A professional who repairs and rebuilds railway freight cars, tank cars, or locomotives, following federal and company regulations and specifications and using handtools, power tools, welding equipment, and measuring instruments. Respnsibilities include:

• Removes and inspects locomotive or car units, such as wheels, truck and brake assemblies, side posts, air cylinders, reservoirs and valves, side and roof sections, and coupler assemblies, using pneumatic hoist and jack, pinch bar, handtools, and cutting torch.
• Disassembles roller bearings, using jacks, blocks, and frames.
• Examines bearings, gaskets, and seals for defects, such as scratches, chips, and excessive wear.
• Replaces defective parts and reassembles roller bearings.
• Measures diameter of axle wheel seats, using micrometer, and marks dimensions on axle for subsequent boring of wheels to specified press fit dimensions.
• Repairs wooden sections, such as flooring and interior walls.
• Repairs or replaces steel sections, such as side posts, rafters, crossties, panels, underframing, and piping, using welding torch, power wrench, and plumber's tools.
• Assembles repaired or replaced units to rebuild locomotive or car.
• Positions width gauge between car sides, clamps turnbuckle ends to top of each side, and twists turnbuckle, using wrench, until sides are pressed against gauge to align sides for installation of car ends and crossties.
• May be designated according to type of car repaired as tank-car repairer.
• May be known according to specific tasks performed as car straightener; wheel fitter.