From what I'm reading on here and my experience at my class I employer. Why do they love turning on their employees any chance they can? Is there a real motive behind it? Does it cut them costs by doing it? I've heard that it's to make their employees leave so they don't have to pay full pension and they can just hire a new batch. I don't know if that's true. It just seems the way these companies operate creates a toxic work environment and it's not good for anyone. I've worked in the oilfield and worked under companies a lot bigger than the Class I companies and they treat their employees fairly decent. Why can't the railways have the same culture?
When I was a kid, I would watch the Southern Crescent train roll through in the mornings. The Southern Railway declined to join Amtrak in 1971 and continued to run its own passenger trains until 1979. It lost at least $20 million or so (in 1970s dollars) by making that choice.
Why in the world would any privately-owned railroad decline to turn over its passenger trains to Amtrak? Declining to join Amtrak was an expensive choice, but several railroads did so.
TLDR: I want to learn how to use corridors for drafting railroads and I keep coming up with dead ends. Do any of you know of sources where I can learn how?
Videos are OK, step by step instructions better, and hands on classes would be best for my learning style. It doesn't have to be free.
I am a CAD technician and work for a city government in their Public Works department. This city owns a small railroad system, and I, and one Engineer, have ended up as the only ones creating drawings for construction, new and repair, for the tracks.
I don't have much experience with corridors. I understand the concept, but have not had any opportunity to use them. As a result, all my railroad drawings are done with dumb-line work other than alignment, ex. surface, and profiles. I use a couple of spreadsheets that I have set up to figure out quantities. Corridors seem like they would be perfect for designing railroads, except for one main thing that I've not been able to figure out - how to figure in the ties. (There are others, but that's the first and biggest for me.)
In my search for this, I have learned that there is a type of alignment specific for railroads. I have learned about cant, (super elevation), and that it is able to be set with this alignment type. (In my past, I have had only one project that would have used cant, if I had known about and how to use it.) I have just learned about these. I know they exist. I don't yet know how to make use of them, however I now know that I can find out.
But I still cannot find how to set up a corridor that has ties.
Considering how industry specific this information is, and how much additional related information I also need to learn - how to do switches and diamonds, etc. I'm really hoping that there are classes out there, somewhere, that I could take to learn how. A class that specifically teaches how to draw railroads in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
I've tried reaching out to the company that my city/department contracts with to teach us AutoCAD, but they cannot help.
And so, I'm here, asking you. Who can I contact? Where can I go? I want to know how and I know I need training, I just don't know enough to find the teachers or source of education.
Is there anybody that left their job and started another career in a different field? I have been working as a conductor for 4 years and I'm desperate for a way out my position was just cut and I have to move for the 6th time because of these morons. I am beyond frustrated I've filled out over 400 applications even willing to take a 60% pay cut and I can't even get an interview not even at another railroad. I've written and rewritten dozens of resumes and cover letters I cant be the only one with this issue I feel like I'm going crazy.
Evening. I'm looking for advice and insight on the Class II & III railroads in GA. (For the longest, I've been focused on NS but I've been having a growing interest in shortline railroads the past few years.)
(I'm highly interested in G&W (specifically Golden Isles & Savannah Port Terminal Railroads) as well as Sandersville Railroad but I won't rule out others.)
I'm wondering how the schedules are compared to Class I Railroads. I'm aware the pay and benefits may be significantly lower, but are the schedules and work-life balance really more manageable? (Also, I'm currently transitioning from Active Duty military to the Reserves. Will/would they work with my part-time schedule?)
What Class II & III railroads are recommended and which ones are to be avoided?
So which Class 1 has the worst, most atrocious locomotive cabs? I say CSX, NS or UP!
Whatβs the worst Class 1 railroad to work for? Based on things I read, UP, NS and CSX are the worst, BNSF and CN are the best to work for.
What do we all think?
BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and other railroads have βoffice car specialsβ: passenger trains used only for company business, not for the general public. The trains consist of a beautiful mix of old passenger cars, very elegantly painted in the outside.
What are these trains like inside? Are they glamorous and ritzy? Any photos?
Thanks.
