An introduction is in order..................

[RRmech]

Hello people.....first post here.
I retired in 2008, after working most of my life, as a train mechanic.
A lifelong tool junkie/collector, I used much of my tool collection "on the job", much to the amusement of my co-workers.
Despite the hazing at work, not one of those vintage, American made tools failed to perform.
I LOVE being retired!
I putz around with an old 1981 Yamaha XJ750 Seca, play guitar, work on my race car (heavily modded 1991 Mitsu Turbo), and generally torment my son at his auto repair garage.
All-in-all, I'm glad to be here, and hope I can contribute in some way.

Steve :)

[tatra]

welcome and this place will be just the place for you:beer:
were you a locomotive [machinst]or car mechanic [carman]?
machinist myself and all my tools are supplied............keep the good stuff for at home.........

[goodfellow]

Welcome -- Glad to have you join the GJ forum. Always good to have a different mechanical perspective from someone who's actually worked in the RR industry.

I'm sure we'd all love to see some pics of the vintage tool collection.:bounce:

[tatra]

wth goodfellow? what am i? chopped liver?:lol_hitti

[Major Ramifications]

Welcome!
But quit talking about how great retirement is!:) The way my IRA is looking, I will be working for some time to come.

Have you ever seen a train locomotive do a burnout?

[RRmech]

I spent most of my years in Traction Motor Shop.
We would troubleshoot, tear down, steam clean, rewind (if needed), cut & balance, rebuild, and test electric traction motors.
The company supplied the large 3/4 drive tools and such.
But the rest was on our dime.

Steve

[zuspiel]

Welcome to your new home, RRmech! :beer:

[tatra]

rrmech.......spent time in there myself...........only on emd trac motors.......couldn't stand the smell of the shellac or whatever they use to coat the componenets..............although when a motor would blow on the test stand, knda cool as long as i wasn't in the immediate vicinity..........with all the new apprentices and their facial jewllery i have a good time warning them to watch out for the inevitable electormagnet the main gen or traction motors turn into upon failure and can pull the metal outta their ears and tounges...........the look is priceless...........:lol_hitti

[RRmech]

We were not even allowed to wear our wedding rings.
Still.....accidents happened.

Steve

[RRmech]

When I first started working there, most of the mechanics were retired ex-military aviation mechanics.
Not surprising, considering the original General Manager, was an ex-Air Force aviation mechanic himself.
Real top-shelf talent back then.....but by the early 2000's?
Too many kids with NO experience.
Glad I got out when I did.

Steve

[KCarGuy]

is the Yamaha 750 Seca the turbo bike? Or was it the 650?
Welcome and enjoy retirement.

[tatra]

gotta say except for the odd one, the new batch are ok.........actually enjoying work again passing on what i have learned, albeit that take a day or so............nayways, i'm sure you'll enjoy the board.........and maybe get your son on here, a few shop owners on here as well.........

[Danglerb]

Trained mechanic eh? Welcome to the forum. We live on pictures, so post some of neat tools soon.

Retirement, not in the cards for my generation. Stopping working is great, but not getting idle.

[RRmech]

The 650 was the turbo.....only 1500 ever made.....in 1982.
One of my co-workers owned one.
Scary fast.....but the turbo was always problematic on that bike.
My non-turbo 750 has been surprisingly trouble free....I LOVE the shaft drive.....no stinkin' chain to mess with!

We has a LOT of problems with the younger mechanics.
Federal regs REQUIRE drug testing in the transportation industry.
So guess what age group had the highest incidents of testing positive?
Kinda of a pain to train someone to cut and balance armatures.....only to have them go out on a 6 month drug suspension.

My son's shop is doing pretty good.
He does mostly repairs and mods on Japanese sport cars.
With a waiting list as long as my arm.....he ain't hurting for business.

Steve

[KCarGuy]

A buddy of mine had the Seca 650 turbo...3 really...all silver (I think thats the only color they came in). We painted his last one Black with the silver stripe. he hated when the turbo kicked in, in the middle of a fast hard turn. Always caught him off guard.
I had purchased a 85 V-max at that time (1st one out).
Now that was CCCCrazy Fast! Pulled hard through the entire RPM band, and then some.
Traded it 5 years later for a 1960 corvette (in Boxes).
Still miss that Beast!

And your right, it seems, that in all service industries, finding a guy that can pass a drug test these days is hard...Our company even warns them 4-5 weeks in advance. Yet still, my boss has to go through the interview process for at least 10 months to find someone who will pass....I dont get it!

[mkdive]

Welcome!! :beer:

[vc-onthepc]

welcome ... always thought this board needed more fellow marylanders !

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Good to have you aboard. :)

[voidifused]

Welcome to the board, hope you enjoy you're time going mad here along with the rest of us. Also let me not be the first or last to demand pictures of your "Year's of collecting" :bounce:

[Coach James]

Welcome!

Coach

[ImportTuner]

Welcome .. glad to hear someone is happy being retired :)

[fatfillup]

rrmech, welcome and enjoy. I do business with your employer if it was csx in cumberland. Yes we want pics. PM sent.

[T56 Impala]

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your stay. (I'm retired too.)

[Major Ramifications]

Welcome again! I am still wondering if any of you railroad guys have seen a locomotive do a burnout. I imagine there would be a lot of sparks.

[RRmech]

The best spark display I ever saw, was when one of the electric traction motors, was mis-wired, and ran backwards compared to the others.
It sparked and screeched like a grinding wheel, all the way out of the car barn.
Guys were running down the track trying to get the oblivious train operator to stop.

Steve

[Major Ramifications]

Hilarious! I guess the guy responsible for that never heard the end of it!

[tatra]

rrmech, was the wheelslip not hooked up?..........usually you just get a ground fault don't you?..........there is a pic floating around on the net that shows the rails melted right down to the ties on the net...........most equipment we work on has wheel slip protection which is basically traction control..........wheels start to slip and power to that traction motor is reduced or sand is added to that axle at the wheels for traction..........not an electrician but there are some on here that could clarify the subject at hand..........

[RRmech]

We have wheel slip protection too.
But that train could have been in the shop for anything?
The wheel slip protection could have been disabled?
Generally, when we are so short on cars, we can't make revenue.
The "hanger queens" are moved out to the yard, so a "quick turn around" can be brought in and worked.
Then when work gets slow again, the yard dogs are moved back into the shop for additional work.

Steve