All of these comments are "spot on". Especially the fact that you have to leave your "foaming" interests behind when you are working. Shortlines may be a bit more lenient (they also generally pay less), but you still have to follow the rules and be able to work SAFELY! Many railfans have discovered the hard way that, what they thought was their dream job was really the job from HELL!

Be REAL CAREFUL what you post on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and blogs (Altamont Press, T.O., etc) as management does read these and draws conclusions from what they read. Pictures showing obvious rule violations are a big no-no!

I know of one case of a young man who had worked for two class 1 railroads, then was hired by a regional. He seemed to be getting along well, but apparently expressed his dislike about some aspects of his training. One day, while still on probation, when he completed a routine run he was called in by the Trainmaster and was summarily dismissed with no explanation offered at all. I would guess that negative opinions or comments were overheard by somebody in power.

Most employers use the probationary period to weed out those who they believe will not be a good fit for the long haul.

Never forget --- one screw-up can get you, your fellow employees, or John Q. Public killed or seriously injured, and cost the railroad millions! I have heard that Hulcher doesn't roll to your derailment unless they have a deposit for $25k in hand! That is the minimum and it goes up from there.

Keeping your mouth shut (S.T.F.U.P.) is always good advice. Good and well thought out questions are usually welcome, but THINK before you SPEAK!

Lastly, when you put something in writing, pay attention to grammar and spelling. People do notice obvious errors. Preview your comments and make appropriate changes before you hit "send" or "save". I have already made over a dozen changes to this diatribe; three to this sentence alone!

When speaking don't use what Judge Judy calls "filler words". Current popular examples: "like", "you know", "ah" --- you get my drift. Media interviews with sports stars are full of this stuff.

We have a few applicable sayings on our railroad:
1) It was a good run if everything stayed on the track and nobody got hurt.
2) It's always something.
3) Expect the unexpected.

I do tend to ramble. Sorry!