Car Mechanic, Railway (048) Enlisted Personnel

Performs various types of mechanical repair work in a military railway repair shop on freight and passenger cars in connection with the maintenance of railway rolling stock.
Repairs or replaces broken or defective parts of railway cars, including under frames, wheel trucks, couplers, and draft gears. Performs such operations as cutting, drilling, reaming, riveting, and calking. Straightens, reinforces, and repairs car frames and members. Inspects and packs car journals. Inspects and repairs or replaces air brakes and air brake operating equopment.
Equipment includes air hammer, air drill, air jack, and drill bits. Drill bits include punches, reamers, and rivet dies and tongs; lay-out tools such as straight edge, rule, dividers, scribers, and squares. Operates such machine tools as drill press, metal punch, power shears, emery wheel, and hydraulic press.
Must be able to work from blueprints and written or oral specifications. Must have knowledge of the principles of railway car design and construction and operation of the various parts.

Alternate nomenclatures:

• Airbrake Mechanic
• Brake Inspector, Railway Car
• Foreman, Car Mechanic
• Railway Mechanic, General