Hello, I'm a high school student in my Junior year looking into the future regarding college choices. For a long time while I've always loved history I've been interested in taking a class dedicated to the understanding and operation of railroads. My Algebra scores aren't neccesarily the best around but I'm willing to work for it even if it means doubling down in my free hours. Many have informed me already of the engineering programs at UIUC, Penn State Altoona and UMD but do I have any other options available?

See previous thread discussing this topic.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38099

/s/ Larry
Lawrence G. Lovejoy, P.E.

Thanks Larry for the advice. May I ask if you personally have had any experience with any of the programs more so the one at Michigan Tech? I have seen advertisements about the course and it looks interesting but the campus location really seems to throw me off. Houghton may be too remote for me considering the fact that I reside in New York. Perhaps I'll look further into it.

Cameron

Sorry, but I don't have any direct experience with any of those programs. There were no railway engineering curriculums a million years ago when I was an undergraduate, so I had to satisfy myself with choosing Villanova, a university whose campus was intersected by both the PRR's electrified four-track Main Line and Red Arrow's Norristown Line. There's still no formal railway engineering program there, but it was a great place and time to railfan.

However, back around 2000, I did an engineering feasibility study to extend the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's operation up into downtown Cleveland, My liaison person at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park was Pasi Lautala, who is now the professor who leads the Michigan Tech program. If you elect to leave the comforts of home and stray up into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I think you will find Pasi to be knowledgeable, thorough and energetic. I suggest you at least talk with him. Say hello for me.

/s/ Larry
Lawrence G. Lovejoy, P.E.

Cameron, if you do decide to major in engineering, make sure your program is accredited by ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

I also highly recommend that you pick a college with a cooperative-education ("Co-op") program.

Cameron, definitely look at UIUC. I personally know one of the instructors and have heard nothing but good things about the program. I would have enrolled in the program myself if I hadn't ended up in operations, first! haha

Jeron

One other idea is to ask various schools if railroads recruit from their engineering program. While few schools have a dedicated railroad engineering course, railroads often simply recruit from engineering programs as most engineering applies to almost all fields. That was how I did it many years ago.