[outhega]

When you work as a conductor or engineer for the RR hours don't matter. You go by "starts". You get paid by miles. As a young conductor in a big terminal you would probably work the yard extra board. Basically you would fill in for other yard conductors who call out o are on their off days. You could be a hostler. They are conbuctors who specify in moving and switching engines. Some places have preference boards. Those are boards where the most senior guys get called first, take the best jobs, then everything else goes down the list. Those are generally the low seniority jobs.

All the conductor work I know of is guaranteed. Meaning no matter how much you work or haw many hours you put in you get a base pay. You can earn more than guarantee by working alot but the guarantee is there so you can still make money if business slows down, or if you are the extra board and you don't get called for awhile.

Usually you will work alot. Alot. I have been working for the RR for almost six years and that is still low seniority. I am still on the extra board. The last month I have twenty eight starts, and the last two weeks I have over one hundred hours. That is not conting hotel time. I have not drwn guarantee for quite awhile.

Again this is as general as I can get, like I said earlier every RR and terminal and district is different. There are some many different contracts and rules and local union bylaws that could change what you would be doing and where you would be doing it.