Anybody work in the railroad industry?

[NikT]

I work for the railroad and am getting ready to take the PE. My experience is in a little structural (use to work in structures design) and a little transportation. With my career gearing towards the railroad, what subject of the PE is more recommended for me to take?

 

[Mark Leyner]

I spent two year at UP in their bridge design group. I took the Civil/Structural PE but most of the engineers elected to take the Civil/Transportation. I came from a structural background, so there was never any doubt about which exam I wanted to take. However, it seemed like most of the engineers at the UP opted to take the Transportation PM. I understood that most of them felt the Transpo PM was easier than the Structural PM - at least, based on their background.

Honestly, the PE doesn't mean much at UP. Nearly 100% of the design work is contracted to consultants, so the engineering roles are primarily project management roles. If your on the consulting side, the PE is probably more meaningful and likely to be used. Your role in the consulting organization and your career plans should inform you as to which exam to take. i.e. - if you want to be in structures design, take the structural, if you want to be in track design, take the transportation. There are also geographic considerations - I ended up sitting for the Illinois SE because of their title act and the fact that UP has track throughout IL. If you're doing work for a railroad that operates in states where the difference between a Civil/Structural PE and a Civil/Transportation PE is meaningful, investigate the differences to inform your decision. To be honest, I'm not sure that distinction exists in any state, but it's something to consider.

Finally, if you just need the title to qualify for a raise or promotion and it's clear that you won't be using the PE, the safe play is probably to evaluate which exam you are more comfortable taking and go that route. Let me know if you have any other questions - either here or through PM.

 

[NikT]

I spent two year at UP in their bridge design group. I took the Civil/Structural PE but most of the engineers elected to take the Civil/Transportation. I came from a structural background, so there was never any doubt about which exam I wanted to take. However, it seemed like most of the engineers at the UP opted to take the Transportation PM. I understood that most of them felt the Transpo PM was easier than the Structural PM - at least, based on their background.

Honestly, the PE doesn't mean much at UP. Nearly 100% of the design work is contracted to consultants, so the engineering roles are primarily project management roles. If your on the consulting side, the PE is probably more meaningful and likely to be used. Your role in the consulting organization and your career plans should inform you as to which exam to take. i.e. - if you want to be in structures design, take the structural, if you want to be in track design, take the transportation. There are also geographic considerations - I ended up sitting for the Illinois SE because of their title act and the fact that UP has track throughout IL. If you're doing work for a railroad that operates in states where the difference between a Civil/Structural PE and a Civil/Transportation PE is meaningful, investigate the differences to inform your decision. To be honest, I'm not sure that distinction exists in any state, but it's something to consider.

Finally, if you just need the title to qualify for a raise or promotion and it's clear that you won't be using the PE, the safe play is probably to evaluate which exam you are more comfortable taking and go that route. Let me know if you have any other questions - either here or through PM.

Thanks for the advice!

I am working directly with the company and not on the consulting side, yet. I do feel as though I should get my PE in case I want to spread my wings. Right now I am in a project management role (Roadmaster) which means a PE = a nice accomplishment but I will never use it if I stay this route. I am interested in bridge design more than track design; I guess the structural PM is the way to go. Plus it may open more doors for me in the future.

@Mark Leyner how did you study for the structural PE? Did you take a class, if so which one? Or did you study on your own?

 

[Mark Leyner]

My preparation for the Civil/Structural PE was pretty simple...I collected my references and took the NCEES Sample Examination in "exam-like" conditions. I scored well-enough on the sample exam that I didn't bother to do any more preparatory work for the exam and I passed it. I'm not necessarily recommending this approach, but it's the honest answer to your question. I took a differenct approach to prepare for the SE exam, I've made other posts on this board referencing both exams, let me know if you can't find what you're looking for.

Other than most of the reference codes, I took a mechanics of materials text, PCA Notes, the CERM, and the SERM. The CERM was useful for the AM PE, the SERM was more useful for the PM PE.