Who is Carl Klauck?

[Tablejam]

I have heard this name several times especially lately.

I'm thinking this is someone very important at AMF but I don't really know for sure.

I know it's silly that I don't know exactly who this is, I think he is a great tech, but I would like to know the full story. All I really know is he created a tool for the distributor belt and kept great records.

Yeah I know, shame on me for not knowing.. .

[amf8270mp]

He was the AMF God.

He did the technical support for a number of years.VERY smart.

[SVLFever]

You could literally refer to him as THE Carl Klauck. I believe he worked for AMF in excess of 40 years, and was very well known in the AMF world for his knowledge of all the pinspotters AMF ever made. amf8270mp's referfence above is quite accurate.

[BillyT4QAMF]

Here is part of an intrernal memo that was distributed prior to his retirement in January-

Carl started his life-long bowling adventure in the fall of 1949 setting pins for Seneca Lanes in Rochester, New York. In 1951, he went to work for East Side Lanes as a pin boy. While he was working there in 1952, AMF was installing brand new technology, called Pinspotters, at another nearby house, Ridge Bowling Alley. When Carl would get done setting pins at midnight, he would leave East Side and go to the Ridge to watch and learn what he could about the AMF Pinspotters.

In 1955, Carl joined the USAF and while serving his country in Spokane, he simply couldn’t stay away from bowling and worked part time at different local houses that had just recently installed AMF Pinspotters. 1958 found Carl at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where he was assigned as a mechanic for the newly installed Pinspotters. 1959 saw Carl’s introduction to AMF as he travelled to Shelby, Ohio where he attended the AMF Pinspotter Training School. After 8 years in the Air Force, Carl returned to Rochester’s East Side Lanes as a mechanic.

AMF came knocking in 1965 and hired Carl as a field service technician and installer. His expertise eventually resulted in him being assigned as Production Foreman at the AMF Plant in York, Pennsylvania and then in 1970 he was sent to Shelby, Ohio to manage the AMF Rhythm Bowl production.

Beginning in 1971, Carl performed commercial service maintenance for bowling centers in the Rochester area until 1984 when he went to work with AMF as a center mechanic in Fort Worth, Texas where he worked his way to Regional Mechanic.

Those of you who were here in 1994 probably met Carl for the first time when he took a position as a Pinspotter Technician here in Mechanicsville. Carl’s 45 years of experience in the field have proven to be a very valuable asset in helping our customers maintain their Pinspotters over the past 17 years. Carl’s passion for perfection and his jovial demeanor will be sorely missed.

I had 3 years to suck as much knowledge out of him as I could before he left. I could have used another 20. He is enjoying his retirement greatly, though his wife isn't giving him much time to act 'retired'!

[davesproshop]

As stated many times by me, I was thrown into this position pretty quick! This site is awesome and so are you all for helping me through a bunch of "jams". Ive wore Billy's ass out on the phone also, and don't know what I would do without him. Having said that................................ This is my second stint here, the first one was years ago with 8230's, and guess who's ears got wore out? Yep Carl!! He was awesome, patient and funny as hell alot of times. There was no bowltech back then, so I am sure he probably STAYED on the phone with dumbasses like me! But we always got through it, because he was THE MAN! Glad to hear he is enjoying retirement, as he deserves it.

[8270king]

He was the AMF Guru.

Fixed

[Pin_Head]

He IS the AMF Guru.

Re fixed lol

[8270king]

Quality fix

[Tablejam]

Excellent.

Wow, I sure would have loved to chat with him I know I could learn a lot and I bet he has some really cool stories to tell. Well that's awesome, now I know the back story of THE legend.

This industry needs more like him.

Thanks for filling me in.

So is it safe to say some of the great improvements are because of Carl and if it were not for him I might not have a job working on these machines today?

[amf8270mp]

Re fixed lol

Approved fix

[rrev]

A real gentleman is Carl, and loves his NASCAR too. I visited Mechanicsville twice, once in 2002 and then again in 2006. On both occasions I spent time chatting with him in his cubicle while he wasn't on the phone with (possibly) one of you guys! He gave me a guided tour of his very extensive library of AMF tech manuals, blueprints etc and showed me around the plant. He even introduced me to Billy T when Carl, Mike and I wandered over to Hanover Lanes for a look-see. Good times

Ray

[mechanic8230]

I always enjoyed talking with Carl. He is a walking encyclopedia of AMF pinsetters.

[Tablejam]

So is it pronounced "clock" or "cl-ow-k"?

[BillyT4QAMF]

So is it pronounced "clock" or "cl-ow-k"?

I would say the latter, but he answered to just about anything!

So is it safe to say some of the great improvements are because of Carl

It's safe to say that many improvements throughout the years have come from many contributors, much like many that post here!

AMF pinspotters.

Fixed

[pinfeed]

This industry needs more like him.

I thought that one of them was you, TJ.