The light at the end of the tunnel is actually the end and not an oncoming train, and we're actually starting to plan for my retirement.

We're starting the process of recruiting a recent college graduate engineer to come on board to fill my billet once I retire.

We're trying to identify all accredited engineering colleges that offer some form of railroad curriculum. I know both the University of Illinois at Champaign and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville do or did offer some railroad classes.

There must be others. Doesn't necessarily need to be a railroad engineering degree, but a civil engineer graduate who has at least some formal railroad training would be ideal. It will have to be an engineer but can be a CE, ME or others.

I am not looking for the Jr Colleges offering railroad crew training, though I might send vacancy announcement to them in case they have engineers who have taken their classes looking for an in with the railroads or a career change.

We're looking for a target hiring date of June 2012, though if some outstanding candidate appears before then, we might hire as early as Jan 2012.

Greg

Penn State Altoona is starting a four-year program in railroad engineering:
http://www.altoona.psu.edu/academics/rte_default.asp

Doesn't mesh with your timeframe, unfortunately.

Walt L.

Looking over the course of study brochure on their website it appears that Penn State is very light on modern locomotive and car electronics and control system studies, and those are the really urgent topics nowadays.

But at least it is something, most of the academic community has not caught on to the fact that commuter rail is one of the industries continually hiring.

PC

Michigan Tech has a program.

http://www.rail.mtu.edu/

/s/ Larry

[quote="PCook"]Looking over the course of study brochure on their website it appears that Penn State is very light on modern locomotive and car electronics and control system studies . . ./quote]

The Penn State B.S. program looks like an overview of railroad operations, with a bit of civil engineering. I'd think that "modern locomotive and car electronics and control system[s]" would be more in the realm of an electrical engineering graduate who would learn the specifics, as they relate to railroading, on the job, whether in a railroad shop or manufacturer's facility.

Walt L.

As an engineering student myself may I ask what this position is?

Briefly, my title is the Navy's Trackage Subject Matter Expert. I have one assistant, who is in theory my "heir apparent". The position we are looking to hire would essentially be his assistant.

We do a couple of things.

* Provide technical support to Navy and Marine corps track inspectors and PW folks.
* Provide training on track inspection/maintenance for Navy and USMC railroad, ground level and elevated crane rails
* Conduct audits of track inspection/maintenance programs at Navy bases. (Sort of the Navy's internal FRA)
* Perform expert track inspections where needed.

Greg

https://portal.navfac.navy.mil/portal/p ... p/trackage

Virginia Tech used to offer a Railroad Engineering specialty under their Civil Engineering curriculum.

Dave Crow

Hearing Charlie Marshall, the one assisting Penn State with the development of their program speak today, students will come away with a P.E. civil engineering degree.

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville used to offer a Transportation degree (with a railroad focus) from their college of Business. Many, many railfans have passed through the doors of that storied institution.

T7

I've taken taken some of their extension track extension classes over the years. Have always thought those classes were excellent. They have a freight car inspection class in their catalog that I've been trying to get them to offer so I could take it.

Greg