Engineering department.
Building department.
Each of these departments has its executive head, its subordinate officers, and its workmen and mechanics.
Power Department
The power department is responsible for production of electrical energy required for operation. It is directed by an engineer of power. The duties of the department and of the men employed in it are practically identical with those of the power department of an electric-light and power company, which have been already discussed.
Mechanical Department
A master mechanic directs the mechanical department of a street-railway company. This department repairs and may build cars used on the system of which there may be a number of types, including passenger cars of several designs, mail cars, baggage cars, and work cars used by the maintenance department. For the repair and construction of this equipment there are required, in addition to the electricians, woodworkers, sheet metal men, machinists, pipe fitters, welders, pattern makers, blacksmiths, and painters.
A street railway electrical shop has duties rather different from those of the usual repair shop. Most of the repairs are on motors of a very few sizes. Furthermore, nearly all are series wound and are for operation on direct current of 600 volts. Much of the work comprises the rewinding of armatures. Burned out copper coils are stripped from the core, and the slots are prepared for new coils. These are placed in a proper sequence and the free ends are soldered to the commutator bars. Next, band wires which maintain the coils in position are wound on. Then the armature is mounted in a lathe where the commutator is turned down and finished ready for operation.
PLAN No. 1211. ARMATURE REPAIRING—MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Armature repairing is done with the armature held in a rack about the height of an ordinary workbench. Thus the armature winder is required to stand while working, sometimes for considerable periods. It is essential that he have good feet and legs. It is also necessary that he have the use of most of his fingers. Repairing an armature requires only a few new coils in skilled work. On the other hand, much of the work in armature repairing is of a routine character. Hence a man of little experience can do the work under direction of a journeyman. It will always pay a person who contemplates following armature winding as a vocation, to take a short electrical course before he engages in the actual work. A beginner at armature winding will receive from $50 to $80, an expert may expect $75 to $150, and a foreman or chief $125 to $200 per month. The work is all indoors with an 8 or 9 hour day.