Correct job title of the person in charge of locomotive Machine Shop
From: "Hans-Jörg Siepert" hans-siepert@online.de
Subject: Name of Machine Shop
Subject: Name of Machine Shop
I have visited [your] nice homepage and would have another two questions which they can maybe answer.
I search the name with the railroads of the USA for "Bahnbetriebswerk" (Germany) or "Railway centre" (Great Britian).
I found on the web page of the UPRR the name " Machine of shop ", is in order.
In addition, which official name the boss of such an arrangement. In Germany these persons "Lokomotivbetriebsinspektor" were called.
How is this person called with the Railroads of the USA ?
I have liked their web page with many photos very well and I drop by with pleasure once again. ...
—Hans-J. Siepert
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 9:46 AM
7 Comments:
From: "Tom De Fazio"
Re: Lokomotivbetriebsinspektor...
A free translation of "lokomotivbetriebsinspektor" into English might be "locomotive works inspector." This may be applied to either a manufacturing shop or a repair shop. On some RR's, manufacturing shops and repair shops were the same – Juniata at Altoona on the PRR, Reading on the P&R, for example. In North America, through the mid-20th century, a foreman was generally responsible for the quality of the work done by craftsmen and workers under his purview. Locomotive work may have been the product of several shops – a machine shop, a boiler shop, and a pipe shop, say. A shop foreman or a shop manager would be responsible for the final product. ...
—Tom De Fazio
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
I believe that Hans may be asking about – if he is referring to the diesel shop – either the shop superintendent or the maintenance/mechancial foreman.
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
From: "Seth Bramson"
He might also be referring to the Chief Mechanical Officer.
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
From: "Kent Loudon"
Do you want the words used in English for railroad repair facilities?
The British use the term "workshops," but in the US we simply call them "shops." This can be prefixed by "locomotive," "car" (British: "carriage"), and also "repair," or other words depending on their use.
In the US, the person in charge of such shops would most likely be a "superintendant" or "foreman".
—Kent
From: "Dick Dawson"
I think the real key to answering this question is what the duties were (are) of the German official of which Mr. Siepert is trying to find the American equivalent. If we are talking about the head of a locomotive repair shop, the most common title would be Shop Superintendent. If we are talking about the person responsible for car and locomotive maintenance of a division, the traditional title was Master Mechanic. I have often seen Division Mechanical Officer used. For large railroads divided into regions, each having several divisions, the title was Regional Mechanical Superintendent on the Pennsylvania and Penn Central. The equivalent title on the pre-merger New York Central was District Mechanical Superintendent. As Seth indicated, the traditional title for the head of the mechanical department for an entire railroad was Chief Mechanical Officer, although these days you often see Vice President Mechanical or something like that. Title inflation has reached the railroads as well as other businesses.
—Dick Dawson
From: "Matoff, Tom"
Subject: German-American Railroad Terminology
Regarding the inquiry from Hans-Jörg Siepert regarding German-English railroad terminology:
1. The UIC General Railway Dictionary (1988 edition) translates "Bahnbetriebswerk" as "motive power depot" or "running (engine) shed."
2. Official name (of) the boss in the USA of such an arrangement..in Germany these persons were called "Lokomotivbetriebsinspektor"?
Unfortunately, this term is missing from the German index of the Dictionary - perhaps "Chief Mechanical Officer" is closest? ...
—Tom Matoff
[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]
From: "Matoff, Tom"
Subject: Bahnbetriebswerk; Lokomotivbetriebsinspektor....?
From my Swiss colleague (originally from Schaffhausen) -
> There is a big difference in Swiss German and High German for these
> words. Therefore my suggestion might not be absolutely correct.
>
> 1. Bahnbetriebswerk
> I think this is what we call in Switzerland the Depot and therefore I
> would use the same term in English (locomotive depot) or perhaps just
> locomotive shop.
>
> 2. Lokomotivebetriebsinspektor
> In Switzerland we would call this person "Depot Chef". Maybe a term
> Depot Chief Officer could be used???
>
-------------------
By "depot" I think we mean engine terminal or engine house here, rather than a passenger "depot."
—Tom Matoff
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