interview:
The person I interviewed was one of my neighbors from my apartment building. His name is Allen Friedrich, and he works for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He works as an engineer and transports goods all over the world. questions:
- Can you explain your roles and responsibilities with your current position?
- What obstacles have you faced to get you where you are today?
- What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?
- Why are you passionate about your job or role?
- How many types of trains do you know?
- Do you drive locomotives and where do you drive them?
Allen’s answers:
1. I have been a locomotive engineer for the last 32 years for a company called CN Rail.
I am responsible for the safe movement of trains in the GVT (Greater Vancouver Terminal).
- My career has monopolized my social life. It causes a very crazy lifestyle due to working on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year. When the phone rings I can be gone on a road trip for up to 36 hours away from my family, friends and pets.
- This career allows for steady long term family providing income (pays well), pension, some health benefits for entire family and the ability to transfer from Vancouver to Thunder Bay without loss of seniority.
4.The truth of the matter is Driving Trains is a super cool job but not for the weak of heart. When accidents do happen they happen big and can be life changing.
5. 95 percent of the trains we typically drive are freight. Only 5 percent are passenger. I have been in charge of a train that carries every type of commodity. Coal. potash, Sulphur, mixed freight, containers, dangerous goods and grain are all examples of what we carry.
6. Right now, I work a regular YARD job based on my 32-year seniority. I start my daily train in West Vancouver and take it to Thornton yard which is located under the Port Mann Bridge in Surrey BC. My start time is 9:05am and the assignment is required regular overtime to complete our tour of duty. I get 2 assigned days (Friday and Saturday) off but can work overtime shifts almost any day I would like. The ROAD jobs typically run trains from the South shore (West Van or North Van) or Downtown Vancouver to either CP Coquitlam Yard or Thornton Yard in Surrey and then onward to Boston Bar, BC. We then stay at a bunkhouse and sleep for 8 to 14 hours. We are required to be rested to bring a train back home to any of those locations stated earlier.