Images: Behind the scenes at the Pace River Division bus garage
Mechanic Vic Oseguera completes a work order for diesel engine repairs. Oseguera has been with Pace for 24 years.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
A 35 foot white Pace bus leaves the Elgin garage for the start of its afternoon shift. The blue buses are 30 feet long. At the end of the night, 48 buses will fit inside the garage, which is longer than shown in this photo.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Mechanic LeRoy Kotecki fills out work orders to be done at the Pace bus garage in Elgin. The screen on right shows important info about each bus, such as vehicle number, mileage and what is being repaired.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Mechanic Erik Hannig reviews the paperwork on a work order. Hannig is one of six mechanics at the Pace Bus garage in Elgin. He recently completed PaceÂ’s in-house mechanic training program at the Elgin garage to become a certified Pace mechanic. He is the first to graduate from the new program at the Elgin garage.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Service worker Audrey Huebner walks away from a bus after talking to the driver departing the Elgin garage for the next shift.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Vic Oseguera, left, gets assistance from fellow mechanic Jack Rojewski as he completes repairs on a diesel engine. The mechanics often help each other out to maximize efficiency and get orders done as fast as possible.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Brake shoes are neatly stacked ready to be used in the stock room of the Elgin Pace Bus garage.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Trays containing bolts, washers, screws and more stand on the service floor, ready to be used when needed by mechanics. Each and every piece is signed out and accounted for at the garage.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Mechanic Jack Rojewski helps out a fellow mechanic working on the engine of a bus. Engines have access panels from the back as well as the side. Rojewksi has been a mechanic for 16 years at Pace.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
The stock room at the Elgin Pace bus garage is neatly organized. Each piece has a Pace assigned SKU number so quantities are tracked and can be easily found on the shelf or reordered when needed.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Mechanic Erik Hannig readies a new fuel filter to be placed in a bus at the Elgin garage.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Vehicle info is pulled up on a computer screen while a work order is being filled out for its upcoming scheduled maintenance. The Elgin garage has a fleet of 48 buses, all of which undergo regular maintenance to keep the fleet running smoothly.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Service worker Audrey Huebner reviews the work order for a bus at the fueling station. Service workers refuel all buses as they come in for the night and run them through the bus wash. Huebner has been with Pace for seven years.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Mechanic Erik Hannig readies a new fuel filter to be placed in a bus at the Elgin garage.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Paperwork is filled in and signed off on a maintenance work order on a Pace bus.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
Spools of electrical wires stand on the service floor, ready to be used when needed by mechanics.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
A bus drives out of the washing station past five maintenance bays in the Elgin Pace bus garage. After being refueled, the bus is put through the wash and then parked in the adjoining space ready to go for its next shift in the morning.
Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com
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