Eastern Railroad Discussion > Question about NS's McDonough Training Facility

Has anyone here ever been to NS's training center in McDonough, GA? I am being flown down there for a tour on Thursday for my final interview with NS and I was wondering what kind of interesting stuff they have there.

I tried a railroad ca reer a few years ago and spent a few weeks in McDonough in conductor training. It is a distant southerly suburb of Atlanta with Lots of new shopping, fast food etc. The training center as I understand it provides training for most of the trades. It has a modern two story building with lots of classrooms, a small shop and a four track yard off of a branch line. When you train there you get well acquainted with some of the Spartan hotels and all the fast food places. Good luck

First, before you go, practice three point while signaling with a lantern for 10 minutes. Then you'll be absolutely sure you can do it on the first try in McDonough. It doesn't sound tough but so many strapping folks have fallen out on that one.

Second, form a study group and meet DAILY. The group will be small until after the first test. Then, when those who didn't study flunk it, the house will be packed. The attrition rate is high for those who don't study - like 100%. I've gone through two courses with short lines, led a study group both times and everybody passed.

And, I forgot to add the first time, Good Luck and STAY SAFE!

-Richard
HG-Tower

Be on the lookout for a training division employee timetable. NS always had them in the booklet era. I have not seen one since they went to the 8X11 format on ETTs but I would hope they have continued with that publication. I have one or two of the older booklets.

I have heard reports they keep an engine assigned to the training division.

Depending on when you show, there are either one or two GP's on hand, a multitude of freight cars and a caboose or two. All for training. The line that it is on connects to the Ga. Div. a mile or so to the east, and the line runs a couple of miles to the west, so you can get out and "run"

Better hotels and restaurants are an exit or two away from the facility. Downtown ATL is ~45 minutes north.

NSTopHat

spent 2 months of my life in the crap hole.
During LET school when it was a month long you would get so sick of fast food it wasn't funny.
Back then we actually took the engines out on that branchline. Now I guess they don't do that anymore. Its all simulator.

You wont be wandering around with a camera I assure you. They frown very heavily on it at the facility. Photos from there are rare and usually have involved trespassing when taken. Should be the 3 black unrebuilt GP38's 2922, 2935 and 2948 and likely an R/C MP15DC for training. GP38AC's 2867 (lettered for Caliper Auto Transfer) and 2868 *may* be headed there too.
Larry

PS. the hotels are so disgusting that the roaches pull your covers back for you and there are more food choices tho. try all the I75 exits for better options.

Do they let you have your own motel room or do you have to share one with another trainee? I have read they want you to carpool there from your home city with another trainee if possible to save them gas money,so I would assume if a motel room has double beds they would want to stick two trainees in it like the military would.

you have to share a room. it sucks. I went home on the weekends when in school. Couldnt get away fast enough. The hotels are one notch above the slums of Calcutta (and the smell of curry was beyond nauseating).
Larry

ts1474 Wrote:
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> Do they let you have your own motel room or do you
> have to share one with another trainee? I have
> read they want you to carpool there from your home
> city with another trainee if possible to save them
> gas money,so I would assume if a motel room has
> double beds they would want to stick two trainees
> in it like the military would.

You can request your own room if the hotel has one available AND you are willing to pay the difference out of your own pocket.

Thanks for the info Larry576 and bioyans.

Was curious as to where the facility is located--is it as depicted on this link?

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=33.403094~-84.167569&style=h&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Thanks--

Mike

Mike - yes, that's it.

I was flown down for a final interview in early November of last year. I suppose it depends on what you are interviewing for, but we went from the airport to the training center for a tour. We toured the whole facility, which is really pretty impressive, and then they took us to lunch. Then we went to the hotel - we did each have our own room. In fact, they were actually 2-bedroom suites, so they really could have put two of us in there.

Care to share what you are interviewing for?

Best of luck to you!

They only FLY you in & give you your own room if you're a management trainee or prospective member of management. Nothing like equal treatment for our employees, our most valuable asset huh???

Have a nice career.


MarkW78 Wrote:
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> Mike - yes, that's it.
>
> I was flown down for a final interview in early
> November of last year. I suppose it depends on
> what you are interviewing for, but we went from
> the airport to the training center for a tour. We
> toured the whole facility, which is really pretty
> impressive, and then they took us to lunch. Then
> we went to the hotel - we did each have our own
> room. In fact, they were actually 2-bedroom
> suites, so they really could have put two of us in
> there.
>
> Care to share what you are interviewing for?
>
> Best of luck to you!

Do NS management trainees go through the locomotive, craft, etc training program?

That was part of the McDonald's management training for decades in the Kroc era. Everybody had to take a turn flipping burgers and bussing tables. Ray Kroc did it himself into his 60s. My buddy who was a medium shot did it for one week every year in a district other than his own. Part of the Mickey D culture.

I think it would make a lotta sense to have people go face to face with serving the customer

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> Do NS management trainees go through the
> locomotive, craft, etc training program?

I can't say for certain about all of it since I didn't get into the program. Also, each trainee classification is different. Transportation trainees do go through conductor training, but I'm not sure of anything else.


ns1 Wrote:
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> They only FLY you in & give you your own room if
> you're a management trainee or prospective member
> of management. Nothing like equal treatment for
> our employees, our most valuable asset huh???
>
> Have a nice career.

I would like to address this, but whenever this comes up here it always turns nasty. I'll just say that it is unfortunate that this "us vs. them" mentality (from both sides) continues today because it does little other than to create friction between two groups that should be trying to work together for the common good of the company.