Shunting, German style with a cable and a turntable.

E

euromodeller

Imagineer
Here is an interesting video of a shunting operation in Neu Isenburg, Germany.

The DB branch line runs at 90 degrees to the factory rail lines.

The shunting movement uses a turntable and a cable to get the tank cars onto the branch line.

Braking the tank car is done with a skid under the wheels, a hemschuh https://youtu.be/JmzKR49V5GI
(or a piece of tree branch if you cant find your skid!)

Commands from the shunter to the driver are by whistling.


Note, the commentary is German, but the pictures are in English :)

When the DB consist is complete it travels down the branchline via a reserve in the main road to the mainline.

Neu Isenburg info here.

http://www.gueterbahnhof-neu-isenburg.de/
 
Last edited:
LOL. They do shunt like the AI drivers. :D

This would make for some interesting operating sessions if we could duplicate this kind of operation, but I'm thinking that might require some special invisible assets, track and stuff to replicate the cable operations.

This is like the mini-turntables used in millyards. I supposed the operation is similar unless there's a captive switcher residing somewhere.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4270355,-82.4166331,128m/data=!3m1!1e3
 
Last edited:
Very lucky ( if it was a US knuckle he would have been crushed to death ) but thanks that the buffers are hydraulic/pneumatic or the wagons are good to the repair shop. Usualy if the company see the video and identify the protagonist then he'll be immediately fired
 
MF01 said:
Very lucky ( if it was a US knuckle he would have been crushed to death ) but thanks that the buffers are hydraulic/pneumatic or the wagons are good to the repair shop. Usualy if the company see the video and identify the protagonist then he'll be immediately fired
Click to expand...

That makes sense. We also have to remember the video is now 20 years old so it's possible that the practice was normal back then and not frowned upon just like poling freight wagons was here many years before.
 
:udrool: Really Cool seeing how it done some where else........I must say, I wouldn't care to be the Brakeman on this Run..........;)
 
cascaderailroad said:
You would have to be absolutely out of your cotton pickin' mind to stand between a moving train buffers, when they are crashing together ... They need a FRA to ban this practice ... I wonder how many employees get injured or killed by standing between railcars ?
Click to expand...

Its banned in Australia after a signaller got crushed at Ariah Park standing between steam loco and carriage.
However, there have been plenty of breaches since then.

Riding on the end of flatcars is now banned also.
 
Shunter is probably the most dangerous job on the railway and there have been a number of deaths here involving shunting. Having done it myself, there's no way I'd either ride on the exterior of a train or be anywhere between wagons or carriages when they're moving, even at low speeds. I'd always wait for the driver to signal that it's safe to 'go under' before going anywhere near the coupling or brake hoses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
California Traction: A Story of 2 Colourful Shortlines
Replies
5
Views
3K
Saturnr
S
A
Having a problem with "branch line turntable"
Replies
5
Views
2K
clam1952
C
T
Found a Nice German Branch
Replies
5
Views
2K
WileeCoyote
W
Back
Top