Howdy everyone, my name is Zak Lybrand. If any of you have been out to the Museum of the American Railroad in Dallas, Texas, on a Saturday in the past four and a half years, you have probably seen me. I've been interested in railroads since I was a little kid, and I decided to take some initiative and began volunteering for the railroad museum at the age of 14. It's been four years, and I greatly enjoy what I do.

Now here's my problem: I want to make a career out of this, but most people are hesitant to hire someone straight out of high school. I want to get a job doing operations or maintenance. Does anybody have any suggestions as to classes I can take (trade school, maybe?) or something I can say that will influence potential employers to hire me and show that I am serious about what I do?

Your help is greatly appreciated!

Mechanical trades not slanted towards production line, mass production careers. Virtually everything we do is custom. So: welding, leading to a certification for pressure vessels; manual machining; materials science; fabrication; patternmaking and foundry; cabinetmaking and finish carpentry; automotive paint and body work.

Plumbing and electrical skills are also good - but most courses slant towards non-railroad applications. getting grounded in the skills of those trades, without the bureaucratic residential code stuff will help.

Organizational skills such as basic bookkeeping, project management, budgeting, estimating, and controls are good no matter what you do for a living.

If you are mathematical, you can pursue engineering and thermodynamics but not necessary for shop floor level mechanics or daily operation crewmen.

Operations are seldom formally taught, just OJT apprenticeships and self-studying of rule books.

Never hurts of you can cook the crew a decent dinner, too.........

dave

Are you looking for a job with a class 1?

While it might be assumed that steam locomotives are your interest, there are plenty of other aspects of rail museums and rail preservation. Figure out what you are good at, what you like, what interests you, and what you are passionate about. That list changes over time. Experience counts for a lot in this world, so if you get an opportunity, jump in and try it out for a while.

Other occupations include rolling stock maintenance (trucks, brakes, couplers and structural), coach restoration (woodworking, refinishing, painting, roof work), train operations (brakeman, conductor, engineer), track work, buildings and grounds, utilities, publicity (web, writing correctly and succinctly, media, artwork, press releases), volunteer outreach and coordination, grant writing, management, finances, and the list goes on.

At any non-profit museum or almost-for-profit tourist railroad, key members wear many hats. See what fits you and wear it. I believe that in the future all of the bigger museums will have paid staff to take care of ongoing needs, if the flock of eager volunteers continues to diminish.
O.

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific. I am interested in operations, steam preferred, and I would certainly not be opposed to doing mechanical work (although I don't have much experience in that). I'm looking to work right about anywhere, whether it be a shortline, tourist operation, or a Class 1.

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I do have some experience in operations. I was a conductor for the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority for about three years, and I started doing training to become a motorman, but I decided I needed to focus more on finishing school (and with good grades), so I left. However, several people I've talked to said that they aren't particularly impressed by my experience there because we didn't use the GCOR.

As for location, I'm really up for anything. Although I live in Fort Worth, I'm willing to move anywhere. I've been applying for jobs across the nation.

Nothing from Tarantula? If FW&W isn't smart enough to grow their own people the way they want them in their own backyard, well...........

I think you are headed in the right direction taking some good trade school courses in skilled crafts as a means of getting your foot through the door at any of the intensively operated steam tourist lines in the country. Makes you more immediately useful than the other wannabee with an English degree.......since you don't want to work in marketing or ticket sales. Get any job that will pay the bills while you do a year or so in Community College / trade school getting the mechanical grounding you need, and a piece of paper to prove it.

dave

Original text removed.

Alas, I would be applying for a job working on the Tarantula (now called the Grapevine Vintage Railroad), but they don't have any positions currently open besides train attendant. As I said earlier, I would rather get into operations.

I know one question I have (being interesting in doing the same as Zak) is which trade would be the most important to learn in order gain employment in this field? Machining, welding or another?

I know that they are hiring boiler techs out at Holman Boiler on Singleton in Dallas...it ain't exactly working in the Bellmead shops of the Katy but a few years there will get you good pressure vessel experience under the NBIC and the ASME, and familiarize you with all types of boiler repair. If you want to learn to weld on boilers that is a good place to start. Anything you learn there can be applied elsewhere, and the pay isn't bad.

The best advice is to get away from where you are unless you want their stink to stick to you...a fellow just starting out doesn't want to be tainted by his association. Right now the museum at FairPark has a really poor reputation among serious railroad preservationists. And I know for a fact there is little to learn there because there isn't anyone there that knows anything...their leader ran them all off.

Both - or neither, depending on how you look at it. You need capability in all aspects of metal crafting to work in today's steam shops. There isn't enough work to justify seperation of crafts along old union lines. If you don't want to spend most of your time welding but making chips, just learn to do decent welds and don't go as far as pressure vessel certification, so that when you need to weld that bit that just came out of the Bridgeport you can do a good job of it (as an example).

If finishing is your thing, you still need to know how to heat and beat grabirons and steps, and weld a patch into a car side.

Avoid too much specialization. In most places, you will do everything from firing to painting to blacksmithing.

Edit - just realized I'm assuming a familiarity with basic engine mechanics and tools skills such as my generation would have learned at home, on the street, and in shop class. Shop isn't offered young guys in school much anymore, and even cars today aren't repairable without a computer. Auto mechanic classes aren't historic railroad friendly, but industrial diesel and two-cycle stuff is.

dave

Then it sounds like the best solution for the young man in the original post would be to attend the University of Texas in Austin. While there he could obtain a degree in Transportation Management while taking classes in communications and marketing. If they offer a class in grant writing you should definitely take it. At the same time, he could volunteer his weekends at the Austin Steam Train and pick up the knowledge of steam there. Once he obtains that degree he would have several options available to him, including taking classes at a trade school for welding and/or machining.

IMHO this would give him the best chance at pursuing all the options that would be available at the time he graduates, be it with a class 1 or tourist steam operation.

Or, just go to law school and become CEO of a railroad. That way you can play with steam anytime and anywhere you want.

IMHO, stay away from Grapevine. If you search the threads,you will have an understanding why I would steer you away from them. ASTA does not currently have a steam locomotive,and will not have one in the forseeable future. It might be a long haul,but if you want to get your hands dirty quickly,TVRM is the place I would try if you are able to get there on a consistent basis. Read everything you can about steam,and there are plenty of people on this board,including myself,that will be happy to answer your questions. There is a world of experience on this board,and picking our collective brains is always a good start. If you do not have a current copy of GCOR,get one, as well as a copy of the Federal regs. Turn up your collar,grit your teeth, and squint your eyes. Welcome to the wonderful world of railroading!

Alamosa (San Luis and Rio Grande) is 15 minutes closer to Dallas than Chattanooga (TVRM), so I would recommend trying out both railroads and seeing what works. You might like the CO scenery better and get fond of the Cumbres and Toltec as well. Meanwhile, get active in the shop at McKinney and learn more about the guts of the operation and how to fix things. Trolleys and passenger cars share many of the same issues.