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When I was a kid, back in the 60's I lived in a small village where a way freight would sopt cars at a feed mill as it was on its westbound trip. This local freight would sometimes have to spot cars on its eastbound trip. Since the switch for the feed mill was a stub end, it meant that for the east bound trip the switch was a facing point (cars could not be backed in in the ususal way). This meant that the cars to be spotted had to somehow gt into a position so that they could be "backed" into the switch. This move was called "flying" cars. <br /> <br />The move went like this. The locomotive would back up past the facing point (in this case west) about a half mile with the cars to be spotted. then, with trainman on board the tail-end car the locomotive would, with cars in tow, get up a fairly good rate of speed ( probably around 15 mph), the cars would then be uncoupled on the fly, with the locomotive speeding up even faster so as to clear the switch. The turnout was then turned to open the switch so that the trailing cars, still rolling, would roll into the switch. the trainman aboard the tail-end car, manning the hand brake, controlled the speed of the rolling cars, which, by the time they entered the switch were travelling at about 4-5 mph, then finally stopped by the trainman when the switch was suficiently cleared. The loco would then back up, enter the switch and spot the cars. <br /> <br />I wonder if anyone has ever ssen this switching move. I have to say, this is the most exciting switching move I have ever seen. I haven't heard of this move being done since that time. i wonder if, maybe, with all of the safety precautions that have been put into place since then and union influence, that maybe the move is not allowed now. I would like to know.
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