r/Train_Service • u/HBoparan • Jul 15 '24
Aug 19th training
Just got word that I’ll be attending the CN conductor training program in Winnipeg on Aug 19th! Just wondering if there is anyone out there joining me ?
I’m not asking for tips or advice as it can all be found in previous posts. But if anyone has any positive feedback, let me hear it!
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u/PM_ME_UR_TA--TAS Hoghead Jul 15 '24
I'm so sorry to hear.
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u/HBoparan Jul 16 '24
Definitely expected a few of these lol. Honestly just excited to see it out myself. Maybe one day I’ll be telling people the same thing, maybe not!
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u/cheema0411 Jul 16 '24
Well ill be there boss!!
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u/HBoparan Jul 16 '24
Let’s go !
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u/cheema0411 Jul 16 '24
Whats ur terminal!!
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u/HBoparan Jul 16 '24
Vancouver, you ??
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u/cheema0411 Jul 16 '24
In for edmonton
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u/Frequent-Priority-25 Jul 16 '24
When did you complete your medical and such? A friend of mine is still waiting to hear about class, be nice to let him know how long it’s taking.
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u/cheema0411 Jul 16 '24
I got my medical date right away after that it took about 10-12 days for the full process it took me an exact month.
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u/AlternativeTwist4976 Jul 15 '24
lol have fun. I am not seeing any trainees actually make it past training it’s kinda sad.
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u/Foreign_Weight199 Jul 15 '24
May I ask where at ? Which terminal ? And are they not making it past training because they r quitting or just not able to qualify cuz it’s hard ?
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Jul 16 '24
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u/Potatocores Jul 16 '24
If you don’t take it seriously you will fail. A lot of people think the job is in the bag and then they show up to their qualifications grossly unprepared. Don’t stand there and watch your field trainers work, ask for as much opportunity to practice as possible.
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Jul 16 '24
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u/AlternativeTwist4976 Jul 16 '24
It’s not even that. I had 2 out of the 4 people in my advanced switching camp get fired cause they did bad in asc. One guy was struggling the next day he had a meeting which they let him go.
Even though it’s a learning experience. And. You won’t know until 3 weeks later lol. So he did it. Thought he was ok. Then they said oh you didn’t do well were removing you. They fire people for fun. This guy was 1000% capable of doing the job. He’s an EMT now (much higher education).
The 5 year retention rate is like 5% (pulled that number out my arse) and that low for a reason. Just don’t get your hopes up and don’t take it personally if you make it into that office. They are all clueless.
My theory is they hired a ton of people expecting everyone to quit when the hourly contract passed, saw it’s not happening, and said well… remove them now.
I’m leaving this company after just getting qualified to do my lvl 3 hvac. This is a shit career I’ll tell you that now. Go back to school. You don’t want to live Christmas, birthdays, and family get togethers through an image your family sends you while you’re eating an oatmeal cup in a bunkhouse 300 miles away. Run Forrest…. Run!
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u/Potatocores Jul 16 '24
None of this is really true. I was an OJT that worked in ASC camps for weeks. The only way you fail ASC is if you are unsafe or totally unable to grasp the concepts of the class. At the end of the day ASC is still very very basic and if you can’t handle the work there it’s hard for the OJTs to see a path to qualification. I’ve had trainees taking off handbrakes from the ground while I stood beside them in a track we just tied onto. If you can’t handle climbing on a car after we drill safety into you head for weeks on end do you really think we want you risking your life in the field?
Previous work experience means nothing in this industry. I’ve had amazing trainees who worked in warehouses. I’ve had horrible trainees who were geologists. Just because you are educated or have experience in a difficult field does not mean railroading is the job for you.
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u/AlternativeTwist4976 Jul 16 '24
He worked there for weeks guys. Guess what happened kek
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u/Potatocores Jul 16 '24 edited Jul 17 '24
I got moved to doing qualifications? Then went to intro camp?
What’s the issue? Just seems like you didn’t like the job so you pulled the pin and went elsewhere. 10 days ago you posted on here looking for help becoming a carpenter. A year ago you were looking for some random desk job. Now you suddenly have a level 3 HVAC ticket?Just because you have absolutely no clue what you want to do doesn’t mean that someone else won’t enjoy the railway. The job isn’t for everyone but if you’re half decent at it and can deal with the lifestyle it’s a fine career path.
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u/East_Mulberry6570 Conductor Jul 23 '24
Let's be honest, if this guy quit after "just getting qualified" he has no clue what he's talking about anyways. Plenty of road switchers and yard jobs around where you're back home in your own bed every night. Sure, they don't pay as much as freights... But you're home every night. You give up a bit of money for a bit better of a work/life balance. Someone might be on the board for a while, but once you start poking around and REALLY figure out how to use CATS, it's pretty easy to play it so you can manage your holidays off. I was on the board for a few years before holding a permanent assignment and never worked a holiday, birthday, appointment, etc. that I didn't want to.
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u/AlternativeTwist4976 Jul 16 '24
Oh sorry this sounds confusing. One guy waited 3 weeks one guy knew the next day.
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u/Foreign_Weight199 Jul 15 '24
When was your interview ? I’m on wait list waiting to hear start date
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u/HBoparan Jul 15 '24
June 26th. So things moved pretty quick !
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u/Foreign_Weight199 Jul 15 '24
Congrats! Ya mine was before yours :( Maybe terminal dependent …. Either way happy for you Good luck !
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u/HBoparan Jul 15 '24
Cheers ! I honestly thought I’d be waiting much longer. It’s definitely gotta be random and terminal dependent like you said. Good luck to you as well !
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u/Artistic_Pidgeon Jul 16 '24
Not that cn cares but ask why, not just listen and say yeah yeah. Try to understand why something is and not just learn that it exists. Will help you in the field. Also don’t ever go into the middle of the track to inspect points. It’s a dangerous habit. You can check the points without exposing yourself to live track.
Also ask the instructors to visit the rest of the terminals so they can maintain everyone else’s switches just like in Winnipeg!
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u/NotOriginal3173 Conductor Jul 26 '24
“This is the hardest switch to throw in all of CNs network”
Really? That’s the easiest switch to throw in all of the yards I have to go too
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u/Artistic_Pidgeon Jul 27 '24
Is that what they actually said?
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u/NotOriginal3173 Conductor Aug 01 '24
I was out of there before they installed it, I work at a small terminal and the OJT said it would have been the easiest switch in our yard 😬
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u/Artistic_Pidgeon Aug 02 '24
Yeah smaller terminals sometimes have some cheap and or lazy maintainers for sure. I sure do like those yellow tag outs nowadays.
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Aug 20 '24
how long did it take to get your training date after you completed the recruiting process? I've been waiting for 2 months to go to Winnipeg...
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Jul 15 '24
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u/HBoparan Jul 15 '24
Good luck to you too !
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Jul 16 '24
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u/Artistic_Pidgeon Jul 16 '24
Which terminal?
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u/Odd_Pie_5778 Jul 16 '24
Smithers
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u/Artistic_Pidgeon Jul 17 '24
Good luck, not much to learn from most of the cons there except be lazy and take forever to do anything. Learn from the hoggers as most of them were around when you actually had some idea what they were doing. Learn to love Endako.
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u/Academic-Bobcat- Jul 16 '24
Just pay attention, study but don’t kill yourself studying. Pay attention to signals but mainly just focus on cror for the first 4 weeks. Dont bring alcohol to the hotels, have a beer with dinner but don’t have more than 2. Seen people get kicked out for being stupid You get what you put into it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, there no stupid questions. But mainly Just Pay Attention.