As a new hire, I hate yard jobs. I'm just not quick with switching. The Enid yard jobs are not that big of a deal but those guys know the job so well and they work so fast, it is mesmerizing. It is imtimidating! They are always great at directing the work that needs to be done so I can actualy feel like I am helping, but i just dont feel confident doing it.
I was a road guy my first two years, after that I wound up in the yard. I made double the money in the road but I didnt learned how to railroad until i worked in a yard. Im not gonna say i love going to work, but i like it a lot better knowing my yard master will give me a quit if i do what he needs done. The quicker its done, the quicker i get to go home. The better you get, the more you cna get done in less moves
ive always said this, most guys wanna work the road because you make more money but A your gone a lot, B it takes a lot of seniority to hold a road pool job and C you will be a mediocre conductor. You wanna learn how to switch cars work the yard jobs work the locals (road switchers). Theres not really an incentive to move cars like in the 90s anymore but you'll be respected amongst your cooworkers as someone to train with because you make smart moves and get shit done. my permanent job is a way freight, a term which really isnt used much anymore but its basically a train that picks up and sets off cars in different yards before its destination, i enjoy it its your perfect mix of doing your job and earning it. Being from canada ive worked almost the entire east coast network, snow storms with 3 ft of snow on the ground, -42 degrees Celsius. but its my job its what i signed up for. Yard guys run the railway.
A yard job is something I for sure wish I could regularly hold 😂 Road extra board is life for right now. I can’t complain because it sure beats a furlough
@@ConductorDon I just can’t like that road bro 😂 but I definitely know a lot of folks that love the road too. Have you thought about returning to the rails?
Absolutely right! 6 months after qualifying I bid one of the most hated yard jobs in my terminal for a month while the switchman was on pat leave, learned more from the foreman in that month than the entire 6 months before that! I consider myself pretty decent at switching at this point, but I can't hold a candle to some of these guys who've been switching in the yard for 10+ years! I work for CN but in my terminal we don't get much freight (we have 1 but it's just a 104 Mile turnaround), it's all road switchers and yard jobs (mostly beltpack). I'm about 50/50 yard/road right now, I mostly just bid jobs in order for the days off I want. In the yard (at CN in Canada anyways) in the yard the conductor is called a foreman (not to be confused with an engineering foreman...), and the brakeman is called a switchman. Working afternoons in the yard now but might go road next time as long as I can keep my Fri/Sat off!
Working the hump job isn't so bad at Argentine because you have a canopy/shelter at the crest of the hump to protect you from rain/sleet/snow/ice, although the wind up there is often something fierce. On the other hand, working one of the trim jobs at the other end of the classification bowl sucks, especially on the second trick (evening) or third trick (overnight). Having to walk in between classification bowl tracks at night to connect air hoses or to open knuckles on cars that failed to make a joint while other huge railcars roll off the hump into the classification tracks and crash into one another around you can make you question your career choice. You'd think that a free rolling freight car would make a significant amount of noise, but they can roll very quietly in the bowl and sneak up on you. The first few times you work a trim job can be nightmarish. There is nothing in railroading more bone rattling than being in between cars connecting air hoses and then hearing the crashing impact of an inbound car that came off the hump and quietly rolled up to a standing cut and then WHAM! You look up to find out that it was two tracks over from you and then you wonder if you'll need a change of underwear. Also, given that lots of grain and fertilizer shipped in covered hoppers are humped and classified in these yards means that the contents of those cars can spill small amounts of whatever they are carrying when they collide into and couple with other cars. The result is bits of grain literally get planted, watered (by rain), and fertilized in the ballast of the yard. Eventually, they'll bring in the weed sprayer to kill all the greenery that grows down there. The bits of grain also attract critters/rodents (rats, mice, and God knows what else). The critters build miniature tunnels underneath the ballast which causes precarious walking hazards in the bowl, particularly at night. There are times when you can see little shadows scurrying around under railcars and it's just plain creepy. Much respect to the old heads who actually like those jobs, because I certainly didn't.
good vid... the part where you talked about the belt railway of chicago yard underscores one of the most important tips i can give a new hire... learn the lay of the land in your yard... and the bigger the yard the more IMPORTANT this becomes... and it becomes ever MORE important if you're working in a foreign roads yard... it's not uncommon for a foreign road to NOT allow another roads trains to come in their yard... they'll have you stop at a designated point and they'll have one of their switchman pilot you through the yard... lots of times a foreign road has gone into another roads yard and pulled down the wrong track... now you pull into the track and look up at the other end and see a switch engine kicking cars down the track you pulled in on, oops... now you gotta call that foreign roads yardmaster and tell him you pulled down the wrong track... the LONGEST call you'll ever make... and listen to him bitch you out right over the radio
@@ConductorDon yea twice definitely ain't enough time for learning the yard... honestly, you'd need about two months of OJT in the yard if your jobs are all foreman only
Yeah, I have always wondered what yard crews do. As you said, they shuffle cars around. My yard still has ice houses. I hear yard jobs say stuff like, "we need to put 50-60 cars in ice house 1."
Some of those yard and transfer jobs especially in big cities like Chicago St Louis Twin Cities Etc can really be unnerving dealing with other railroad dispatchers and if you weren't used to it at night nothing looks familiar. Milwaukee used to have a joint switching area that worked amazingly well with some Industries being switched several times a day and numerous grade Crossings some up to 9 tracks wide. Sadly today all industries are closed and for the most part is a single track connecting CP & UP as the little used official interchange
when i hired on conrail at a big 2 hump yard east and west humps worked the yard ex list and most of the time you were called to work 3rd trick jobs and you have to be out there no matter what the weather was, only problem was in winter ice snow cold you had to do it but my hands and feet always got wet no matter what type of protection you wore, you got exposed to those elements but the job payed dam good money and you see every type of derailment you can imagine working in a big yard from small ones to big ones.
I'm not a huge fan of yard jobs. It's one of those hate the job, but do it anyway for the pay. I like being over the road.
As a new hire, I hate yard jobs. I'm just not quick with switching. The Enid yard jobs are not that big of a deal but those guys know the job so well and they work so fast, it is mesmerizing. It is imtimidating! They are always great at directing the work that needs to be done so I can actualy feel like I am helping, but i just dont feel confident doing it.
yard jobs or switching at industries? yard is easy asf compared to locals.
Thank you!! I'm currently waiting on my start date with NS, and you helped me understand alot!
I worked routes at FedEx Express around this area, I am excited to hopefully get in at Cicero.
good luck
@@RailsTailsandTrails thank you sir.
I was a road guy my first two years, after that I wound up in the yard. I made double the money in the road but I didnt learned how to railroad until i worked in a yard. Im not gonna say i love going to work, but i like it a lot better knowing my yard master will give me a quit if i do what he needs done. The quicker its done, the quicker i get to go home. The better you get, the more you cna get done in less moves
ive always said this, most guys wanna work the road because you make more money but A your gone a lot, B it takes a lot of seniority to hold a road pool job and C you will be a mediocre conductor. You wanna learn how to switch cars work the yard jobs work the locals (road switchers). Theres not really an incentive to move cars like in the 90s anymore but you'll be respected amongst your cooworkers as someone to train with because you make smart moves and get shit done. my permanent job is a way freight, a term which really isnt used much anymore but its basically a train that picks up and sets off cars in different yards before its destination, i enjoy it its your perfect mix of doing your job and earning it. Being from canada ive worked almost the entire east coast network, snow storms with 3 ft of snow on the ground, -42 degrees Celsius. but its my job its what i signed up for. Yard guys run the railway.
A yard job is something I for sure wish I could regularly hold 😂 Road extra board is life for right now. I can’t complain because it sure beats a furlough
Dude I'm switching in the yard and spotting up industries. I would KILL for a road extra board in my life lol
@@vtownhood ngl bro I would for sure trade spots with you like yesterday lol
@TexasAlabamaboi817 lol some people hate the road
@@vtownhood 🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️😂😂😂😂😂
@@ConductorDon I just can’t like that road bro 😂 but I definitely know a lot of folks that love the road too. Have you thought about returning to the rails?
Absolutely right! 6 months after qualifying I bid one of the most hated yard jobs in my terminal for a month while the switchman was on pat leave, learned more from the foreman in that month than the entire 6 months before that! I consider myself pretty decent at switching at this point, but I can't hold a candle to some of these guys who've been switching in the yard for 10+ years! I work for CN but in my terminal we don't get much freight (we have 1 but it's just a 104 Mile turnaround), it's all road switchers and yard jobs (mostly beltpack). I'm about 50/50 yard/road right now, I mostly just bid jobs in order for the days off I want. In the yard (at CN in Canada anyways) in the yard the conductor is called a foreman (not to be confused with an engineering foreman...), and the brakeman is called a switchman. Working afternoons in the yard now but might go road next time as long as I can keep my Fri/Sat off!
Got my conditional offer for San Bernardino a few weeks ago! I really appreciate the content you put out man, keep ‘‘em coming!
Good luck RiOTMAKER813! Thanks for stopping by and watching!
If it's for BNSF San Bernardino, watch out for their terminal supt. In an industry known for trying to get people fired, he's a legend among scumbags
Working the hump job isn't so bad at Argentine because you have a canopy/shelter at the crest of the hump to protect you from rain/sleet/snow/ice, although the wind up there is often something fierce. On the other hand, working one of the trim jobs at the other end of the classification bowl sucks, especially on the second trick (evening) or third trick (overnight). Having to walk in between classification bowl tracks at night to connect air hoses or to open knuckles on cars that failed to make a joint while other huge railcars roll off the hump into the classification tracks and crash into one another around you can make you question your career choice. You'd think that a free rolling freight car would make a significant amount of noise, but they can roll very quietly in the bowl and sneak up on you. The first few times you work a trim job can be nightmarish. There is nothing in railroading more bone rattling than being in between cars connecting air hoses and then hearing the crashing impact of an inbound car that came off the hump and quietly rolled up to a standing cut and then WHAM! You look up to find out that it was two tracks over from you and then you wonder if you'll need a change of underwear. Also, given that lots of grain and fertilizer shipped in covered hoppers are humped and classified in these yards means that the contents of those cars can spill small amounts of whatever they are carrying when they collide into and couple with other cars. The result is bits of grain literally get planted, watered (by rain), and fertilized in the ballast of the yard. Eventually, they'll bring in the weed sprayer to kill all the greenery that grows down there. The bits of grain also attract critters/rodents (rats, mice, and God knows what else). The critters build miniature tunnels underneath the ballast which causes precarious walking hazards in the bowl, particularly at night. There are times when you can see little shadows scurrying around under railcars and it's just plain creepy. Much respect to the old heads who actually like those jobs, because I certainly didn't.
Try hopping them it’s amazing.
good vid... the part where you talked about the belt railway of chicago yard underscores one of the most important tips i can give a new hire... learn the lay of the land in your yard... and the bigger the yard the more IMPORTANT this becomes... and it becomes ever MORE important if you're working in a foreign roads yard... it's not uncommon for a foreign road to NOT allow another roads trains to come in their yard... they'll have you stop at a designated point and they'll have one of their switchman pilot you through the yard... lots of times a foreign road has gone into another roads yard and pulled down the wrong track... now you pull into the track and look up at the other end and see a switch engine kicking cars down the track you pulled in on, oops... now you gotta call that foreign roads yardmaster and tell him you pulled down the wrong track... the LONGEST call you'll ever make... and listen to him bitch you out right over the radio
@@ConductorDon yea twice definitely ain't enough time for learning the yard... honestly, you'd need about two months of OJT in the yard if your jobs are all foreman only
My dad was NS conductor he didn’t want yard as well as brother.
Yeah, I have always wondered what yard crews do. As you said, they shuffle cars around. My yard still has ice houses. I hear yard jobs say stuff like, "we need to put 50-60 cars in ice house 1."
Some of those yard and transfer jobs especially in big cities like Chicago St Louis Twin Cities Etc can really be unnerving dealing with other railroad dispatchers and if you weren't used to it at night nothing looks familiar. Milwaukee used to have a joint switching area that worked amazingly well with some Industries being switched several times a day and numerous grade Crossings some up to 9 tracks wide. Sadly today all industries are closed and for the most part is a single track connecting CP & UP as the little used official interchange
Which Railroad would you recommend applying for?
Bnsf
Get our “quit”?!!!
I am one for a quit, few and far between but I will run for one:-)
As a yard donkey I approve of this video, I’ve worked in 118 degree weather to -10.
Not quite that extreme for me. 110 to minus 5
Auto cars = auto racks
when i hired on conrail at a big 2 hump yard east and west humps worked the yard ex list and most of the time you were called to work 3rd trick jobs and you have to be out there no matter what the weather was, only problem was in winter ice snow cold you had to do it but my hands and feet always got wet no matter what type of protection you wore, you got exposed to those elements but the job payed dam good money and you see every type of derailment you can imagine working in a big yard from small ones to big ones.