When a student at Nonnewaug High School asked his dad for help with a class project, he simply wanted a hands-on way to learn a complex system, but got way more than he bargained for. The student, the son of Matt Pfahl (owner of Pfahl’s Mack & Antique Truck Restorations in Bethlehem, CT), wanted his mechanics class to have real truck air brake components they could see, touch, and study while learning how to repair and troubleshoot air brakes. Matt reached out to O&G with a simple question: Did we have any spare parts that could be donated to support the program?
That request landed in the hands of Keith Woolford, Foreman of O&G’s South Main Repair Shop, and a natural-born inventor, who decided to do the school one better. Keith gathered scrap air brake parts from around the South Main shop and, in just one week, built a complete learning module from scratch. Designed for hands-on instruction, the module supports more than 100 lessons and allows students to learn how to identify individual components, perform repairs, and troubleshoot real-world issues. Keith built the system with true ABS, including an air horn, because in real equipment, the horn is a crucial indicator of a problem with the system, and he wanted students to learn those warning signs as part of the experience. He also color-coded the different sections for easy identification and created a detailed manual for students, including a chart to decipher the diagnostic codes that flash on the machine.
Before the module made its way to Nonnewaug High School, Keith put it to work teaching two classes at Pfahl’s Mack & Antique Truck Restorations for mechanics from Pfahl’s shop, O&G mechanics, members of the Watertown Highway Garage crew, and others from surrounding towns. After the series of classes, the module was moved to its permanent home at Nonnewaug High School, where it will now give students a stronger, more lifelike learning experience thanks to a simple request, a generous donation of spare parts, and the creativity and craftsmanship of an O&G team member who built something truly one-of-a-kind.
Before: The spare parts…
After: The Air Brake Learning Module
