Well I am a machinist by trade (manual lathes and mills - no CNC for me!). I worked for the Bethlehem Steel Corp till 2001 when they shut down the Lackawanna(NY) plant. Worked for Norfolk Southern RR for a while. Was a locomotive engineer on a shortline railroad for a few years before I hired on at Bethlehem. I have been temporarily laid off since November 09 from a laser cutting facility but it has worked out real well. I got to coach my 3 kids in ice hockey this past winter.
Like jbollis I too am currently trying to figure out a new career path. It seems the need for machinists in the Western NY area is drying up. All in all, life is good!