Discussions

I am looking for information about being a CP conductor and I was wondering if there are any conductors out there that could give me their personal experiences and info about the job?

Half Mast, while I am not a CP Conductor I had a family member connection with the job. The job is a great job with lots of opportunities. It pays well, has good medical care coverage and a pension. There is also room for advancement. When times are good, you will work and work hard. Many pluses but there are some things you need to reflect upon before you apply for the job of Conductor. First, the work is shift work... a 2 hour window call in to get yourself to the train. Are you okay with the trains become your first priority over family. Are you okay with getting a call 24 hours a day and getting yourself to the train in 2 hours. Second, can you work in all sorts of weather - getting on trains, off trains, running after trains, and doing physical hard work in rain, sleet, sun, snow, fog, frost, wind. Third, do you have the ability to speak up. As a conductor, it will be your responsibility for safety of your train and of the personel on that train. Which means you need to know the rules of safety and speak up. Fourth, do you enjoy studying and doing course work? CP provides excellent training but it is up to you to learn and to remember what you have learned. As a Conductor, the word "oops" is not in your vocabulary!  
Hope this helps.

I understand all of that.. But I am hearing from  
Different people conflicting info... I hear that as a conductor, you'll be away for weeks at a time, and I also hear that they try to get you home same day or the next day so I don't know what's true..?

If you are training, yes you could be gone for weeks, depending where training is being held, etc  
 
Depending what type of train you are called for you could be back same day or gone a day or two.

Are you a conductor? So After training, you'd only be gone a day or 2 or 3? My significant other is concerned that I'd be gone for weeks at a time all the time.. But people are saying that's not true and that I'd only be gone worst case, a couple days at most?

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Another thing to consider is can you handle when you hit someone? I know a guy who runs trains and you will encounter hitting animals and the odd time someone who doesn't see the train or trying to beat it and they get hit. Could you handle an accident scene performing first aid on someone until help arrived?

Fishin Guy said "Another thing to consider is can you handle when you hit someone? I know a guy who runs trains and you will encounter hitting animals and the odd time someone who doesn't see the train or trying to beat it and they get hit. Could you handle an accident scene performing first aid on someone until help arrived? "

the positive out look on life, for you!

I understand that... I am military

My father was with the railroad for 25 years - maybe more. Things have obviously changed in technology so you aren’t stuck sitting at home by the phone but it is definitely a hard job.  
 
Physically you will be working all hours of the day for long stretches - no real sleep pattern, up and off the train, sitting on the train is hard on the body. Yes always the possibility of witnessing an accident. You will be away for a day or two, have to stay in the bunk house somewhere or catch Halcon home.  
 
You will miss out on family things - are you ok with that- is your spouse ok with that? It’s tough on a marriage.  
 
Pay is good, benefits are good and pension is good. But it also comes at a cost

tlr said "    Fishin Guy said "Another thing to consider is can you handle when you hit someone? I know a guy who runs trains and you will encounter hitting animals and the odd time someone who doesn't see the train or trying to beat it and they get hit. Could you handle an accident scene performing first aid on someone until help arrived? " the positive out look on life, for you! "

I have a positive outlook on life. With this kind of job it isn't all Choo Choo, ding ding of the bells. I have worked jobs where I came across accidents. It isn't fun checking the pulse of a dead person or performing first aid on the another guy while the ambulance is enroute. There are things that I would love to unsee in my lifetime.

Give up any hope of making plans with family or friends: you’ll almost never know when you’ll have any significant amount of free time. As also noted, you’ll be away a number of weeks for training, and once you have some experience you may get sent to cover a shortage in another region for weeks at a time. Otherwise, the money is good, and can be really good if you’re willing to work hard.

Actually, with CP, the training is done locally. Unless you have to transfer somewhere else to hold work as per your seniority, you will almost never be away from home for more than a couple of days. Expect 15 to 30 hours per trip on average with up to 24 hours off in between. There are also opportunities for 48 hours off. The rest of the time, you are on call 24/7/364.  
 
For example, here it is 2:20 AM and I'm off to work for possibly up to 10 hours before I get a chance to get some more sleep...

And here I am back home again. An average trip of about 19 hours away from home and they can't call me to go back to work until tomorrow night at the earliest.  
 
That is what you have to deal with in terms of time away.  
 
Having said that, there is another crew that went to Estevan, SK just after midnight last night and probably won't be home until tomorrow sometime...

Yes, you can make good money. No, you can not keep promises to your children or partner that you will be there for special occasions. Yes, you will see carnage. No, you will not get a lot of sympathy in dealing with that other than an EFAP card.

There is always the option of getting into either CN or CP as a Track Maintainer. The work is not so much on call as a Conductor would be. My typical shift is a Monday- Friday plus what ever OT might be offered up. So essentially you would still get the great benefits, the pension, and the wonderful pay, but instead of driving trains, you’d be keeping them on the tracks.