Rail Car Repairers
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.
Sample of reported job titles:
Freight Maintenance Specialist, Locomotive Repairman, Rail Car Maintenance Mechanic, Rail Car Mechanic, Rail Car Repairer, Rail Car Repairman, Rail Car Sandblaster, Rail Car Welder, Railroad Car Repairman, Train Car Repairman
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Repair or replace defective or worn parts such as bearings, pistons, and gears, using hand tools, torque wrenches, power tools, and welding equipment.
- Test units for operability before and after repairs.
- Record conditions of cars, and repair and maintenance work performed or to be performed.
- Remove locomotives, car mechanical units, or other components, using pneumatic hoists and jacks, pinch bars, hand tools, and cutting torches.
- Inspect components such as bearings, seals, gaskets, wheels, and coupler assemblies to determine if repairs are needed.
Technology Skills
- Accounting software:RailTech Software Systems Mars for the 21st Century
- Data base user interface and query software:WheelShop Automation.com Wheel Shop Management Suite
- Document management software:Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Internet browser software:Microsoft Internet Explorer,Mozilla Firefox
- Inventory management software:RailTech Software Solutions Rail 21 Management System
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials:Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment:Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
- Handling and Moving Objects:Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Detailed Work Activities
- Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
- Align equipment or machinery.
- Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.
- Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
- Fabricate parts or components.
Work Context
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls:89% responded"Continually or almost continually"
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets:89% responded"Every day"
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled:82% responded"Every day"
- Exposed to Contaminants:72% responded"Every day"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:70% responded"Every day"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Repairing:Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting:Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance:Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Operations Monitoring:Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Knowledge
- Mechanical:Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- Production and Processing:Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
- Design:Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Administration and Management:Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Building and Construction:Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 61%High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
- 38%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Arm-Hand Steadiness:The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Control Precision:The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Manual Dexterity:The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Multilimb Coordination:The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
- Finger Dexterity:The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Interests
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Work Values
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Working Conditions:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
- Independence:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Work Styles
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Adaptability/Flexibility:Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Independence:Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Innovation:Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
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