Passenger Trains > Shelby crew district

There is a conductor job open There, where does it run to?

Posted from Android

For sure can't go wrong with glacier... issue is living in Shelby lol
I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess 10 hours with Amtrak's timing is too dangerous, I live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have been perfect! Lol...
Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/22 04:42 by goduckies.

Conductors run Shelby to Spokane. The engineers only run Shelby to Whitefish..

Get out in January to hand line a switch that won't clear.  Brrr...   

Correct me if wrong;  The conductor gets on #7 in Shelby and goes to Spokane.  Off the train until the next night when they board #8 at Spokane and go back to Shelby.  They layover in Shelby and then guide the next day's #8 to Minot.  The next morning it's back on #7 headed back to Shelby.  Then it's a few days off. 

I've known in years past that some Amtrak employees lived in Great Falls,MT and commuted up to Shelby on I-15.  A 90 mile one way drive. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/22 08:16 by MM171.

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For sure can't go wrong with glacier... issue is
> living in Shelby lol
> I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess 10
> hours with Amtrak's timing is too dangerous, I
> live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have been
> perfect! Lol...
> Posted from Android

Great post to illustrate "then vs. now".  In the past, many people took up a potentially high paying railroad career establishing seniority on their desired district, but working away from "home" for some time to eventually get where they wanted to be.  In this case, Amtrak has engineers based in Spokane but not conductors.  Career path would be to start as conductor, get in line for engineer promotion (engineers come from conductor ranks by seniority), and once promoted, eventually work Spokane-Whitefish, Spokane-Wenatchee, Spokane-Pasco, and be "home".  Nowdays, meh....

Not saying it's right or wrong, just how it is.....

(Apologies if my Amtrak district info is wrong, but you can get the idea)    BSB

4552 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Conductors run Shelby to Spokane. The engineers
> only run Shelby to Whitefish..


Ok, then I will apply

Posted from Android

BigSkyBlue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goduckies Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > For sure can't go wrong with glacier... issue
> is
> > living in Shelby lol
> > I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess 10
> > hours with Amtrak's timing is too dangerous, I
> > live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have been
> > perfect! Lol...
> > Posted from Android
>
> Great post to illustrate "then vs. now".  In the
> past, many people took up a potentially high
> paying railroad career establishing seniority on
> their desired district, but working away from
> "home" for some time to eventually get where they
> wanted to be.  In this case, Amtrak has engineers
> based in Spokane but not conductors.  Career path
> would be to start as conductor, get in line for
> engineer promotion (engineers come from conductor
> ranks by seniority), and once promoted, eventually
> work Spokane-Whitefish, Spokane-Wenatchee,
> Spokane-Pasco, and be "home".  Nowdays, meh....
>
> Not saying it's right or wrong, just how it
> is.....
>
> (Apologies if my Amtrak district info is wrong,
> but you can get the idea)    BSB

I can already make more than I will make doing this, it would be a paycut, but a labor of love.... knowing that the conductor does go all the way to spokane is perfect for me though as I can visit my friends and their kids once a week.... that is perfect.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/22 18:06 by goduckies.

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > goduckies Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > For sure can't go wrong with glacier... issue
> > is
> > > living in Shelby lol
> > > I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess
> 10
> > > hours with Amtrak's timing is too dangerous,
> I
> > > live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have
> been
> > > perfect! Lol...
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > Great post to illustrate "then vs. now".  In
> the
> > past, many people took up a potentially high
> > paying railroad career establishing seniority
> on
> > their desired district, but working away from
> > "home" for some time to eventually get where
> they
> > wanted to be.  In this case, Amtrak has
> engineers
> > based in Spokane but not conductors.  Career
> path
> > would be to start as conductor, get in line for
> > engineer promotion (engineers come from
> conductor
> > ranks by seniority), and once promoted,
> eventually
> > work Spokane-Whitefish, Spokane-Wenatchee,
> > Spokane-Pasco, and be "home".  Nowdays,
> meh....
> >
> > Not saying it's right or wrong, just how it
> > is.....
> >
> > (Apologies if my Amtrak district info is wrong,
> > but you can get the idea)    BSB
>
> I can already make more than I will make doing
> this, it would be a payout, but a labor of
> love.... knowing that the conductor does go all
> the way to spokane is perfect for me though as I
> can visit my friends and their kids once a
> week.... that is perfect.

Good luck! They call that place “Shelberia” in the winter for good reason- the crews usually rent a garage so their cars will start when they get back off their run.
Either that or plug it in to a “block heater”!!

IC_2024 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goduckies Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > goduckies Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > For sure can't go wrong with glacier...
> issue
> > > is
> > > > living in Shelby lol
> > > > I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess
> > 10
> > > > hours with Amtrak's timing is too
> dangerous,
> > I
> > > > live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have
> > been
> > > > perfect! Lol...
> > > > Posted from Android
> > >
> > > Great post to illustrate "then vs. now".  In
> > the
> > > past, many people took up a potentially high
> > > paying railroad career establishing seniority
> > on
> > > their desired district, but working away from
> > > "home" for some time to eventually get where
> > they
> > > wanted to be.  In this case, Amtrak has
> > engineers
> > > based in Spokane but not conductors.  Career
> > path
> > > would be to start as conductor, get in line
> for
> > > engineer promotion (engineers come from
> > conductor
> > > ranks by seniority), and once promoted,
> > eventually
> > > work Spokane-Whitefish, Spokane-Wenatchee,
> > > Spokane-Pasco, and be "home".  Nowdays,
> > meh....
> > >
> > > Not saying it's right or wrong, just how it
> > > is.....
> > >
> > > (Apologies if my Amtrak district info is
> wrong,
> > > but you can get the idea)    BSB
> >
> > I can already make more than I will make doing
> > this, it would be a payout, but a labor of
> > love.... knowing that the conductor does go all
> > the way to spokane is perfect for me though as
> I
> > can visit my friends and their kids once a
> > week.... that is perfect.
>
> Good luck! They call that place “Shelberia”
> in the winter for good reason- the crews usually
> rent a garage so their cars will start when they
> get back off their run.
> Either that or plug it in to a “block
> heater”!!

Yikes lol! Can I still live in the Spokane area and take Amtrak over to start my shift? For the 4 day run Then? Or do I need to be on the ground in Shelby before the train arrives? Or maybe whitefish even Trying to think logistics! Thinking this through, I would be on the west bound train, so that could work in that I get on Amtrak at night have 5 hours to get some rest and prep for the westbound train... and then if I have a few days off, I could keep going to Spokane or whitefish which makes more sense when done from the minot run. So that could work, but I would need to be prepared to drive to Shelby if a east bound was super late....

Obviously this is a way off, but I could make that work... so I did apply... we will see!



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/22 18:28 by goduckies.

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For sure can't go wrong with glacier... issue is
> living in Shelby lol
> I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess 10
> hours with Amtrak's timing is too dangerous, I
> live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have been
> perfect! Lol...
> Posted from Android

What's perfect is Hudson's Hamburgers!  I envy your address!

ChefBren Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goduckies Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > For sure can't go wrong with glacier... issue
> is
> > living in Shelby lol
> > I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I guess 10
> > hours with Amtrak's timing is too dangerous, I
> > live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have been
> > perfect! Lol...
> > Posted from Android
>
> What's perfect is Hudson's Hamburgers!  I envy
> your address!

Very good!

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> IC_2024 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > goduckies Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > goduckies Wrote:
> > > >
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > >
> > > > -----
> > > > > For sure can't go wrong with glacier...
> > issue
> > > > is
> > > > > living in Shelby lol
> > > > > I was hoping It ran to Spokane. But I
> guess
> > > 10
> > > > > hours with Amtrak's timing is too
> > dangerous,
> > > I
> > > > > live in Coeur D'alene, so that would have
> > > been
> > > > > perfect! Lol...
> > > > > Posted from Android
> > > >
> > > > Great post to illustrate "then vs. now". 
> In
> > > the
> > > > past, many people took up a potentially
> high
> > > > paying railroad career establishing
> seniority
> > > on
> > > > their desired district, but working away
> from
> > > > "home" for some time to eventually get
> where
> > > they
> > > > wanted to be.  In this case, Amtrak has
> > > engineers
> > > > based in Spokane but not conductors. 
> Career
> > > path
> > > > would be to start as conductor, get in line
> > for
> > > > engineer promotion (engineers come from
> > > conductor
> > > > ranks by seniority), and once promoted,
> > > eventually
> > > > work Spokane-Whitefish, Spokane-Wenatchee,
> > > > Spokane-Pasco, and be "home".  Nowdays,
> > > meh....
> > > >
> > > > Not saying it's right or wrong, just how it
> > > > is.....
> > > >
> > > > (Apologies if my Amtrak district info is
> > wrong,
> > > > but you can get the idea)    BSB
> > >
> > > I can already make more than I will make
> doing
> > > this, it would be a payout, but a labor of
> > > love.... knowing that the conductor does go
> all
> > > the way to spokane is perfect for me though
> as
> > I
> > > can visit my friends and their kids once a
> > > week.... that is perfect.
> >
> > Good luck! They call that place
> “Shelberia”
> > in the winter for good reason- the crews
> usually
> > rent a garage so their cars will start when
> they
> > get back off their run.
> > Either that or plug it in to a “block
> > heater”!!
>
> Yikes lol! Can I still live in the Spokane area
> and take Amtrak over to start my shift? For the 4
> day run Then? Or do I need to be on the ground in
> Shelby before the train arrives? Or maybe
> whitefish even Trying to think logistics!

That there is a real gamble, friend.  You'd be relying on a notoriously late train to get you to work over very difficult, dangerous mountain territory, especially in the winter!  "Shifts" do not exist for Amtrak employees unless they have a comfortable office.  Road jobs are lifestyles occupying many, many hours with no guarantee of a train ride home.  Many are the times when Shelby crews are stranded, out of service by Federal law but also many hours (or days) away from home.  The climate on the Hi Line is dreadful year round.  Water is available on board, but food and/or other beverages can be damned near impossible to find.

On the other hand, one can make a good living and take pride in a tough job done well.  The Shelby crews were my favorites to work with.  Good men and women with high seniority, high skill and a no-nonsense attitude toward solving any problems that they could.  All had an excellent sense of humor as well--but it's still a lifestyle.  Adapt and overcome, or the only possible result is sheer misery.  Bear in mind also that Amtrak carries the minimum number of emplyees at all times.  Time off is continually being trimmed and turnover is growing daily--but the trains are packed and getting more so.  No position out there is easy, but the management makes all of them MUCH harder than they need to be.  This is only a fair warning and I hope it's taken as such.  Good Luck!

Winter time I get that I would need to live there for sure... either way I would make it work.

Posted from Android

You're likely looking at a 2 hour call to work. You need to figure you have to able to be at work within that window. If you're commute is longer than that you are going to have issues. It's rather ironic that even though trains can be late, the employees can't!

Posted from Android

Yes, but if I were to take the position I would be able to track it roughly from where it is at the moment to know when I need to be there... ita helpful knowing the exact train.... anyway we will see if I even get an email back...

Posted from Android

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, but if I were to take the position I would be
> able to track it roughly from where it is at the
> moment to know when I need to be there... ita
> helpful knowing the exact train.... anyway we will
> see if I even get an email back...
>
> Posted from Android

You need to be there on time no matter where the train is....if it's late...you have less time to get the train over the road...and you might be recrewed at some point...but you will go on duty on time...

4552 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Conductors run Shelby to Spokane. The engineers only run Shelby to Whitefish..

That's because 'way back in the '90s the engineers legs were cut off at the knees earnings-wise when the contract changed the lonesome cab limit from 4 hours to 6 hours.  Mini crew bases, for engineers only, were set up in various places around the country to eliminate overtime pay for engineers.  How well I remember that, when my pay on the PDX-SPK Empire Builder dropped from all 10 to 12-hour days to 8-hour basic day pay runs only when the route was cut back to PSC for the PDX engineers.  Except in unusual circumstances, only the conductors in mini-crew base territories experience overtime pay rates now.  Though I've been retired for almost 16 years now, AFAIK know there has never been an engineers-only crew base established on the 534 mile run between SBY and MOT.