My Dad was a railroad man, over 30+ years. Seventeen with Milwaukee, another eighteen or so with Burlington Northern. For most of it he was a signalman, and he commanded a lot of different skills- electronics, communications, welding, repair, etc. And a ton of labor. When I was younger, he often tried to steer me towards a career with the railroad. He took personal pride in what he did, and he had a lot of knowledge and respect for the profession. Back then, my interests, as far as I had any, ran towards computers and I didn’t really associate the railroads with that kind of work. Knowing the kind of hours he might put in, and the back breaking labor that could be associated with it, I was doubly not interested. Looking back, had I been wiser, I think pursuing IT work in the railroad would have been a smart move.
Fast forward 20+ years and here I am studying intermodal transportation, with a specific focus on the rail lines. I’m looking to expand my options for moving freight and so I’m studying about…the railroads. My father would approve.
