[PRCo] Brookville Locomotive

[Fred Schneider]

To digress on the subject of Brookville Locomotive, I think we were all somewhat
amazed by what could be accomplished by an imaginative family-owned company,
unhampered by craft restrictions characteristic of organized labor  (sorry
Jim)   Welders were welders, no question.  But most people were expected to do
whatever they were told to do.  Brookville seemed to have difficulty tolerating
an employee who had the nerve to say "It isn't in my job description."   As a
result the men had a great variety of work ... perhaps pulling wires today,
cutting steel plate tomorrow.  And this was an area where legal minimum wage and
the actual minimum you need to pay to get people are pretty much the same. Ten
or twelve dollars an hour from Brookville Locomotive is damn good money.
Remember too that this is also an area with little pressure on the existing
housing market; so housing is also relatively inexpensive.  Food is also cheap
... you can get a really good dinner for $8.  I think the Holiday Inn was under
$50.

Brookville started out building mine locomotives.  They're pretty damn good at
cutting, bending and welding steel.  So they also went in to building those
battery powered trucks you see hauling disabled passengers in the airport
concourses.  Well, the shop wasn't full so that decided to try building
streetcars.  They've found it worthwhile to invest in the machinery to use a
computer drawing to laser cut steel ... and every part comes out identical.
They were able to exploit a niche market.   I've been told that Gomaco is
similar in its business practices.