A professional who controls one or more cylinder retorts to impregnate wood products, such as railroad ties, piling, telephone poles, and fenceposts, with preserving or fireproofing chemicals. Respnsibilities include:

• Turns valves to admit treating solution into retort and steam into heating coils.
• Presses buttons to activate vacuum- and hydraulic-pressure pumps that remove air and steam from retort and force treating solution into pores of wood to accelerate treatment process.
• Observes gauges and turns valves to maintain specified heat, vacuum and hydraulic pressure, and level of solution in retort during each phase of treatment cycle, according to treating schedule.
• Pumps treating solution back into storage tank at end of treating cycle.
• Opens, or signals treating-engineer helper to open, retort doors.
• Heats unseasoned wood in retort to remove moisture preparatory to treating process.
• May operate locomotive or winch to move tram loads of wood products in and out of retort.
• May take and test sample borings, using laboratory equipment, to determine if treatment meets customers' specifications or standard chemical-analysis requirements.
• May be required to hold license.