Switching - was this sort of thing done in real life?

[frogpipe]

Referring to the image above: "To Power Station" leads to a coal trestle. For operational interest, it's short and can only unload 2 cars at a time.

I dropped off 4 of the 6 cars I was moving, as seen in the image, and took the 2 now empty ones up the trestle and unloaded them.

Then I returned to this siding and set my speed at about 5mph with the switch lined for the siding where you can now see the two empty cars.

Just before the locomotive reached the switch, I opened the coupler and applied the independent brake. Of course, the loco stopped, and the gondolas continued to roll onto the siding.

Once the gondolas were clear of the switch, I lined it to couple to the loaded cut again.

(I waited for the loose empties to stop, and then took this screenshot)

I did this based on some mid-century films I've seen showing yard operations where a car would be sent slowly rolling across a yard with no locomotive attached.

My question is, tho it worked well and saved me the back and forth of actually driving on to the empties siding, would this sort of thing be done IRL in the 1940s-50s?

 

[jadebullet]

So what you are saying is that you kicked the empties then grabbed the loads? Yeah, it was prototypical. Now a days it is against FRA regulations from what I remember, but it is still done anyway.

Such as like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFEumxQoY6w

 

[frogpipe]

So that's what "Kicking" is? How did they know where it would stop? Brakeman riding along, or just a guess?

 

[RacerTodd]

Here is a video from my YouTube channel that shows a crew kicking cars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEWE3df6Q2s

In this case, they are sorting a cut of cars. The cars came into Delta Yard from some other location. They need to be placed on different tracks, depending on the cars final destination. The crew pulls the cut to end of the yard and then kicks them down the correct track. Most stop when they bang into the other cars on the track. Some just coast to a stop by themselves.

Todd

 

[JCitron]

I saw the old B&M do this at Metacross Street yard in Lowell. It was pretty cool watching the switcher give the cars a push and letting them coast along down the side track while he went off to get some more cars on another track.

John

 

[stagecoach]

In the UK this was done all the time in yards. The engine would give a short push and a brake man would control the speed with the wagon brake as it got near to the other wagons.

 

[felix_g]

You can also do that by pulling instead of kicking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRnXiu-iUi4
(just make sure you don't get trapped in the siding... see 10:20)

cont.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sDXHnJBVms

Felix

 

[johnwhelan]

Doesn't a hump yard work much like this?

Cheerio John

 

[frogpipe]

Yes, but a hump yard has a way to STOP the cars the are rolling around, this was on a flat yard with no way to make them stop once cut loose.

So far I haven't seen it done when there wasn't a car already on the siding to stop the loose car tho....

Maybe the prototypical thing to do would be to back a car onto the track still connected and set it's brakes, THEN start shoving runaways at it.

 

[johnwhelan]

Yes, but a hump yard has a way to STOP the cars the are rolling around, this was on a flat yard with no way to make them stop once cut loose.

So far I haven't seen it done when there wasn't a car already on the siding to stop the loose car tho....

Maybe the prototypical thing to do would be to back a car onto the track still connected and set it's brakes, THEN start shoving runaways at it.

In bygone times in the UK the wagons either hit another wagon that had it's brake on or a railway employee would run along side with a pole to apply the brake. The sidings were level.

Cheerio John

 

[frogpipe]

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

[flyinsolo]

Here is a video from my YouTube channel that shows a crew kicking cars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEWE3df6Q2s

In this case, they are sorting a cut of cars. The cars came into Delta Yard from some other location. They need to be placed on different tracks, depending on the cars final destination. The crew pulls the cut to end of the yard and then kicks them down the correct track. Most stop when they bang into the other cars on the track. Some just coast to a stop by themselves.

Todd

You are Seattle Railfan?! I love your videos, long time subscriber.

 

[nikos1]

Kicking cars is not against FRA regs, certain railroads like Gennessee & Wyoming have banned it though.

 

[frogpipe]

Well that explains the ba-zillion Youtube videos showing the practice as alive and well today.

 

[Isegrinns]

Yeah, kicking cars is legit.

In early humpyards, some guys rode the cars down the ladders, in times before speed retarders.
Was (not sure if still is) also common in mine shifting, where empties were stored on an incline behind the loading tracks and were coasted to the loading tracks by mine employees when needed.

Another interesting thing from golden times: poling!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUb8PeeT2WI

 

[frogpipe]

That trick with self loading coal cars can't be done at present, because there's no way to release the brake without a loco being attached

 

[johnwhelan]

That trick with self loading coal cars can't be done at present, because there's no way to release the brake without a loco being attached

You could always play with the config.txt file and turn them into small locos.

Cheerio John

 

[frogpipe]

That would word, I guess, but I'm fundamentally opposed to that sort of "solution".

 

[mjolnir]

Whereas in the historic films on Youtube, and other places, showing cars being kicked, to do so safely really requires at least two people besides the engineer, one to pull the pin, and one to line the switch. Many crews today only operate with 2, the engineer, and foreman, and the foreman cannot pull the pin, and line the switch at the same time. And when kicking was done, the cars set moving independently were traveling a couple of miles an hour, or less. Further, an experienced switch crew knew where it was safe to do the maneuver, and where it was not, and locomotives routinely carried heavy chain and poles to move cars when the maneuver did not work quite right.

ns

 

[RacerTodd]

You are Seattle Railfan?! I love your videos, long time subscriber.

I am. Glad you like them, they are fun to make...

Todd