Ed Sinclair has been a staple at SEPTA for more than five decades.

"I have a lot to show for my time here at SEPTA," Sinclair said.

But after 54 years, the Philadelphia native is retiring. On Thursday, SEPTA officials along with Sinclair's family threw a celebration in his honor at the Southern maintenance shop, his home base, complete with a plaque along with a watch from the transport workers union to mark the milestone.

"It was really nice for them to go out of their way and do this for me, overwhelming," Sinclair said.

Sinclair, who also served in the Army, began at SEPTA in 1971 as a cleaner and worked his way up to the position of HVAC Specialist. But he admits, getting here wasn't always the plan.

"When I came I said, ugh, this place, I give myself five years and I'm done, and

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