I have allowed your post to occupy some of my thoughts for the last couple days, and finally decided to post myself, possibly to make "me" feel better as well. You've received some kind and helpful responses.
I very well understand your position, as I grew up one mile from the world's largest railroad yard. Obviously I have family employed there. The other half of my family are lifelong teachers. Husband's family is career military. I am none of the above.
Perception and perspective are interesting things. You are young. What else are you qualified to do? What options do you have? If those are plentiful, all right. So, you have a good paying job with great benefits and a family who loves you. You get to purchase, support and enjoy your dogs.
Within our household, a family member had a similar job as yours, in a strikingly similar disciplinary situation (which is amazingly common in the rr, btw). He left, fighting everything the whole way, pretty much like you. Eventually got another job, which he did very well at. And left it again after a few great years, ticked at politics and management. Now has another job.....I'll let you fill in the repetition. I've been blessed to have good jobs, but with crappy job security. On, off. Great when I can work. Unbelievable stress when I'm laid off and desperate to find a way to pay for my kids, expensive hobbies, and wherever in life significant other happens to be at.
Life is what you make of it. Have you ever looked around and noticed a little, wrinkled up couple who can barely walk anymore, but they look so happy? I don't think it was because she was a gorgeous knock out babe with a 26" waist. Don't think he was 6'3, tall dark and handsome with abs that belong on the commercials for work out equipment. I also don't think it was because they worked easy, intellectually stimulating, no stress, fun jobs that paid well and were always there for them, irregardless of the economy and drought.
I'm not anywhere near being able to retire either. And I pray to keep my job every year, because every year it is in danger -- no fault of mine. I provide the insurance, and also just signed Fed Ex for 32 pounds of shotgun shells that aren't for me. (Although I'll handle my dogs, thank you.) I know what it's like to be down in the dumps, even ready to hang up life's towel. It's really tough at times, but I've made choices to have people and animals who rely on me to be there. That was probably glamorous the day it happened. The shine can come off when times are difficult, but I guess I have to ball up and make things happen. Nobody else is going to do it for me.
At one point, we even ran up a lot of credit card debt. (Guess you can figure out when that was.) It took quite a while to pay off. I made the security page say "go to work" to remind myself every month when I scraped to pay the bill what I should be doing and what put us in that spot. That's a true story, btw. Now, thanks for my own rant. Guess where I'm pleased to be going------