the AM. After testing and fingerprints etc, we
> were sent to the roundhouse to work the Lewistown Local called for 1
> pm. This job went to Yates City then down to Lewistown and back to
> Yates City then over to Peoria and back to Galesburg. 176 miles for
> the trip. Died a horrible death at Knoxville 16 hours after we were
> ordered just a few miles short of Galesburg. By now we had been up
> for over 24 hours. A few hours before we died my head was bouncing
> off the cab window. The grouchy old engineer told me to go back to
> the second motor and that I would never make it as a railroader. 40
> plus years later I proved him wrong. Archie
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