Roll With Us: Train Car Mechanics keep BART trains on the go
BART is hiring for Train Car Mechanics. Salaries start at $38 an hour and go up to $50 and include premier benefits. For more information, visit bart.gov/jobs and search for “Transit Vehicle Mechanic.” Train Car Mechanics must possess a high school diploma, GED, or recognized equivalent.
At BART’s Hayward Shop on any given weekday, you may notice a man with a feather in his hardhat. That would be Brandon Nicolas: Train Car Mechanic.
As a Train Car Mechanic at BART, Nicolas is living out many little kids’ dreams: working on cutting-edge, fast-on-the-track train cars that weigh more than three full-grown elephants.
Softspoken Nicolas enjoys the job because he gets to think on his feet and troubleshoot. He takes great pride in knowing mechanics like him are keeping the trains – and the passengers they carry – moving.
“I like my work because I can work with my hands and be around professional mechanics,” Nicolas said. “And I don’t have to deal with the public.” Let’s face it, Station Agent isn’t in everyone’s cards.
Nicolas recently stopped to chat during a shift break from “move crew,” the team that carefully maneuvers cars around the shop to position them for maintenance work. When he’s not on move crew, Nicolas might be found taking a wrench to a car’s air conditioning system or in the pit changing a vehicle’s oil. Train Car Mechanics like Nicolas are responsible for troubleshooting issues on train cars and fixing them. Their hands touch everything from the doors and windows to the brakes and traction motors (the electric motor that rotates the wheels on the train).
Coming to BART seven years ago from aviation, Nicolas said he still has much to learn as a Train Car Mechanic. He said there’s always something new to learn – including, recently, an entirely new train (BART’s Fleet of the Future).
“The nice thing about working in a professional environment is you can go to other people for help if you need,” Nicolas said, adding that he often asks his coworkers for support on a tricky job.
One of the coolest aspects of the career is the variety of systems found on each car – hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical. Nicolas said this makes the Train Car Mechanic career different from, say, an auto mechanic’s work.
“It keeps the job interesting,” he said.
In addition to troubleshooting and conducting repairs, Nicolas said he also performs preventative maintenance on the cars “so they’re mechanically safe and reliable for the public.” Keeping the Bay Area moving is his bread and butter, and he takes great pride in that.
Said Nicolas: “I love doing what I do.”
To learn more about careers at BART visit bart.gov/jobs. Roll with us.