That's right. I was a machinist there for 2 1/2 years. In fact, that was the
last place I worked before joining the BN in 77.
I worked on the South end of the place and I could see the trains go by
from my lathe. I worked the second shift and you could here the engines as
they went by above the roar of the machines in the shop. The only way I could
tell which direction they were headed was watching for the rotary beacon to
go by the window.
On two different occasions I got the pleasure of waving at former fellow
employees as I passed the plant. The first time was as a student going around
the horn and the second I was the engineer on the Mendota yard job and we had
to pull and spot cars one day.
Conky made overhead cranes. The big yellow jobs that are used in factories.
They also made O'brien Sewer cleaners. These were machines that went into the
sewer system with a camera attached so the operator at ground level could see
the problems underground.
The plant was closed years ago and I don't know what the place is used for
these days.
Gary O.
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