PLAN No. 984. THE BOILERMAKER
The boilermaker keeps in repair the locomotive and stationary boilers of the railroad. He must be able to retube, patch, overhaul, and construct boilers. Ordinarily his heaviest duties are to remove old leaky tubes from boilers and place in new ones, and to patch up or even renew the fireboxes. However, wrecks frequently cause him to take boilers apart and put in new pieces, so that he almost reconstructs the boiler. He must be able to read blue prints and use templates in laying off plates and angles. He must know how to punch, shear, and rivet the parts, and calk the boilers, and how to weld or cut pieces with an oxy-acetylene torch. The work is heavy and dirty, but good hearing is not essential and the loss of an eye is not a serious handicap. The boilermaker must, however, have strength and the use of both hands, although he may have lost a finger or two from either hand.
The work and qualifications of the steel-car repairer are not radically different from those of the boiler maker. The metal-car repair man also must be able to drill or punch holes, to cut out broken parts of metal, replace them with new ones, and rivet them in, but his work is not so technical as that of the boiler-maker.
PLAN No. 985. THE ELECTRICIAN
With the installation of electric headlights and electrically lighted passenger cars the electrician’s duties in repair shops have increased greatly in recent years. He must keep in repair the dynamos on locomotives and the dynamos and storage batteries on passenger cars. The growing use of the electric locomotive means that the demand for railway electricians is sure to increase. Repair of motors for these as well as for electric cranes used in a number of shops calls for armature winders in increasing numbers. Both technical knowledge and manipulative skill are required, but ordinarily the work is not heavy. Disabled men with good eyesight in one eye, with two arms and one good hand, who are able to move about easily, could do the work.
PLAN No. 986. INSPECTORS
Inspectors of boilers and of other parts of locomotives, and of the metal parts of cars, must know thoroughly the parts to be inspected. Usually they have had considerable experience in the repair of these parts. Frequently they must help to make the repair or must supervise the work when they find a minor defect in railway equipment at a location not convenient to the shop.
PLAN No. 987. CAR REPAIRMEN
Repairing or rebuilding of wooden cars is done by car builders or repairmen and painters. It is largely carpenter work. These men must be able to remove any broken or damaged piece of a car, replace it with a new piece, and paint or varnish it. The builders or repairmen must be thoroughly skilled in the use of all hand carpentry tools and be able to use readily any of the woodworking machinery necessary to produce car parts. On passenger-car work, the repaired part must be finished nicely, and the whole painted or varnished so that the repair is not obvious. No such care is required for work on freight cars.
In addition to the men who work regularly in the shop, there are a number of men who must travel over the road and keep mechanical or electrical equipment in working order. These men must all have mechanical ability. Ordinarily, they must be physically sound, since they are exposed to weather and to danger from trains. Among these men are signal and interlocking maintainers, and signal inspectors. They must have both mechanical and electrical knowledge.