# How do you become a train driver **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 16, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870 "2002-04-16T02:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/1 "2002-04-16T02:18:22Z")
I was curious what type of requirements are common to someone who drives big deisel electric locomotives for freight trains. I don’t imagine its too complicated, more a matter of finesse and planning for the long start and stop times. I looked around the internet and had millions of hits for any keywords that seemed to be relevant and nothing in the first few pages of matches that was right. Any advice. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/2 "2002-04-16T03:03:10Z")
I cant answer this question directly, but I can tell you some things. An (ex)coworker of mine who was in sales decided to become a conductor. Apparently some of the old-timers retired (were encouraged too) so they need new ones. After training (pun intended), he will be “on call” and may get asked at any time to drive a train. Sometimes round trip, sometimes one-way. I believe it is a union job. here is a job posting with a decription: [http://www.recruitingcenter.net/clients/bnsf/publicjobs/CanGetJob.cfm?job\_id=10066&req=LM100661](http://www.recruitingcenter.net/clients/bnsf/publicjobs/CanGetJob.cfm?job_id=10066&req=LM100661) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/3 "2002-04-16T05:39:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by drachillix \* > **I don’t imagine its too complicated, more a matter of finesse and planning for the long start and stop times** I had an interesting conversation with a train engineer on the Long Island Rail Road a couple of years back. He said that the exam to become an engineer was extremely difficult. He compared the intensity of studying for the engineer exam to studying for the bar exam. His explanation was that in most cases, running the train was quite routine. But when things went wrong, they could go really really really wrong. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/4 "2002-04-16T06:20:28Z")
Is the money good? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/5 "2002-04-16T06:56:16Z")
I was one of the millions of little boys who had this as a dream “when I grow up” job. I can’t speak for the US, but here in Australia, it goes something like this: You get a job as a _station assistant_, which involves sweeping platforms, prising chewing gum off the seats, setting indicator boards, etc. Then you can either progress up through jobs like _Station Master_, and take a clerical career, or you become a guard (US=conductor?). After doing this for awhile, you become a Driver Grade 5. This means you’ll be driving little shunting engines around the freight yards. You progress over your career through the grades, driving frieght trains, suburban passsenger trains, interurban commuters, then as a Driver Grade 1, you’ll be on the glamourous interstate express trains (if they still exist 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/6 "2002-04-16T12:06:07Z")
If I am not mistaken,there is a school in the U.S. that teaches one to be an engineer. ---
**Author:** ![tsunamisurfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@tsunamisurfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsunamisurfer)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/7 "2002-04-16T13:06:16Z")
Railroad engineer careers: [http://careers.yahoo.com/employment/oco/ocos244.html](http://careers.yahoo.com/employment/oco/ocos244.html) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/8 "2002-04-16T14:17:00Z")
From the link: > [@](#): > > According to the National Railroad Labor Conference in early 1997, the annual earnings for engineers ranged from an average of ,903 for yard-freight engineers, to ,374 for passenger engineers. For conductors, earnings ranged from an average of ,991 for yard-freight conductors, up to ,169 for local-freight conductors. The NRLC reports that brake operators averaged from ,968 for yard-freight operators, up to ,448 for local-freight operators. According to mid 1997 American Public Transit Association data, hourly earnings of operators for commuter rail averaged .44; operators for heavy rail .70; and operators for light rail, .04. Wages generally varied about .00 to .00 per hour in either direction on the high and low end. Hourly earnings of .44? Sign me up! ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/9 "2002-04-16T14:59:36Z")
[Another take on it](http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos244.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/10 "2002-04-16T15:16:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > **From the link: > Wages generally varied about .00 to .00 per hour in either direction on the high and low end.** Cool 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/11 "2002-04-16T15:52:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by furt \* > \*\*Is the money good? \*\* My Father is an hoghead (driver) on the CN (Canadian National). It can be. Some of the Railroads that are Unionized can have quite lucrative wages… \>100K is not unheard of at all. However, here in Canada some of the newer “upstart” railroads are not good payers (in comparison the CP/CN at least) and may be anywhere from $15-$20+ hour… which isn’t _horrible_, but considering another people doing more or less the same thing make twice or more than you may give you a bit of a sense of being ripped off. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is quite powerful and has negotiated quite good deals for its members with the railways, IMHO. Are jobs available? A definite maybe. I know that the CN has a large furlough (sp?) board with quite a line of more “junior” people waiting to go up the ladder at most divisions. Generally, you don’t start as a “hoghead” but as a conductor if your lucky, or a yard worker and go up from there. It usually takes years, but you can luck out. Is it hard? No. I don’t think so. I’ve been on several runs and I think I could handle it without much problem… although most of the hogheads would like you to think its as tough as flying a Concorde, 747 or SpaceShuttle or something… which its not 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cheezit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@cheezit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheezit)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-become-a-train-driver/103870/12 "2002-04-16T16:40:18Z")
Is the job difficult? Well, how hard could it be? You don’t even have to steer. 😃 😃