MOVING WAGGONS PAST A LOADING POINT

Hi Mike
I can assure you that I have seen rakes of waggons moving under their own power many times, quite often accidentally.
This would be the time when I would race madly along the 75 lever signal frame trying to keep ahead of waggons escaping from the marshalling yards at Warragul which is a station in Southern Victoria.
Of course I would let them out onto the main line only when and if it was safe to do so and they would be hotly persued by the pilot engine with shunters on the step.
If there was any danger I would have to let them derail on the slip points.
You say it would look stupid having waggons moving in the yard without any apparent power and I find it difficult to believe that ALL British yards are built on perfectly flat ground and may be moved by crow bar.
All silos here that I know of are built on gravvies either natural or artificial
so that vehicles will roll down under the control of the loader and they sometimes get out of control and derail at slip points at the end of the siding. But that's another story
The normal thing is to secure the last 1 or 2 handbrakes and then go along the rake and bleed the air brakes out then walk back along the waggon tops opening the lids then gently release a handbrake and EASE the rake of waggons down passed the loading point where some one operates the loading shute.
Believe me it can be quite an art keeping them under control in fact some loaders will only take one waggon at a time.
I guess I should realy have some one standing on the step operating the hand brake but I don't think TRS2006 is capable of this but you never can tell.
Regards
Norm (locoone)
 
Hi Mike
I can assure you that I have seen rakes of waggons moving under their own power many times, quite often accidentally.
This would be the time when I would race madly along the 75 lever signal frame trying to keep ahead of waggons escaping from the marshalling yards at Warragul which is a station in Southern Victoria.
Of course I would let them out onto the main line only when and if it was safe to do so and they would be hotly persued by the pilot engine with shunters on the step.
If there was any danger I would have to let them derail on the slip points.
You say it would look stupid having waggons moving in the yard without any apparent power and I find it difficult to believe that ALL British yards are built on perfectly flat ground and may be moved by crow bar.
All silos here that I know of are built on gravvies either natural or artificial
so that vehicles will roll down under the control of the loader and they sometimes get out of control and derail at slip points at the end of the siding. But that's another story
The normal thing is to secure the last 1 or 2 handbrakes and then go along the rake and bleed the air brakes out then walk back along the waggon tops opening the lids then gently release a handbrake and EASE the rake of waggons down passed the loading point where some one operates the loading shute.
Believe me it can be quite an art keeping them under control in fact some loaders will only take one waggon at a time.
I guess I should realy have some one standing on the step operating the hand brake but I don't think TRS2006 is capable of this but you never can tell.
Regards
Norm (locoone)

The golden rule is that we, in the uk, are no longer legally allowed to gravity shunt trains. the only time I've seen a gravity shunt, it was necessary for the removal of a box van that was blocking in a rescue loco and there was no other motive power to move it.
and Yes... I have seen a wagon moved up a grade with pinch bars, wheel scotches and elephant's feet. it took eight or nine blokes but they did make it.... every one of them said "we ain't doing that again."

regards

Harry
 
Hi H J Potter
That is interesting. You learn something every day.
Of course we in the Antipodes are well behind the rest of the world. We do however sometimes use tractors to move waggons.
I guess we will catch up eventually and then our railways will be broker than they are now. LOL
Norm (locoone)
 
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