[9YearLurker]

There is no reason to believe that there was anything outwardly unqualified about this guy—he was a college grad and he went the preferred route of working in the railway environment for years before becoming a conductor.

Likewise, there is nothing to suggest that he was given preference in hiring due to being gay.

[Mr. K]

What is the average age of someone promoted to engineer?

[Political Junkie Too]

he was a college grad and he went the preferred route of working in the railway environment for years before becoming a conductor

Maybe you meant to say engineer?

From his own LinkedIn page, he went straight from college (BSBA in Business Administration, General) to being a conductor. Four and a half years later, he became an engineer.

-PJ