Love that CP seems to have such a variety of specialists. Probably too many accountants, though. We should trade one of them for, I dunno, do we have a roboticist? that'd be cool.
Plumbers are pipe fitters. The power engineers operate boilers for power or steam generation. The first class guys are all really strong technical people with excellent operational knowledge.
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Incorrect. Plumbers deal primarily with water and wastewater systems. Pipe fitters deal with industrial high pressure/high temperature pipe systems carrying other liquids. Plumbers can be certified as pipe fitters and some of them do, but it requires more education and training.
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"An idea is always a generalization, and generalization is a property of thinking. To generalize means to think." Georg Hegel
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"An idea is always a generalization, and generalization is a property of thinking. To generalize means to think." Georg Hegel
“To generalize is to be an idiot.” William Blake
I'm a locomotive "engineer", and I pretty much agree with the engineer title being unnecessary. I think it stems from the old days when there was a giant boiler and furnace attached. Back then would have required a good amount of knowledge about pressures and volumes etc -- maybe like a modern power engineer would learn to operate boilers.
As for education required, you don't need anything more than a high school diploma. My terminal hasn't stopped hiring for 10 years, and they have job fairs where they hire people off the street every few months. The Sait/Nait courses are a complete waste of time and money, as they put everyone through a 3 month conductor training course of their own. Surprisingly there is a lot to learn about how railways operate, and there's way more to it than I ever expected before I started working there. There's lots of rules that you question why they exist, and then you experience accidents where someone didn't follow the rules, and you understand why.
For driving a train, you could definitely learn what the important controls do in 5 minutes. But you won't have much success getting anywhere safely. The engineer training program is about 6 months long, and has some moderately challenging concepts to learn. You have to have been a conductor for at least 2 years.
Starting pay for a conductor is likely around $80-$100k depending on where you hire on. But I know plenty of conductors who make $130k. Engineers make $130-$160k.
After 7 years, out of 20 people I hired on with there's only myself and one other person. Everyone else has quit, and it's because of the hours, lifestyle, and the way the company treats everyone. So it's not a hard job in a physical way, but it's not for everyone though.
For the most part I really like it though, I get to see the best scenery and animals, I basically get every other day off, and I probably have as good job security as anywhere.
You need to start a separate thread where we can pepper you with questions about your job. It sounds fascinating.
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My cousin used to work for CP in their fuel division. He and other office staff were allowed to book one trip annually on a locomotive engine. He took a trip from Calgary to Vancouver and back. The experience was kinda wild. I’ve learned a few things I would never have guessed. Like, the two guys in the cab can do pretty much nothing other than pressing a giant red button every minute to let the main control know they’re not sleeping. If they miss, the alarm starts ringing louder and louder until your ears pop. Everything is remotely controlled. My cousin stepped out on deck in a tunnel and almost suffocated on fumes. He said it was not worth taking two days. A few hours through the Rockies would have been enough. But yeah, doing this job requires a very special personality. Not sure about enjoying it.
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"An idea is always a generalization, and generalization is a property of thinking. To generalize means to think." Georg Hegel
“To generalize is to be an idiot.” William Blake
Then I got to thinking, as if it's not the easiest job in the world. I bet I could do it. And I am convinced. I believe - with every fibre of my being - if you gave me the morning with an EnGiNeEr I could be doing his job by lunchtime.
Watch this video of Train 301 - a runaway train which derailed by the Spiral Tunnels in 2019 killing the 3 conductors and engineers on board - it may change your mind.
Quote:
"It was a war zone … I was dumbfounded at the carnage," one railroader told CBC News, recalling driving a train through the crash zone after the runaway train derailed at the Spiral Tunnels.
"The only thing I could think about was the terror that went through their heads," the railroader said, recalling that he burst into tears when he learned his friends Andrew Dockrell, Dylan Paradis and Daniel Waldenberger-Bulmer were killed in the crash.
At CP Rail, office workers are expected to fill in for train crew in the event of a strike. I've known accountants and HR types that had to do this. Most get things like track maintenance, but anyone young and single is strongly encourage to get the relevant training to fill in on operating crew. For some it's a thrill to get out from a keyboard, but for some it's absolutely terrifying.
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Watch this video of Train 301 - a runaway train which derailed by the Spiral Tunnels in 2019 killing the 3 conductors and engineers on board - it may change your mind.
At CP Rail, office workers are expected to fill in for train crew in the event of a strike. I've known accountants and HR types that had to do this. Most get things like track maintenance, but anyone young and single is strongly encourage to get the relevant training to fill in on operating crew. For some it's a thrill to get out from a keyboard, but for some it's absolutely terrifying.
The Lac-Mégantic distaster was the fault of the rail company cheaping out on maintenance and not letting the engineer set the automatic brakes because they take extra time to disengage and recharge the brake pipe. The CEO came out and blamed him for the accident and he was charged, but thankfully cleared of blame. The town residents came out to support him because they know the truth.
CPKC took over that line and still haven’t done anything to prevent it from recurring.
I'm a locomotive "engineer", and I pretty much agree with the engineer title being unnecessary. I think it stems from the old days when there was a giant boiler and furnace attached. Back then would have required a good amount of knowledge about pressures and volumes etc -- maybe like a modern power engineer would learn to operate boilers.
As for education required, you don't need anything more than a high school diploma. My terminal hasn't stopped hiring for 10 years, and they have job fairs where they hire people off the street every few months. The Sait/Nait courses are a complete waste of time and money, as they put everyone through a 3 month conductor training course of their own. Surprisingly there is a lot to learn about how railways operate, and there's way more to it than I ever expected before I started working there. There's lots of rules that you question why they exist, and then you experience accidents where someone didn't follow the rules, and you understand why.
For driving a train, you could definitely learn what the important controls do in 5 minutes. But you won't have much success getting anywhere safely. The engineer training program is about 6 months long, and has some moderately challenging concepts to learn. You have to have been a conductor for at least 2 years.
Starting pay for a conductor is likely around $80-$100k depending on where you hire on. But I know plenty of conductors who make $130k. Engineers make $130-$160k.
After 7 years, out of 20 people I hired on with there's only myself and one other person. Everyone else has quit, and it's because of the hours, lifestyle, and the way the company treats everyone. So it's not a hard job in a physical way, but it's not for everyone though.
For the most part I really like it though, I get to see the best scenery and animals, I basically get every other day off, and I probably have as good job security as anywhere.
That's sick, dude. Blasting through giant snow drifts would be awesome. Also a nice day with your elbow hanging out that sliding window thing would rule.
I do believe they get way too much joy out of blocking traffic in the Foothills Industrial park, though.
After 7 years, out of 20 people I hired on with there's only myself and one other person. Everyone else has quit, and it's because of the hours, lifestyle, and the way the company treats everyone. So it's not a hard job in a physical way, but it's not for everyone though.
Years ago my son was invited to a Birthday party and the kids Dad and Step Mom both happened to be Train Conductors.
They start telling me about it as their route was Edmonton to Jasper, and back. I remember them saying that it's not a hard job, but had a lot of procedures that you have to follow. They said CN spends a massive amount of money to train you to do that job...then immediately looks for every and any way to try and get rid of you.
Sounds like it was pretty accurate.
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Years ago my son was invited to a Birthday party and the kids Dad and Step Mom both happened to be Train Conductors.
They start telling me about it as their route was Edmonton to Jasper, and back. I remember them saying that it's not a hard job, but had a lot of procedures that you have to follow. They said CN spends a massive amount of money to train you to do that job...then immediately looks for every and any way to try and get rid of you.
Sounds like it was pretty accurate.
I'll bet they were part of the Mile Long Club. Probably how they met...
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My cousin used to work for CP in their fuel division. He and other office staff were allowed to book one trip annually on a locomotive engine. He took a trip from Calgary to Vancouver and back. The experience was kinda wild. I’ve learned a few things I would never have guessed. Like, the two guys in the cab can do pretty much nothing other than pressing a giant red button every minute to let the main control know they’re not sleeping. If they miss, the alarm starts ringing louder and louder until your ears pop. Everything is remotely controlled. My cousin stepped out on deck in a tunnel and almost suffocated on fumes. He said it was not worth taking two days. A few hours through the Rockies would have been enough. But yeah, doing this job requires a very special personality. Not sure about enjoying it.
And the train conductor says
Take a break, driver 8
Driver 8, take a break
We can reach our destination
But we're still a ways away, but it's still a ways away
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This might be NSFW because of the language but it seems appropriate for this thread.
“Fire the #### me!”
I randomly met this guy’s nephew years ago and he told me to look up this clip.
Pfff....I mean...some hyperbole, obviously, but...I gotta say, in my experience and with a bunch of the CP guys I deal with? That clip is not far off in terms of believability for me.
I dont think theres one of them that hasn't had a full-blown meltdown like that.
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