Greater Anglia apprentices gain ‘traction’ with Houghton International

Electro mechanical engineering specialist Houghton International welcomed apprentices from train operator Greater Anglia last month as the first delegates on its ‘Introduction to traction motor and MA set repair’ training course.The course aims to share knowledge and help educate the next generation of rail engineers in key areas that impact the performance and reliability of the rolling stock they maintain.

The four day hands on workshop offers an introduction to the repair, maintenance and life extension of electromechanical assets in the rail industry. Alongside a general overview of traction motorsand MA set repair, it provides an insight into the best practice rotating machine testing, fault diagnosis, general overhaul and major repair procedures.

Delivered via a mix of classroom and workshop sessions, participants see traction motors (AC and DC), MA sets, HST alternators and inductor coils and get the chance to participate in general overhaul, rewinding and fault diagnosis.

“I found the training very enlightening because it explained comprehensively the systems and principals within the machines that we conduct testing on,” said Callum Raywood, apprentice at Greater Anglia. “Genuinely this knowledge has already helped me during my work, simply because when people try to explain things about MA's, I know exactly what they are talking about and can ask useful questions based on what I learned.”

Suited to those who work in engineering and maintenance, on completion of the course participants will leave with the knowledge and confidence to identify faults, understand failure modes and recommend rectification work.

Chris Robson, sales and marketing director at Houghton International, added: “We have been working in the Rail industry for over 15 years now and strongly believe collaborative working is key to successful delivery and that all staff can benefit from an enhanced understanding of the intricacies of the products to help identify faults early on and improve maintenance procedures.”