Tie Gang Laborer
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 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.
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