Railway Track & Structures - May 2008 - (Page 15)

AREMA NEWS Getting to know Bob Coats ing a bow, a backpack, or a power tool. A favorite hobby is working with the American Chestnut Foundation toward developing a blight-resistant tree and reintroducing it to its natural range. Chestnut was once a great material for making railroad ties due to its abundance, strength, and decay resistance. AREMA: Tell us about your family. Coats: My wife Carla and I have three daughters. After 27 years together, we seem to be nearing the end of our child rearing days. We ended up with a Real Estate Agent, a Marine Engineer, and apparently a Music Teacher who plays church music on weekends, once the youngest finishes college. AREMA: If you could share one interesting fact about yourself with the readers of RT&S, what would it be? Coats: My family has owned a woodlot for three generations and we manage it for timber production. We do almost everything ourselves, including the logging which we do with an old crawler tractor. That woodlot is one of my favorite places. AREMA: What is your biggest achievement? Coats: I have had some memorable achievements such as being promoted to Chief Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve. On a personal level, learning to better balance my time between family and work without neglecting personal fitness has been difficult, but significant. And I know many people in the railroad industry have much tougher work schedules than mine. AREMA: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to pursue a career in the railway industry? Coats: My experience with learning is that first you decide which job interests you. Then you read and study to learn the theory and principles behind the job. Finally, seek out seasoned, experienced people who are very good at that job. If you work hard, listen carefully to them and ask their advice, they will often help you learn the practical knowledge that is not found in books. F. Bob Coats Chair, Committee 30- Ties Vice President Engineering Pandrol USA ach month AREMA will feature one of our committee chairmen. We are pleased to announce that the May featured chairman is F. Bob Coats, chair of Committee 30 - Ties. AREMA: Why did you decide to choose a career in railway engineering? Coats: I had worked in manufacturing for many years and stumbled upon railway engineering by going to work for a resilient rail clip manufacturer. Initially, railway engineering seemed simple enough, but it was a classic case of not knowing how much you don’t know. I am still learning. AREMA: How did you get involved in AREMA and your committee? Coats: Initially, I joined AREMA for the educational benefit of attending the Technical Sessions at the annual conference. Like many railway supplier companies, my company maintains a representative on certain AREMA committees. When another person left the company I got my big chance to join Committee 30. My desire to join was an outgrowth of trying to better understand railroading and the industry, and to work on the AREMA Manual alongside some very knowledgeable people. AREMA: Outside of your job and the hard work you put into AREMA, what are your hobbies? Coats: I spend too much time behind a desk, so I like to get outdoors whenever I can and into some activity involvwww.rtands.com E 2008 Upcoming Committee Meetings May 19-20 Committee 38 - Information, Defect Detection & Energy Systems May 20-21 Committee 15 - Steel Structures June 11 Committee Chairs' Meeting June 17 Committee 10 - Structures June 20-22 Committee 24 - Education & Training June 26 Committee 33 - Electric Energy Utilization September 20 Committee 27 - Maintenance of Way Work Equipment September 20-21 Committee 24 - Education & Training September 21 Committee 5 - Track September 21 Committee 6 - Buildings and Support Facilities September 21 Committee 10 - Structures Maintenance & Construction September 21 Committee 11 - Commuter & Intercity Rail Systems September 21 Committee 12 - Rail Transit September 21 Committee 14 - Yards and Terminals September 21 Committee 16 - Economics of Railway Engineering & Operations September 21 Committee 17 - High Speed Rail Systems September 21 Committee 18 - Light Density & Short Line Railways October 7-8 Committee 15 - Steel Structures Grapevine, TX West Lafayette, IN Minneapolis, MN New London, CT Calgary, AB Philadelphia, PA Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Chicago, IL Railway Track & Structures May 2008 15 http://www.arema.org http://www.rtands.com

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Railway Track & Structures - May 2008

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