Watco University Develops Railcar Inspection and Repair Course

Pictured left to right are instructor Joseph Berry, Watco director of corporate railcar David Dominguez and Jeremy Evans of the TCBR; Richard Leija of Greens Port; Zach Charston of the TCBR; and Troy Vacala of Greens Port.

The Watco University team is always looking for ways to improve and tailor training to benefit the specific needs of our Watco teams. As part of these efforts, a group of team members from Division A attended a trial-training led by Director of Railcar Repair Joe Berry. The railcar inspection and repair-focused training was hosted by Watco’s newest short line, the Texas Coastal Bend Railroad (TCBR), the week of October 24 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

This was the second iteration of the training for the same group. Our team took feedback from the first session and presented a modified version to the same team members to ensure the training they’re receiving is as effective as possible.

“We found the training to be helpful, partly because the instructor was flexible enough to work around our schedule and tailor the training to our needs. We spent half a day in the classroom Monday through Wednesday. The rest of the time, including all day Thursday and Friday, in the field, practicing what we learned in class,” said TCBR General Manager Darl Farris. “While the course generally applies to railcar inspections and repair, there is a lot of value for anyone who wants to broaden their practical understanding of what can go wrong on a railcar and what it takes to repair it. We feel fortunate to have been included in this training and are really impressed with the level of experience the instructor shared with us.”