whats the job like

[bonehead]

i am thinking of applying to amtrak for a Lead Service Attendant(lsa) job. I would like to hear from people who have had the job before. Whats it like? How hard is it. Do you work a normal 8 hour day, 40 hours a week, do you get alot of overtime? Do you really sleep on the train? Do you get the same days off per week or random days off? do they give you days off in other cities because the train happons to be there on your day off?? Do you get paid for the time between layovers(like a 5 hour break between when you get off one train and on to another)?

I am 27(28 in march) am i to old or young for the job? I am trying to get a ba in finance, will this job make that impossible?

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

I previously worked as an service attendant at Amtrak prior to my furlough. I have since hired out at a freight railroad. Anyway, here are some questions you need to ask yourself...

1) Are you prepared to spend several days away from home and family?

2) Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?

3) Are you able to work with money and inventory (one of an LSA's primary responsiblities)?

4) Are you willing to relocate for an available job in the case of a furlough (laid off)?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

6) Are you willing to cross train in other crafts which may be lower than LSA?

7) Are you able to handle the pressures on board the train which may mean a managment style decision (issues within OBS component on your assigned train)?

If you can answer yes to these (and many others I can't really think of right now), then LSA is a job you should be able to do. Go for it and apply.... LSA jobs tend pop up fairly regularly. Good luck....

OBS gone freight....

 

[bonehead]

I previously worked as an service attendant at Amtrak prior to my furlough. I have since hired out at a freight railroad. Anyway, here are some questions you need to ask yourself...
1) Are you prepared to spend several days away from home and family?

2) Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?

3) Are you able to work with money and inventory (one of an LSA's primary responsiblities)?

4) Are you willing to relocate for an available job in the case of a furlough (laid off)?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

6) Are you willing to cross train in other crafts which may be lower than LSA?

7) Are you able to handle the pressures on board the train which may mean a managment style decision (issues within OBS component on your assigned train)?

If you can answer yes to these (and many others I can't really think of right now), then LSA is a job you should be able to do. Go for it and apply.... LSA jobs tend pop up fairly regularly. Good luck....

OBS gone freight....

I think i can manage.

i am single and i don't really like my family, this will be a good excuse not to see them

2) "Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?"

I am not sure. May i ask you how long the days are and how long the rest periods are? do u get lots of overtime?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

do you mean i would have to fill in for someone else? would i be required to fill in? do i get a warning or do i have to drop everything and go to the station?

May i ask do you sleep on the train? or do they set you up in a hotel at some point in the trip? Also are there long breaks that you don't get paid for? i mean will you get stuck in some town for 3 days with no pay?

The rest i can totally handle.

 

[gswager]

Let's say your route would be Southwest Chief. It leaves from LA on Monday at 6:30 pm, but you'll have to show up several hours earlier for stocking and inventorized. It arrives at Chicago at 3:30 pm on Wednesday. Again, you'll have to inventorized it. During that trip if you're working as a snack bar attendant. It'll be really long day from breakfast to midnight with a couple of breaks. At end of the route, you'll be in the hotel overnight and then your next train will be at 3:30 pm next day (Thursday). You'll be back in LA in two days (Saturday) at 8:30 am. I don't know how many days off.

Only the conductors and engineers have 8-10 hours work schedule.

Why don't you board on one of long distance train as a ticketed passenger and talk to one of LSA. That'll give you an idea on what's the job is like.

-gs

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

I previously worked as an service attendant at Amtrak prior to my furlough. I have since hired out at a freight railroad. Anyway, here are some questions you need to ask yourself...
1) Are you prepared to spend several days away from home and family?

2) Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?

3) Are you able to work with money and inventory (one of an LSA's primary responsiblities)?

4) Are you willing to relocate for an available job in the case of a furlough (laid off)?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

6) Are you willing to cross train in other crafts which may be lower than LSA?

7) Are you able to handle the pressures on board the train which may mean a managment style decision (issues within OBS component on your assigned train)?

If you can answer yes to these (and many others I can't really think of right now), then LSA is a job you should be able to do. Go for it and apply.... LSA jobs tend pop up fairly regularly. Good luck....

OBS gone freight....

I think i can manage.

i am single and i don't really like my family, this will be a good excuse not to see them

2) "Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?"

I am not sure. May i ask you how long the days are and how long the rest periods are? do u get lots of overtime?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

do you mean i would have to fill in for someone else? would i be required to fill in? do i get a warning or do i have to drop everything and go to the station?

May i ask do you sleep on the train? or do they set you up in a hotel at some point in the trip? Also are there long breaks that you don't get paid for? i mean will you get stuck in some town for 3 days with no pay?

The rest i can totally handle.

To answer your first question.... as an LSA you will work an entire day in the dining car (as the in-charge waiter) for all meals in meal periods you are on the train. That means if you work out of say MIA crewbase in FL (we'll use that location as example) as an LSA on train #98 (NB Silver Meteor); your report time is 04:30 (4:30 AM) for a 06:50 departure on that train. The diner opens for breakfast shortly after departure (usually around FTL). The lounge car LSA opens shortly after departure of MIA. You serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner for that entire day. You get to bed in a sleeper car room supplied to you on the train around 22:30-23:00. As a lounge LSA you stay on duty till 24:00 then off to bed. You return to duty at 05:30 the next morning (05:00 for lounge LSA) to serve breakfast (which is scheduled), and then any further meals that must be served if the train is running late where meal service is warranted. You then go to the hotel after you remit your money and your inventory for your rest over night (when the train gets there on time you have time to do a little in NYC on this route). The next day you report at 07:30 for the van ride out to the yards with the rest of your crew to board train #91 (SB Silver Star). You perform your duties as an LSA in regard to your inventory, manifests, etc. and depart for NYP station (your originating point) where you pick up your first passngers. The lounge car LSA opens their car as soon as the conductor collects tickets after NWK somewhere between there and TRE (both in NJ). The dining car LSA opens the diner for lunch at 11:30 whereas you serve that meal and dinner then go to bed around 22:30. Wake up the same as NB, you serve breakfast and an extended lunch (dinner if train is real late) on your fourth day home to MIA. You remit your money and inventory and leave for home. The trip takes four days in its entirety, two up and two back on this particular job.

I'll answer your questions about rest time the best I can....

For your rest period on the train, you are entitled no less than four hours of continuous rest in a sleeper car room by union contract, otherwise you must be paid continuous time. On this particular job, at the hotel in NYC from the time the train gets in till 07:30 on your third day (first day to leave back South). That means if you get in twelve hours or more late (doesn't happen often but it does), your report time is still 07:30 in the hotel lobby for the ride to the yards. I had at least a couple trips where I was so late I barely got some rest in NYC!!

Back at MIA, you take the days off as indicated in your job if you have enough seniority to hold a regular. Most of the LSA jobs out of MIA have four days of rest at MIA (the home crewbase for Silver Service OBS dept LSAs)

Now the extra board on the other hand is a completly different story. If you don't have seniority to hold a bulletined LSA job, then you are on the guaranteed extra board. That means you are paid a monthly guarantee whether you work or not providing you follow the union/company agreed guidlines in the contract regarding the extra board. On the extra board (use the example above to help you) when you return from your trip, you call in and mark up for duty. Crew management informs you of the time you must be by your phone or they will advise you of your next active call period or call in time! During the call period you must be by your phone and within two hours of the crewbase, ready to report to work within that two hours after the call. Sometimes they will give you more leeway, but sometimes it is short, but the union contract says two hours! Also after returning from a four day trip, they only allow you 48 hours of undisturbed rest at home. That sometimes is less than two days depending when you actually got home from your trip. But when it is slow and nobody is marking off for vacations, sickness, etc, then you can be home for days on end. As long as you don't break your guarantee, you still get paid for what you don't work up to 150 hours for the month! If you break your pay guarantee then younonly get paid for what you worked (I was always able to hustle and get my hours the few times I broke my guarantee)! I actually liked the extra board myself as it worked out more often to getting a weekend day off on occassion more so than a regular job did. I also managed to be home a couple of holidays, but nothing is ever guaranteed in this industry!

Keep the above in mind now.... these Eastern trains are shorter runs than those Western and MidWestern runs minus the City of New Orleans. So it is possible to work an LSA job on the "SouthWest Chief" Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago (CHI) and the return trip! That means six days on the road and 48 hours off in LAX if you are on the extra board if it is turning quickly! If you have a regular bulletined job, then you have better time off with several days in between trips.

As far as long breaks are concerned on the train, maybe as a train attendant or service attendant (reg waiter) you might get a few minutes to snooze here and there, but as an LSA there is no time during the day as you're very busy.

As far as being stuck out of town on the train, your are being paid until you reach your destination minus your downtime. If off the train at your turning around point (such as NYC was for me) they must pay you your meal allowance while your gone, and your guarantee will cover the hours out as long as you haven't broken it in violation of union/company contract during that particular month. And you'll still be on the clock for the trip home unless they fly you or bus you home. I was stuck in NYC twice during my career at Amtrak. They flew me home one time and the other time I worked home after spending seven days there in NYC (that time was when the Silver Service was shut down due to Hurrican Jeane in 2004)!

In closing..... the fact you are single, don't mind being away from the family, and quote "the rest you can handle" .... you need to go for it! It will be a good job with the right attitude. I was furloughed in 2005 (I didn't want to go back to MIA as I moved from there) so I hired on with a freight railroad. And that's where I am at. I miss Amtrak a little, but I like the arrangement now, to be honest with you!

Good luck with your venture, and if you have any other questions I'll be happy to answer them when I am able to do so.

OBS gone freight.....

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

Why don't you board on one of long distance train as a ticketed passenger and talk to one of LSA. That'll give you an idea on what's the job is like.
-gs

GS posted this while I was typing my posting.... Anyway, this is great advice.... I did the same prior to my employment at Amtrak.

OBS gone freight...

 

[Windy City LSA]

I think the earlier suggestion of going on a train trip and observing is a great idea...assuming you're not already familar with the LSA position.

The first hurdle is getting the job. It's not easy. Unless they've changed things in the last couple of years...you send a resume/apply when you see an ad or otherwise know the crewbase near you is hiring. Then you'll be called for an orientation at some point. At the orientation you're told about the job...about how you'll be on the extra board for an undetermined period of time and will have no life and are offered the opportunity to get out right then. (A few people at my orientation left.) You take tests at the orientation. If you pass the tests, you're invited for an interview. There is also a physical and drug test in there somwhere. Then if you're chosen, you take a class. I think it was 4 weeks or thereabouts. Then if you pass the class...you're in. It's a lengthy, thourough process. I estimate there were close to 50 people at the orientation. In the class...there were 8 of us. 2 of them didn't pass after taking the entire class! When I left, there were only 2 of my classmates left. I was fairly confident I could handle it and really wanted to do it. But I knew pretty quickly that is wasn't for me.

I did it, and didn't make it a year. (plus I was furloughed for a couple of months after only working a month!!) Life on the extra board is brutal. (and with low senority, it's likely one will be there for awhile.)

On a 6 day trip working the lounge for example, your second and fifth days are LONG. The lounge must be open at 5:30-6:00AM, and you don't close until 11:00 PM. Sure...you get 3 meal breaks. But it's a long day. On the long distance trains, you sleep in your own Roomette. Most layovers in the destination cities are short. Many of the hotels...not the greatest. I worked one lounge run where I got to the hotel close to midnight, and had to be back on the train home at 4:00 AM. Not fun. It depends on what crewbase you're considering. The runs vary.

You will not have a regular schedule. Even if you stick around long enough to hold a regular run, you'll still work any given day of the week. It's a little more predictable though, as you would have a predetermined number of days off between runs.

The only way you'd "fill-in" for somebody is if you were on what's called Protec. I did lots of that, unfortunately!! You pack for the possibility of being gone up to 6 days, sit a the crew base and hang out all day. If one of your counterparts calls in sick, you take their place. If not, you go home. My last trip on Amtrak...Friday of Memorial Day weekend last year. I KNEW somebody would call in. I got there at 6:00 AM. At 6:30, I was told I'd be going to Portland. 6 days...just like that...probably because the LSA wanted the weekend off. I was on my way a few hours later. Good thing I didn't have a doctor appointment or an event planned long in advance to attend!

Is 28 too old?? Of course not. I think one needs to have reasonable level of physical fittness, as there is plenty of lifting with loading and unloading the train with your stock. Not to mention all of the hours standing on your feet on a moving train. Could you go to school and work this job?? I can't imagine how it could be done...unless you were doing internet courses on your days off or something.

Good luck to you! If you have any more questions, I could try to answer. Just be sure to do the research and think about it long and hard.

 

[bonehead]

I previously worked as an service attendant at Amtrak prior to my furlough. I have since hired out at a freight railroad. Anyway, here are some questions you need to ask yourself...
1) Are you prepared to spend several days away from home and family?

2) Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?

3) Are you able to work with money and inventory (one of an LSA's primary responsiblities)?

4) Are you willing to relocate for an available job in the case of a furlough (laid off)?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

6) Are you willing to cross train in other crafts which may be lower than LSA?

7) Are you able to handle the pressures on board the train which may mean a managment style decision (issues within OBS component on your assigned train)?

If you can answer yes to these (and many others I can't really think of right now), then LSA is a job you should be able to do. Go for it and apply.... LSA jobs tend pop up fairly regularly. Good luck....

OBS gone freight....

I think i can manage.

i am single and i don't really like my family, this will be a good excuse not to see them

2) "Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?"

I am not sure. May i ask you how long the days are and how long the rest periods are? do u get lots of overtime?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

do you mean i would have to fill in for someone else? would i be required to fill in? do i get a warning or do i have to drop everything and go to the station?

May i ask do you sleep on the train? or do they set you up in a hotel at some point in the trip? Also are there long breaks that you don't get paid for? i mean will you get stuck in some town for 3 days with no pay?

The rest i can totally handle.

To answer your first question.... as an LSA you will work an entire day in the dining car (as the in-charge waiter) for all meals in meal periods you are on the train. That means if you work out of say MIA crewbase in FL (we'll use that location as example) as an LSA on train #98 (NB Silver Meteor); your report time is 04:30 (4:30 AM) for a 06:50 departure on that train. The diner opens for breakfast shortly after departure (usually around FTL). The lounge car LSA opens shortly after departure of MIA. You serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner for that entire day. You get to bed in a sleeper car room supplied to you on the train around 22:30-23:00. As a lounge LSA you stay on duty till 24:00 then off to bed. You return to duty at 05:30 the next morning (05:00 for lounge LSA) to serve breakfast (which is scheduled), and then any further meals that must be served if the train is running late where meal service is warranted. You then go to the hotel after you remit your money and your inventory for your rest over night (when the train gets there on time you have time to do a little in NYC on this route). The next day you report at 07:30 for the van ride out to the yards with the rest of your crew to board train #91 (SB Silver Star). You perform your duties as an LSA in regard to your inventory, manifests, etc. and depart for NYP station (your originating point) where you pick up your first passngers. The lounge car LSA opens their car as soon as the conductor collects tickets after NWK somewhere between there and TRE (both in NJ). The dining car LSA opens the diner for lunch at 11:30 whereas you serve that meal and dinner then go to bed around 22:30. Wake up the same as NB, you serve breakfast and an extended lunch (dinner if train is real late) on your fourth day home to MIA. You remit your money and inventory and leave for home. The trip takes four days in its entirety, two up and two back on this particular job.

I'll answer your questions about rest time the best I can....

For your rest period on the train, you are entitled no less than four hours of continuous rest in a sleeper car room by union contract, otherwise you must be paid continuous time. On this particular job, at the hotel in NYC from the time the train gets in till 07:30 on your third day (first day to leave back South). That means if you get in twelve hours or more late (doesn't happen often but it does), your report time is still 07:30 in the hotel lobby for the ride to the yards. I had at least a couple trips where I was so late I barely got some rest in NYC!!

Back at MIA, you take the days off as indicated in your job if you have enough seniority to hold a regular. Most of the LSA jobs out of MIA have four days of rest at MIA (the home crewbase for Silver Service OBS dept LSAs)

Now the extra board on the other hand is a completly different story. If you don't have seniority to hold a bulletined LSA job, then you are on the guaranteed extra board. That means you are paid a monthly guarantee whether you work or not providing you follow the union/company agreed guidlines in the contract regarding the extra board. On the extra board (use the example above to help you) when you return from your trip, you call in and mark up for duty. Crew management informs you of the time you must be by your phone or they will advise you of your next active call period or call in time! During the call period you must be by your phone and within two hours of the crewbase, ready to report to work within that two hours after the call. Sometimes they will give you more leeway, but sometimes it is short, but the union contract says two hours! Also after returning from a four day trip, they only allow you 48 hours of undisturbed rest at home. That sometimes is less than two days depending when you actually got home from your trip. But when it is slow and nobody is marking off for vacations, sickness, etc, then you can be home for days on end. As long as you don't break your guarantee, you still get paid for what you don't work up to 150 hours for the month! If you break your pay guarantee then younonly get paid for what you worked (I was always able to hustle and get my hours the few times I broke my guarantee)! I actually liked the extra board myself as it worked out more often to getting a weekend day off on occassion more so than a regular job did. I also managed to be home a couple of holidays, but nothing is ever guaranteed in this industry!

Keep the above in mind now.... these Eastern trains are shorter runs than those Western and MidWestern runs minus the City of New Orleans. So it is possible to work an LSA job on the "SouthWest Chief" Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago (CHI) and the return trip! That means six days on the road and 48 hours off in LAX if you are on the extra board if it is turning quickly! If you have a regular bulletined job, then you have better time off with several days in between trips.

As far as long breaks are concerned on the train, maybe as a train attendant or service attendant (reg waiter) you might get a few minutes to snooze here and there, but as an LSA there is no time during the day as you're very busy.

As far as being stuck out of town on the train, your are being paid until you reach your destination minus your downtime. If off the train at your turning around point (such as NYC was for me) they must pay you your meal allowance while your gone, and your guarantee will cover the hours out as long as you haven't broken it in violation of union/company contract during that particular month. And you'll still be on the clock for the trip home unless they fly you or bus you home. I was stuck in NYC twice during my career at Amtrak. They flew me home one time and the other time I worked home after spending seven days there in NYC (that time was when the Silver Service was shut down due to Hurrican Jeane in 2004)!

In closing..... the fact you are single, don't mind being away from the family, and quote "the rest you can handle" .... you need to go for it! It will be a good job with the right attitude. I was furloughed in 2005 (I didn't want to go back to MIA as I moved from there) so I hired on with a freight railroad. And that's where I am at. I miss Amtrak a little, but I like the arrangement now, to be honest with you!

Good luck with your venture, and if you have any other questions I'll be happy to answer them when I am able to do so.

OBS gone freight.....

wow thank you so much for your post. it is kind of confusing so i was hoping you could clear up a few things.

if i only get 4 hours of sleep does that mean i have to work 20 hour days? or do i get 1 hour breaks spread out in the day(i would not be happy about that) So they i get paid 12 hours over time? If the train is late do i get special time for not being able to get any rest in the hotel room before i go back to work? What is continus time?

Do you get alot of over time? are you given over time if you go over an 8 8 hour day or do you get over time if you go over a 40 hour week reguardless of the length of the days?

Also the job i am looking at is out of los angeles.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

I previously worked as an service attendant at Amtrak prior to my furlough. I have since hired out at a freight railroad. Anyway, here are some questions you need to ask yourself...
1) Are you prepared to spend several days away from home and family?

2) Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?

3) Are you able to work with money and inventory (one of an LSA's primary responsiblities)?

4) Are you willing to relocate for an available job in the case of a furlough (laid off)?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

6) Are you willing to cross train in other crafts which may be lower than LSA?

7) Are you able to handle the pressures on board the train which may mean a managment style decision (issues within OBS component on your assigned train)?

If you can answer yes to these (and many others I can't really think of right now), then LSA is a job you should be able to do. Go for it and apply.... LSA jobs tend pop up fairly regularly. Good luck....

OBS gone freight....

I think i can manage.

i am single and i don't really like my family, this will be a good excuse not to see them

2) "Are you willing to put in long hours with short rest periods?"

I am not sure. May i ask you how long the days are and how long the rest periods are? do u get lots of overtime?

5) Are you willing to be in "on-call" status (meaning work an extra board as a fill in for regular employees)?

do you mean i would have to fill in for someone else? would i be required to fill in? do i get a warning or do i have to drop everything and go to the station?

May i ask do you sleep on the train? or do they set you up in a hotel at some point in the trip? Also are there long breaks that you don't get paid for? i mean will you get stuck in some town for 3 days with no pay?

The rest i can totally handle.

To answer your first question.... as an LSA you will work an entire day in the dining car (as the in-charge waiter) for all meals in meal periods you are on the train. That means if you work out of say MIA crewbase in FL (we'll use that location as example) as an LSA on train #98 (NB Silver Meteor); your report time is 04:30 (4:30 AM) for a 06:50 departure on that train. The diner opens for breakfast shortly after departure (usually around FTL). The lounge car LSA opens shortly after departure of MIA. You serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner for that entire day. You get to bed in a sleeper car room supplied to you on the train around 22:30-23:00. As a lounge LSA you stay on duty till 24:00 then off to bed. You return to duty at 05:30 the next morning (05:00 for lounge LSA) to serve breakfast (which is scheduled), and then any further meals that must be served if the train is running late where meal service is warranted. You then go to the hotel after you remit your money and your inventory for your rest over night (when the train gets there on time you have time to do a little in NYC on this route). The next day you report at 07:30 for the van ride out to the yards with the rest of your crew to board train #91 (SB Silver Star). You perform your duties as an LSA in regard to your inventory, manifests, etc. and depart for NYP station (your originating point) where you pick up your first passngers. The lounge car LSA opens their car as soon as the conductor collects tickets after NWK somewhere between there and TRE (both in NJ). The dining car LSA opens the diner for lunch at 11:30 whereas you serve that meal and dinner then go to bed around 22:30. Wake up the same as NB, you serve breakfast and an extended lunch (dinner if train is real late) on your fourth day home to MIA. You remit your money and inventory and leave for home. The trip takes four days in its entirety, two up and two back on this particular job.

I'll answer your questions about rest time the best I can....

For your rest period on the train, you are entitled no less than four hours of continuous rest in a sleeper car room by union contract, otherwise you must be paid continuous time. On this particular job, at the hotel in NYC from the time the train gets in till 07:30 on your third day (first day to leave back South). That means if you get in twelve hours or more late (doesn't happen often but it does), your report time is still 07:30 in the hotel lobby for the ride to the yards. I had at least a couple trips where I was so late I barely got some rest in NYC!!

Back at MIA, you take the days off as indicated in your job if you have enough seniority to hold a regular. Most of the LSA jobs out of MIA have four days of rest at MIA (the home crewbase for Silver Service OBS dept LSAs)

Now the extra board on the other hand is a completly different story. If you don't have seniority to hold a bulletined LSA job, then you are on the guaranteed extra board. That means you are paid a monthly guarantee whether you work or not providing you follow the union/company agreed guidlines in the contract regarding the extra board. On the extra board (use the example above to help you) when you return from your trip, you call in and mark up for duty. Crew management informs you of the time you must be by your phone or they will advise you of your next active call period or call in time! During the call period you must be by your phone and within two hours of the crewbase, ready to report to work within that two hours after the call. Sometimes they will give you more leeway, but sometimes it is short, but the union contract says two hours! Also after returning from a four day trip, they only allow you 48 hours of undisturbed rest at home. That sometimes is less than two days depending when you actually got home from your trip. But when it is slow and nobody is marking off for vacations, sickness, etc, then you can be home for days on end. As long as you don't break your guarantee, you still get paid for what you don't work up to 150 hours for the month! If you break your pay guarantee then younonly get paid for what you worked (I was always able to hustle and get my hours the few times I broke my guarantee)! I actually liked the extra board myself as it worked out more often to getting a weekend day off on occassion more so than a regular job did. I also managed to be home a couple of holidays, but nothing is ever guaranteed in this industry!

Keep the above in mind now.... these Eastern trains are shorter runs than those Western and MidWestern runs minus the City of New Orleans. So it is possible to work an LSA job on the "SouthWest Chief" Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago (CHI) and the return trip! That means six days on the road and 48 hours off in LAX if you are on the extra board if it is turning quickly! If you have a regular bulletined job, then you have better time off with several days in between trips.

As far as long breaks are concerned on the train, maybe as a train attendant or service attendant (reg waiter) you might get a few minutes to snooze here and there, but as an LSA there is no time during the day as you're very busy.

As far as being stuck out of town on the train, your are being paid until you reach your destination minus your downtime. If off the train at your turning around point (such as NYC was for me) they must pay you your meal allowance while your gone, and your guarantee will cover the hours out as long as you haven't broken it in violation of union/company contract during that particular month. And you'll still be on the clock for the trip home unless they fly you or bus you home. I was stuck in NYC twice during my career at Amtrak. They flew me home one time and the other time I worked home after spending seven days there in NYC (that time was when the Silver Service was shut down due to Hurrican Jeane in 2004)!

In closing..... the fact you are single, don't mind being away from the family, and quote "the rest you can handle" .... you need to go for it! It will be a good job with the right attitude. I was furloughed in 2005 (I didn't want to go back to MIA as I moved from there) so I hired on with a freight railroad. And that's where I am at. I miss Amtrak a little, but I like the arrangement now, to be honest with you!

Good luck with your venture, and if you have any other questions I'll be happy to answer them when I am able to do so.

OBS gone freight.....

wow thank you so much for your post. it is kind of confusing so i was hoping you could clear up a few things.

if i only get 4 hours of sleep does that mean i have to work 20 hour days? or do i get 1 hour breaks spread out in the day(i would not be happy about that) So they i get paid 12 hours over time? If the train is late do i get special time for not being able to get any rest in the hotel room before i go back to work? What is continus time?

Do you get alot of over time? are you given over time if you go over an 8 8 hour day or do you get over time if you go over a 40 hour week reguardless of the length of the days?

Also the job i am looking at is out of los angeles.

Yes... if you only get four hours worth of sleep, you might still have to work that 18-20 hour day! You have to pace yourself in this job!

You don't have the standard 40 hour work week. Your are paid overtime after 185 hours for the month (that is the negotiated hours in the union contract for overtime to start). The monthly guarantee for a regular bulletined position is 180 hours. The monthly guarantee on the extra board is 150 hours. It is not uncommon to get over 200 hours on some trains, especially when there are problems in route, or you are called out on short rest or work a lot! I have worked entire trips on overtime from MIA-NYC and back to MIA at the end of the month in the past! Other times they have called me and made me stay home (when I had a regular job and when I had an extra board job), and send extra board people out to lower my overtime hours!

You get paid late time in addition to the time on your trip ticket if the train is late getting into its ending terminal. Continuous time means exactly what the word "continuous" means. If you are awakened by a conductor or a manager, or not permitted to take your entire "union agreed" four hours of downtime on the train, etc you are paid that time continuous to compensate you for your loss of rest. That doesn't happen very much while in route. Again you have to pace yourself to handle the long days, but if I can do it(I the the king of sleep), anyone can....LOL!

Los Angles eh?.... Well, LAX (that is their city code by the way) handles the OBS (on board service) component on the following long distance trains; the "Sunset Limited," "Coast Starlight," and the "Southwest Chief." They also handle a lot of the short haul jobs out there where OBS are necessary.

The "Starlight" is four day round trip for you to Seattle. The "Sunset" works out to be about a five day round trip for you out East to New Orleans. The "Chief" works out to be almost a six day round trip for you to Chicago. The "Sunset Limited" and the "Southwest Chief" jobs can get long towards the end of the trip as you sorta "watch the sun go up and go back down for a couple of days" while on those trains! Windy City LSA covers some of that in her posting up above. She has had to work on a couple of long jobs based out of Chicago many times. Continued good luck... we're here if you need to holler...

OBS gone freight....

 

[RailFanLNK]

What a grind! These working conditions remind me of the conditions I'm in right now with UPS and the holidays. Good thing for me is that it last about 5 weeks, not a whole career! I make no plans on weeknights for anything and clock out around 7pm to 10pm and start at 8:30am. I skip lunch so I don't give up an hour of daylight and then burn my lunch at suppertime or later. I knew working LD trains is alot more tougher than what I tend to fantasize about, but this thread really put things in perspective. My weekends are spent sleeping, resting and trying to get everything done that gets blown off due to time constraints. I'm grateful that I live on my route that I deliver, I can get things done on my late breaks at my house. I could NEVER do this "extra" board thing. It would drive me NUTS! I like to have "set" plans and if a pager or a phone call goes off or rings and jips me out of a social event, I would not be a happy camper. With my job this time of year, I usually have almost all of my Christmas shopping done the week before Thanksgiving weekend. I have only 1 gift at this time to purchase and I'm all done. Its either get it done before Thanksgiving or my loved ones get complete crap for Christmas gifts cuz I'm tired and grumpy! :angry:

 

[XNWA]

Working holidays,bad days off,shift work , being on call, is all part of the job for new hires in many jobs. But there is usually a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

 

[bonehead]

wow thank you so much for your post. it is kind of confusing so i was hoping you could clear up a few things.

if i only get 4 hours of sleep does that mean i have to work 20 hour days? or do i get 1 hour breaks spread out in the day(i would not be happy about that) So they i get paid 12 hours over time? If the train is late do i get special time for not being able to get any rest in the hotel room before i go back to work? What is continus time?

Do you get alot of over time? are you given over time if you go over an 8 8 hour day or do you get over time if you go over a 40 hour week reguardless of the length of the days?

Also the job i am looking at is out of los angeles.

Yes... if you only get four hours worth of sleep, you might still have to work that 18-20 hour day! You have to pace yourself in this job!

You don't have the standard 40 hour work week. Your are paid overtime after 185 hours for the month (that is the negotiated hours in the union contract for overtime to start). The monthly guarantee for a regular bulletined position is 180 hours. The monthly guarantee on the extra board is 150 hours. It is not uncommon to get over 200 hours on some trains, especially when there are problems in route, or you are called out on short rest or work a lot! I have worked entire trips on overtime from MIA-NYC and back to MIA at the end of the month in the past! Other times they have called me and made me stay home (when I had a regular job and when I had an extra board job), and send extra board people out to lower my overtime hours!

You get paid late time in addition to the time on your trip ticket if the train is late getting into its ending terminal. Continuous time means exactly what the word "continuous" means. If you are awakened by a conductor or a manager, or not permitted to take your entire "union agreed" four hours of downtime on the train, etc you are paid that time continuous to compensate you for your loss of rest. That doesn't happen very much while in route. Again you have to pace yourself to handle the long days, but if I can do it(I the the king of sleep), anyone can....LOL!

Los Angles eh?.... Well, LAX (that is their city code by the way) handles the OBS (on board service) component on the following long distance trains; the "Sunset Limited," "Coast Starlight," and the "Southwest Chief." They also handle a lot of the short haul jobs out there where OBS are necessary.

The "Starlight" is four day round trip for you to Seattle. The "Sunset" works out to be about a five day round trip for you out East to New Orleans. The "Chief" works out to be almost a six day round trip for you to Chicago. The "Sunset Limited" and the "Southwest Chief" jobs can get long towards the end of the trip as you sorta "watch the sun go up and go back down for a couple of days" while on those trains! Windy City LSA covers some of that in her posting up above. She has had to work on a couple of long jobs based out of Chicago many times. Continued good luck... we're here if you need to holler...

OBS gone freight....

Wow thank you so much. I am totally shocked that they can work me a 20 hour day and nopt pay overtime, for the other 12 hours. That doesn't seem fair at all.

Wow thank you so much. I am totally shocked that they can work me a 20 hour day and nopt pay overtime, for the other 12 hours. That doesn't seem fair at all.

I will earn 15 an hour, how much would you say your monthly/yearly take home pay was after taxes?

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

wow thank you so much for your post. it is kind of confusing so i was hoping you could clear up a few things.

if i only get 4 hours of sleep does that mean i have to work 20 hour days? or do i get 1 hour breaks spread out in the day(i would not be happy about that) So they i get paid 12 hours over time? If the train is late do i get special time for not being able to get any rest in the hotel room before i go back to work? What is continus time?

Do you get alot of over time? are you given over time if you go over an 8 8 hour day or do you get over time if you go over a 40 hour week reguardless of the length of the days?

Also the job i am looking at is out of los angeles.

Yes... if you only get four hours worth of sleep, you might still have to work that 18-20 hour day! You have to pace yourself in this job!

You don't have the standard 40 hour work week. Your are paid overtime after 185 hours for the month (that is the negotiated hours in the union contract for overtime to start). The monthly guarantee for a regular bulletined position is 180 hours. The monthly guarantee on the extra board is 150 hours. It is not uncommon to get over 200 hours on some trains, especially when there are problems in route, or you are called out on short rest or work a lot! I have worked entire trips on overtime from MIA-NYC and back to MIA at the end of the month in the past! Other times they have called me and made me stay home (when I had a regular job and when I had an extra board job), and send extra board people out to lower my overtime hours!

You get paid late time in addition to the time on your trip ticket if the train is late getting into its ending terminal. Continuous time means exactly what the word "continuous" means. If you are awakened by a conductor or a manager, or not permitted to take your entire "union agreed" four hours of downtime on the train, etc you are paid that time continuous to compensate you for your loss of rest. That doesn't happen very much while in route. Again you have to pace yourself to handle the long days, but if I can do it(I the the king of sleep), anyone can....LOL!

Los Angles eh?.... Well, LAX (that is their city code by the way) handles the OBS (on board service) component on the following long distance trains; the "Sunset Limited," "Coast Starlight," and the "Southwest Chief." They also handle a lot of the short haul jobs out there where OBS are necessary.

The "Starlight" is four day round trip for you to Seattle. The "Sunset" works out to be about a five day round trip for you out East to New Orleans. The "Chief" works out to be almost a six day round trip for you to Chicago. The "Sunset Limited" and the "Southwest Chief" jobs can get long towards the end of the trip as you sorta "watch the sun go up and go back down for a couple of days" while on those trains! Windy City LSA covers some of that in her posting up above. She has had to work on a couple of long jobs based out of Chicago many times. Continued good luck... we're here if you need to holler...

OBS gone freight....

Wow thank you so much. I am totally shocked that they can work me a 20 hour day and nopt pay overtime, for the other 12 hours. That doesn't seem fair at all.

Wow thank you so much. I am totally shocked that they can work me a 20 hour day and nopt pay overtime, for the other 12 hours. That doesn't seem fair at all.

I will earn 15 an hour, how much would you say your monthly/yearly take home pay was after taxes?

You are very welcome...

Well....you do get paid time and a half overtime, but it is after you pass 185 hours for the month, not after 8 per day or 40 per week. That is just the way it is set up in the union agreement for OBS jobs! They just can't pay it like most employers do. Some employers pay it by the 40 hour work week so after passing that it is time and a half. Others pay overtime on the time after an 8 hour day. Amtrak just can't do that or the cost of the OBS component itself would cost way more than it already does! OBS payroll costs as a whole in the entire system rank up there with the costs of lower management's payroll! But you will get overtime quite a bit! Especially with late trains and the fact there isn't always someone to replace you at the end of the month if they deem it necessary to leave you at home or send you home early. I made a lot of overtime in OBS at Amtrak. But I did stay on the road quite a bit, too (especially when when I was on the extra board)!

Keep in mind in LAX that $15 per hour is closer to the "getting by" standard in my opininion. Y'alls cost of living out there is astronomical. That same $15 per hour took overall good care of me down here in FL, but I didn't live in MIA for long because it is expensive to live there as well. I was making $17 per hour when I left, and I wasn't an LSA even. You'll get cost of living raises and a rate progression from 80% onwards as you work. LSAs get paid more after they are there a little while.

OBS gone freight....

 

[bonehead]

wow thank you so much for your post. it is kind of confusing so i was hoping you could clear up a few things.

if i only get 4 hours of sleep does that mean i have to work 20 hour days? or do i get 1 hour breaks spread out in the day(i would not be happy about that) So they i get paid 12 hours over time? If the train is late do i get special time for not being able to get any rest in the hotel room before i go back to work? What is continus time?

Do you get alot of over time? are you given over time if you go over an 8 8 hour day or do you get over time if you go over a 40 hour week reguardless of the length of the days?

Also the job i am looking at is out of los angeles.

Yes... if you only get four hours worth of sleep, you might still have to work that 18-20 hour day! You have to pace yourself in this job!

You don't have the standard 40 hour work week. Your are paid overtime after 185 hours for the month (that is the negotiated hours in the union contract for overtime to start). The monthly guarantee for a regular bulletined position is 180 hours. The monthly guarantee on the extra board is 150 hours. It is not uncommon to get over 200 hours on some trains, especially when there are problems in route, or you are called out on short rest or work a lot! I have worked entire trips on overtime from MIA-NYC and back to MIA at the end of the month in the past! Other times they have called me and made me stay home (when I had a regular job and when I had an extra board job), and send extra board people out to lower my overtime hours!

You get paid late time in addition to the time on your trip ticket if the train is late getting into its ending terminal. Continuous time means exactly what the word "continuous" means. If you are awakened by a conductor or a manager, or not permitted to take your entire "union agreed" four hours of downtime on the train, etc you are paid that time continuous to compensate you for your loss of rest. That doesn't happen very much while in route. Again you have to pace yourself to handle the long days, but if I can do it(I the the king of sleep), anyone can....LOL!

Los Angles eh?.... Well, LAX (that is their city code by the way) handles the OBS (on board service) component on the following long distance trains; the "Sunset Limited," "Coast Starlight," and the "Southwest Chief." They also handle a lot of the short haul jobs out there where OBS are necessary.

The "Starlight" is four day round trip for you to Seattle. The "Sunset" works out to be about a five day round trip for you out East to New Orleans. The "Chief" works out to be almost a six day round trip for you to Chicago. The "Sunset Limited" and the "Southwest Chief" jobs can get long towards the end of the trip as you sorta "watch the sun go up and go back down for a couple of days" while on those trains! Windy City LSA covers some of that in her posting up above. She has had to work on a couple of long jobs based out of Chicago many times. Continued good luck... we're here if you need to holler...

OBS gone freight....

Wow thank you so much. I am totally shocked that they can work me a 20 hour day and nopt pay overtime, for the other 12 hours. That doesn't seem fair at all.

Wow thank you so much. I am totally shocked that they can work me a 20 hour day and nopt pay overtime, for the other 12 hours. That doesn't seem fair at all.

I will earn 15 an hour, how much would you say your monthly/yearly take home pay was after taxes?

You are very welcome...

Well....you do get paid time and a half overtime, but it is after you pass 185 hours for the month, not after 8 per day or 40 per week. That is just the way it is set up in the union agreement for OBS jobs! They just can't pay it like most employers do. Some employers pay it by the 40 hour work week so after passing that it is time and a half. Others pay overtime on the time after an 8 hour day. Amtrak just can't do that or the cost of the OBS component itself would cost way more than it already does! OBS payroll costs as a whole in the entire system rank up there with the costs of lower management's payroll! But you will get overtime quite a bit! Especially with late trains and the fact there isn't always someone to replace you at the end of the month if they deem it necessary to leave you at home or send you home early. I made a lot of overtime in OBS at Amtrak. But I did stay on the road quite a bit, too (especially when when I was on the extra board)!

Keep in mind in LAX that $15 per hour is closer to the "getting by" standard in my opininion. Y'alls cost of living out there is astronomical. That same $15 per hour took overall good care of me down here in FL, but I didn't live in MIA for long because it is expensive to live there as well. I was making $17 per hour when I left, and I wasn't an LSA even. You'll get cost of living raises and a rate progression from 80% onwards as you work. LSAs get paid more after they are there a little while.

OBS gone freight....

very true, but i am single so 15 goes alot further. Also if i am going to be on the road alot i am sure i could figure out a cheaper apartment or room to rent.

What do you mean "there isn't always someone to replace you at the end of the month" do i work one month on one month off?

Also i have taken short trip trains before, could i be the guy in the snack bar(no resturant area), it doesn't look like he does much.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

What do you mean "there isn't always someone to replace you at the end of the month" do i work one month on one month off?
Also i have taken short trip trains before, could i be the guy in the snack bar(no resturant area), it doesn't look like he does much.

When you have too much overtime or even only attained your guarantee hours at the end of the month, and... if anyone else is available to work in place of you (whether they are on the extra board or not) the company can keep you home for the rest of the month, and ask that person who may have lower hours to fill your job or to be available on the extraboard to allow them hours in order to equalize out the hours to keep overtime under control. They are not going to allow you to work 280 hours in one month and have another employee work 145 hours for the month especially if there is enough time for an entire trip to be made! That way that person gets an oportunity to make up hours as well as the company has a chance to keep your overtime under control. But what I meant ealier by that statement is sometimes everyone has a lot of overtime or there may simply not be anyone available to replace you, and then company has no choice but to send you out on a job! In other words if you have 220 hours acrued for a particular month, then you already have 95 hours of overtime. If they let you start a six day trip with eighty something hours trip paid for that trip (that's time not counting late time claims or late night meal service, etc) with eight days left of the month, then you return with 300 or more hours for the entire month. But do the math...you would end up working that entire trip on overtime unless the new month started while you were on the road! In other words what I am trying to say is they do the best they can to keep overtime under control!

This is a full time job.... so unless you are furloughed (temporarily laid off) due to reduction in manpower, then you will not see a month off! Trust me!! They have this thing down to a science! I guess it would be safe to say in LAX, if you had a regular bulletined job (not the extra board) on one of the long distance trains, then you would work roughly a week and then be off a week. My friend who works out in LAX works the "Coast Starlight." She works four days on and five days off! She holds a regular TA (train attendant) job in the sleeper. The "Southwest Chief" has a longer schedule, and so they get a little more time off between trips. But the extra board, like I said earlier, can be a whole different ballgame.

To answer your last question regarding the snack bar man... you can work that job as a regular providing you have the seniority to hold it! Otherwise as an LSA you are trained to work in both the diner and the lounge (snack bar), and you have to be able to do both, because chances are very good you will be on the extra board. And you will have to work the job they call you for. Just for your information purposes, there is a lot of senior folks in LAX crewbase! Here at the freight railroad where I work, I have to deal with being rolled off my job by some of the "old heads" and haveing to bump into another job where I hold seniority on a fairly regular bases! I had to deal with the same at Amtrak during my first three years.

OBS gone freight....

 

[bonehead]

What do you mean "there isn't always someone to replace you at the end of the month" do i work one month on one month off?
Also i have taken short trip trains before, could i be the guy in the snack bar(no resturant area), it doesn't look like he does much.

When you have too much overtime or even only attained your guarantee hours at the end of the month, and... if anyone else is available to work in place of you (whether they are on the extra board or not) the company can keep you home for the rest of the month, and ask that person who may have lower hours to fill your job or to be available on the extraboard to allow them hours in order to equalize out the hours to keep overtime under control. They are not going to allow you to work 280 hours in one month and have another employee work 145 hours for the month especially if there is enough time for an entire trip to be made! That way that person gets an oportunity to make up hours as well as the company has a chance to keep your overtime under control. But what I meant ealier by that statement is sometimes everyone has a lot of overtime or there may simply not be anyone available to replace you, and then company has no choice but to send you out on a job! In other words if you have 220 hours acrued for a particular month, then you already have 95 hours of overtime. If they let you start a six day trip with eighty something hours trip paid for that trip (that's time not counting late time claims or late night meal service, etc) with eight days left of the month, then you return with 300 or more hours for the entire month. But do the math...you would end up working that entire trip on overtime unless the new month started while you were on the road! In other words what I am trying to say is they do the best they can to keep overtime under control!

This is a full time job.... so unless you are furloughed (temporarily laid off) due to reduction in manpower, then you will not see a month off! Trust me!! They have this thing down to a science! I guess it would be safe to say in LAX, if you had a regular bulletined job (not the extra board) on one of the long distance trains, then you would work roughly a week and then be off a week. My friend who works out in LAX works the "Coast Starlight." She works four days on and five days off! She holds a regular TA (train attendant) job in the sleeper. The "Southwest Chief" has a longer schedule, and so they get a little more time off between trips. But the extra board, like I said earlier, can be a whole different ballgame.

To answer your last question regarding the snack bar man... you can work that job as a regular providing you have the seniority to hold it! Otherwise as an LSA you are trained to work in both the diner and the lounge (snack bar), and you have to be able to do both, because chances are very good you will be on the extra board. And you will have to work the job they call you for. Just for your information purposes, there is a lot of senior folks in LAX crewbase! Here at the freight railroad where I work, I have to deal with being rolled off my job by some of the "old heads" and haveing to bump into another job where I hold seniority on a fairly regular bases! I had to deal with the same at Amtrak during my first three years.

OBS gone freight....

here is a link to the job i am applying for. it doesn't say i will be on the extra board

 

[Windy City LSA]

[here is a link to the job i am applying for. it doesn't say i will be on the extra board

Can't see the link.

I don't think it will necessarily specify that you'll be on the Extra Board. Trust OBS if he says there are many high senority folks out of LAX. I say go through the hiring process and see if you get through it. You'll find out early on if the new hires will be going on the Extra Board. All you have to do is ask the first person you speak to. They should know. There always is a possibility if they're that short handed that you could hold a regular job right away, but I'm thinking it's unlikely. Lets say even if you were fortunate enough to hold a regular job from the start. Luck could have it that somebody with more time than you could suddenly decide they want your job and bump you off it...just like that. Then you either have to find somebody with lower senority (whch is nobody when you're new!) and bump them or else it's back to the EB. Some people at some crewbases can literally spend years on the EB. So if you're not ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you could deal with the lack of a predictable schedule, long hours, and everything else that makes this a challenging job, this is probably not for you. There is no whining, complaining, or room for negotiation about these issues once you're in. You have to do it and shut up, basically...or leave. In my humble opinion, it's something you have to REALLY want to do, and be willing to just suck it up and do it regardless of the hours, schedule, working conditions, or anything else. From what OBS said, it sounds like there are only a hadful or less of trains that LAX crew handles. I think that's good. I think part of what was bad being based out of CHI was there were so many different trains to work!! You never knew where you'd go to next. Some people like that variety I suppose. I would have preferred holding a regular corridor cafe run. I would have stayed. But that's just me.

Oh...and don't be deceived by seeing a lounge attendendant seemingly doing nothing. There might be slow points throughout the day where you can sit and rest a bit. I found the beginning and end of the trips to be the most difficult...with the loading, unloading, and mountain of paperwork. It can be busy in the lounge at certain times throughout the day. And then there are the drunk or otherwise obnoxious passengers that hang out in the lower level lounge and bother you...but that's a subject for another thread. :lol:

 

[VentureForth]

Have they thought about modernizing the paperwork by substituting a lot of the paper work with a palm pilot or something similar?

 

[bonehead]

[here is a link to the job i am applying for. it doesn't say i will be on the extra board

Can't see the link.

I don't think it will necessarily specify that you'll be on the Extra Board. Trust OBS if he says there are many high senority folks out of LAX. I say go through the hiring process and see if you get through it. You'll find out early on if the new hires will be going on the Extra Board. All you have to do is ask the first person you speak to. They should know. There always is a possibility if they're that short handed that you could hold a regular job right away, but I'm thinking it's unlikely. Lets say even if you were fortunate enough to hold a regular job from the start. Luck could have it that somebody with more time than you could suddenly decide they want your job and bump you off it...just like that. Then you either have to find somebody with lower senority (whch is nobody when you're new!) and bump them or else it's back to the EB. Some people at some crewbases can literally spend years on the EB. So if you're not ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you could deal with the lack of a predictable schedule, long hours, and everything else that makes this a challenging job, this is probably not for you. There is no whining, complaining, or room for negotiation about these issues once you're in. You have to do it and shut up, basically...or leave. In my humble opinion, it's something you have to REALLY want to do, and be willing to just suck it up and do it regardless of the hours, schedule, working conditions, or anything else. From what OBS said, it sounds like there are only a hadful or less of trains that LAX crew handles. I think that's good. I think part of what was bad being based out of CHI was there were so many different trains to work!! You never knew where you'd go to next. Some people like that variety I suppose. I would have preferred holding a regular corridor cafe run. I would have stayed. But that's just me.

Oh...and don't be deceived by seeing a lounge attendendant seemingly doing nothing. There might be slow points throughout the day where you can sit and rest a bit. I found the beginning and end of the trips to be the most difficult...with the loading, unloading, and mountain of paperwork. It can be busy in the lounge at certain times throughout the day. And then there are the drunk or otherwise obnoxious passengers that hang out in the lower level lounge and bother you...but that's a subject for another thread. :lol:

You have all been so helpful, thank you.

I am going to apply Tuesday. Do you have any recommendations about what i should place in my cover letter?

After i submit it do you know how long i should wait for a reply?

 

[greatcats]

I am a former employee of New Jersey Transit, and spent many years as a crew dispatcher and the last six as a suburban ticket agent - I loved running a station. ( I don't get into why I left, other than to say that they stink. ) A few years later, I applied to Amtrak for a number of jobs. I flew on short notice once for a job hiring session in Eugene, Oregon for ticket office work - I would have killed for that job! I also drove to Chicago for an LSA session. You will notice that I am not not working any of these. Reading this interesting thread about the LSA job makes me realize that I am fortunate to not have been hired by Amtrak. I think those jobs would run me right into the ground. So, at the age of 56, I thank God that I work as a tour bus driver at Grand Canyon. I love what I do here and put myself into showing people this National Park, but I am not killing myself, and unless something goes sour here or I am offered some other fantastic opportunity, I will stay right here the rest of my working days. I do travel Amtrak on occasion, which I find interesting and ( mostly ) enjoyable, ( see Trip Report Williams Jct. AZ to San Francisco ) and have a trip planned for next May to travel to New York and back from Washington. But these onboard jobs that are described I am afraid would kill me! My praises go to those onboard folks who do a great job.

 

[greatcats]

Let me add something positive..........I had quite a few dealing with the Amtrak Human resource person in Seattle in 2004 and 2005, Barbara Wu. She was always very professional and considerate of me.

 

[bonehead]

I am a former employee of New Jersey Transit, and spent many years as a crew dispatcher and the last six as a suburban ticket agent - I loved running a station. ( I don't get into why I left, other than to say that they stink. ) A few years later, I applied to Amtrak for a number of jobs. I flew on short notice once for a job hiring session in Eugene, Oregon for ticket office work - I would have killed for that job! I also drove to Chicago for an LSA session. You will notice that I am not not working any of these. Reading this interesting thread about the LSA job makes me realize that I am fortunate to not have been hired by Amtrak. I think those jobs would run me right into the ground. So, at the age of 56, I thank God that I work as a tour bus driver at Grand Canyon. I love what I do here and put myself into showing people this National Park, but I am not killing myself, and unless something goes sour here or I am offered some other fantastic opportunity, I will stay right here the rest of my working days. I do travel Amtrak on occasion, which I find interesting and ( mostly ) enjoyable, ( see Trip Report Williams Jct. AZ to San Francisco ) and have a trip planned for next May to travel to New York and back from Washington. But these onboard jobs that are described I am afraid would kill me! My praises go to those onboard folks who do a great job.

I just submitted my application!!! When asked me to do it by email. On another page i was given a mailing address, do you think i should send in a printed versoion too?

I had to download a form and fill out my employment history, then there was a blank section were i was to describe why i would be good at the job. I am what i wrote, I would love to hear any opinions:

I am responding to the Lead Service Attendant job offered by Amtrak on its website. I believe I am well suited for employment in this field of customer service. Previous jobs, education and personality have prepared me to manage and direct workers in this field. I am exceptionally good at interacting with both patrons and coworkers in a business environment. I possess the physical strength and determination to solve any problems that might occur in this work environment. I am confident you will find my abilities meet and exceed all this positions requirements

I have extensive real world experience in the service industry. In the past I have been employed in numerous service oriented industries. Four of my previous jobs required work that was very similar to the duties preformed by a Lead Service Attendant. While working at a theme park and later a photo studio, one of my chief duties was selling products, keeping track of large sums of cash, and insuring customer satisfaction. During a single day at the theme park I was responsible for accurately keeping track of sums in excess of $3,000, while at the same time rapidly assisting customers with questions and requests. I was employed in the theme park for over one year and was never cited for inaccurately accounting for funds. While employed at the photo studio I was trained to work the register, process credit card payments, authenticate checks, and recruit new business. I received two commendations at this job, for excellent customer service and personally making over half the store's sales in one day.

My excellent customer service skills were used while implementing my duties as a computer lab assistant. There were typically 200 students in this computer lab and only two assistants on duty at any one time. I was required to assist many people at once, so no single guest would be forced to wait a long period for help. I made it a point to work with the person until I solved their problem, unlike some of my coworkers who were inclined to give up and leave the person to their own devices. I was thanked many times for my determination, attentiveness, and problem solving abilities. One time, of particular note, I recovered a woman’s paper from a damaged floppy after one of my co workers gave up; the woman was so grateful she said she would name her first child after me.

Though I only worked at a supermarket for a short time, my experience there acquainted me with the food industry. I was involved in many aspects of the store’s operation. The general nature of my duties revolved around presenting a clean and ordered environment in the store. I had to make sure that the shelves were restocked and that items were in their proper places. I had to take inventory and tell supervisors what needed to be reordered. I also washed floors, scrubbed sinks and mixed salads in the deli department.

As a result of my studies in the field of history, I have exceptional analytical, verbal and writing skills, which enhance my

abilities to communicate effectively in all kinds of situations. During my education I had to write numerous analytical essays on historical events, and lecture to the class. My education allowed me to refine my problem solving, organizational, and study skills, so now I possess the ability to solve all types of problems that may arise in the execution of my duties, including the unexpected.

I have a long standing fascination with trains; and I briefly entertained the idea of studying trains in a historical setting. Furthermore, I also desire to travel, and see the nation I have learned about, which this position would allow me to do. I see this opportunity as a potential enrichment of my life. In addition, my enthusiasm for this position will make me an excellent member of the Amtrak team. I look forward to working for Amtrak.

 

[sportbiker]

At LAX, is there a separation between the LD crews and the Surfliner crews, or is everyone in one big pot divvying it up based on seniority and position on the board? Also, out of curiosity, can one hire on specifically for corridor work excluding LD runs?

 

[greatcats]

Bonehead - I wish you the very best. I spoke of my own experience, and being somewhat older, don't think I could handle the job that the LSA demands. You may indeed be an excellent candidate. As for me, I'll stick to being a tour bus driver, and I seem to do that well! Frankly, I am now glad that i am no longer a railroader.

 

[greatcats]

Also, I would not bother sending in a written application if you have sent it by Email. That should suffice.