Any railway conductors on here?

[v6g]

Out of idle curiosity I recently found myself attending an info session for training to become a railway conductor. It struck me as the most ideal way for a fresh-out-of-high-school person with their heart set on aviation but without the means to support themselves through training to achieve their goal.

It was the training time and cost to starting salary ratio that surprised me. The course only lasts 3 months and costs ~$7000 - it'll qualify for student loan and you get the training tax credits too. The starting salary is $45-$60k depending on location.

The ability to be based in a major centre and the shift-based work schedule would lend itself well to combining with flight training and/or a casual flying job such as a flight instructor.

[abc xyz]

yes - if you have any questions fire away

[Meatservo]

I worked a couple of seasons on the CP as a brakeman, when they had them. As I recall you could be a brakeman on the main line or a yard foreman's helper. I found the latter to be more like what I had imagined being a brakeman would be like. It was like playing with a giant train set. The training was free, a month-long paid "rules" class and some training by tagging along with a crew in the yard or on the "road". I thought it was fun. Trains are cool. Now that they don't do the apprentice-like brakeman position, everyone does the conductor training right away. All in all, a fun blue-collar-y job that is fun for a while. Most of the guys I worked with were pretty jaded, but then again most of the guys I work with now are pretty jaded too!