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Tie Gang Laborer

A tie gang laborer is a part of the general railroad track maintenance crew and while technologies have helped to reduce some of the back-breaking labor the job requires, it's still very tough work. Working on the tie gang your responsibilities chiefly include, of course, maintaining and replacing railroad ties. The benefits of being part of the tie gang include not needing an advanced degree although the downside is that it is labor intensive and involves a lot of traveling.

As mentioned before, if you have never worked for a railroad or know much about the industry please let me warn you that a career as a track worker is not for the faint of heart. Railroading is tough work and takes a dedicated breed not only to handle the physical demands required but also the mental fatigue, as working 12-hour, seven-day-a-week shifts is normal (and overtime is mandatory). While a more predictable work schedule does come with seniority, don’t expect it to happen within a short period of time. Some railroaders wait 20 years or more to land a “9 to 5” workday, which usually consists of working yard or local jobs.

There is a reason why railroaders say that railroading becomes a lifestyle, its not just saying! Having said that, if you are able to hire on with a shortline (Class III) or regional (Class II) railroad the opportunity for a more predictable schedule is very likely although the pay is not quite as good.

Here is what one railroad requires to be a tie gang laborer:

Installs and repairs railroad track on specified territory of railroad, using spike pullers, spike drivers, removes old spikes, drives new spikes, performs related maintenance to railroad track on specified territory of railroad. This is accomplished by performing the following;

* Raises rail, using track jack, to facilitate removal of old railroad tie and installation of new tie.

* Drills holes through rails for insertion of bolts using power drill.

* Operates track-wrench machine to tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends of rails together.

* Operates rail saw to cut rails to specified lengths.

* Operates portable grinder to grind worn ends of rails.

* Paints railroad signs, such as speed limits and gate-crossing warnings.

* Drives company vehicles.

* Performs other duties as requested or required.

In any event, if you're interested in searching for tie gang positions in your area please feel free to use the search box below from Indeed.com, one of the leading online career resource guides.

To put it bluntly the job is exhausting as part of the tie gang but if you enjoy being outdoors and constantly on the move traveling you may find this work very enjoyable. Again, if you are not even sure if a career in railroading is right for you but would like to learn more about what it takes to work in the industry you might want to consider the book Working on the Railroad from noted author Brian Solomon. Solomon's book details the history of working in the railroad industry and the difficulties and hardship employees faced back then as well as today. After reading this book you should have no doubts about whether working in the industry is something you are truly interested in. In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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