Age: 24
Location: Ohio, US
Sex: Male

As of March 6th, 2023, I threw my hat in the ring for a job on the railroad as a Locomotive Technician a couple weeks back and got the job! Started today in fact. This line of work involves doing 92 Day/Annual/Tri-Annual Inspections, internals, maintenance, defect correction, fabrication work, pneumatic/air work, mechanical, electrical, welding, wheel truing, overhauls, hostler (service track) work, and all related industrial shop work for the locomotives themselves. Honestly I couldn't be happier to see they were asking for candidates for this job as I love fixing things, and I love being around anything railroad related! Praise God, He gave me the courage to go through with pursuing this. So far it's a tremendous amount to take in, almost overwhelming, but I'm certain this is what I want to do. Heck they even let me get behind the throttle of a locomotive, twice in the first week! What a thrill!
As of mid June 2023, the serious stuff begins. I'll still be an apprentice, training on-the-job just as I have been for the next year or so, however, now the real bookwork starts piling up, and there sure is a LOT of it. You would not believe just how much goes into making a locomotive run. The motorized switchgear, magnetic power/reverser contactors, relays, interlocks, terminal boards, high voltage & low voltage DC equipment, air valves, the compressor, magnet valves, truck assemblies, commutators, aux. and main generators, module cards, QES, power assemblies, solenoids, the governor, the engine itself even! Truly insane, these mechanical marvels. It'll definitely be a difficult journey and a long year of studying and learning, but it'll be worth it in my book :)
EDIT 10/24/23: Passed my first test today! 97.59% (98.4% on the walk-around and 96.78% on the written)! This one was on all the trucks and air systems for the locomotives. Very relieved to have the first one behind me. Only two more to go! Next up, Engine / Mechanical! Should be sometime in February or so, stay tuned!
EDIT 02/19/24: Passed my second test today! 90.75% (91.5% on the walk-around and 90% for the written)! This one was on all the mechanics in and related to the engine for the locomotives. Incredibly grateful to have passed this one! Had a lot of doubts on this one for sure. Anyways, one more test left before I'm a certified locomotive technician, and the hardest one yet, Electrical! That'll be sometime around the end of June or so. Definitely going to be studying my arse off for this one! Stay tuned!
EDIT 06/28/24: Passed my third and final test today! 100%, across the board!! And this was the Electrical Test?! I couldn't believe it myself! Apparently I'm the first in the history of the company to ace the electrical test. I'm now officially a Certified Locomotive Technician! All my thankfulness goes directly to God. He answered my prayers and quelled my nervousness. I know now this is where he currently wants me to be and I very grateful for it!

Besides Deep Rock Galactic, War Thunder <--- ( War Thunder has gone to absolute ♥♥♥♥ in the past couple of years, and it's a damn shame too. ) my roots are with Team Fortress 2. It was my first ever FPS my friends introduced to me way back in early middle school, and it's been a favorite of mine ever since then. Even though it still has its ongoing issues, it'll always have a special place in my heart.

- Men at Work
- Ben Folds Five
- The JT Project
- Praful
- Chuck Loeb
- Rick Braun
- Dada
- Dashboard Confessional
- Collapsis (<--Incredible and not too well known indie band from North Carolina, give em a listen!)
- FearofDark
- Scatman
- Stacey Kent
- Chris Rice
- Gabe Dixon
- Squirrel Nut Zippers
- Crash Kings

...and on occasion, some musicals such as Robin and the 7 Hoods, Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris, The Producers, Paint Your Wagon, Barnum, and the original Broadway cast recordings of Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Sunset Boulevard, and recently, Parade.

I'm quite fond of the older movies and tv shows if I'm being honest. Some of my favorite movies include, but definitely not limited to (Absolute favorites in order):
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
- All About Eve (1950)
- Casablanca (1942)
- The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- The Caine Mutiny (1954)
- Back to the Future (All 3 Parts)
- Duel (1971)
- The Train (1964)
- Wargames (1983)
- Mister Roberts (1955)
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
- Tough Guys (1986)
- In A Lonely Place (1950)
- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
- The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

As for my absolute favorite TV Shows, there's really only 4 I would mention, all equally my favorite:
- Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971)
- Macgyver (1985-1992)
- Matlock (1986-1995)
- Quantum Leap (1989 - 1993)

Besides sitting my ass in front of a computer any free moment I get, I do have other things I find enjoyable.
Being the son of a retired art teacher, I do have some artistic talent in me, and I used to do a lot of pencil sketches and full on drawings. I seemed to do really well with portraits, however I really hate doing them.
As of late summer / early autumn 2021, I'd taken quite an interest in black powder firearms. They're actually a lot of fun to be honest. I make my own black powder, punch and fill my own percussion caps, and cast my own lead balls.
As of right now I currently own 7 different black powder muzzle loaders, and 3 black powder revolvers:
- A Traditions™ .50 caliber Trapper Pistol.
- A Traditions™ .50 caliber Mountain Rifle.
- A Traditions™ .54 caliber Blunderbuss.
- A tiny Traditions™ .31 caliber Pocket Vest Derringer made of brass, with faux ivory grips.
- A .44 caliber Ruger Old Army Revolver
- An Uberti .44 caliber 1847 Colt Walker (This thing is massive!)
- A reproduction .69 caliber 1777 Charleville Smoothbore Musket
- As of recent, a Antonio Zoli reproduction .58 caliber 1863 "Zouave" Rifle
- And as of even more recent, a Stainless Uberti .44 caliber 1858 Remington
- And even more recent-recent, an Early 1700s Flintlock Hand Mortar (This thing weighs a ton!)