I stopped for a few minutes while on the way to Walmart and captured this activity in the industry siding in Picayune, MS this morning around 8:45am, ambient temperature was 80°F and clear skies. The NS locomotive #1645 is a former N&W EMD SD40 2.
You can view the action: https://youtu.be/o5Jt0NTeazY
Not a flying switch.
Just standard kicking of cars.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
What a disappointment. Not even a gravity drop.
Jeff
Tough crowd.
Perry BabinTough crowd.
Zug and Jeff are Pro's doing the work daily.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Here's a flying a switch
(2) Southern Pacific local performs a Flying Switch - YouTube
I remember seeing one done years ago on the C&O. I suspect it was a regular practice for that particular industry as the local probably came out of Plymouth and it would have been a facing point switch for them.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
One of the jobs I worked used to do both flying/running switches (we simply call them 'drops') and a gravity drop on a regular basis. The flying switch was a convenient way to add cars from one particular customer onto one end of a train we had built in a small yard that always seemed to be congested, and the gravity drop ('rolling cars by') got us out of having to ride the point for several miles between another customer and the yard. We had one of those special car moving bars hidden away in case the cars stalled and trapped the engine in the spur, I suppose we could have poled our way out with an old tie but the pry bar was easier and safer.
Kicking is like curling, but every rock and rink are different.
In the years since CN has banned riding handbrakes and getting on or off moving equipment, and kicking is only permitted at certain yards. They took all the fun out of switching.
That's still a nice little video of what we do every day, with the classic EMD 645 music for a soundtrack.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
That is not a flying switch. The SP move is.
Mac
Anyone up for a dutch drop?
rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
Watching a drop is a fascinating experience (I've seen it twice) but kicking cars is also enjoyable, especially watching just how far a car will roll on an empty track.
Why aren't the brakes engaged on these cars? Are the angle cocks closed before breaking the connection to the locomotive air supply to keep pressure on the train line for the individual cars to keep the brakes disengaged?
Perry Babin Why aren't the brakes engaged on these cars? Are the angle cocks closed before breaking the connection to the locomotive air supply to keep pressure on the train line for the individual cars to keep the brakes disengaged?
CSSHEGEWISCH Watching a drop is a fascinating experience (I've seen it twice) but kicking cars is also enjoyable, especially watching just how far a car will roll on an empty track.
Several years ago I was on a business trip to Lynchburg, VA. Whilst killing time one night, I visited an NS (former Southern) yard located next to a mall there. Or, I should say, sat in the parking lot of said mall with a view of said yard.
A crew was kicking cars. They'd back up to clear a given switch, set the switch(s) for the desired track, then give a car or cars a healthy shove.
It was dark, and you couldn't see where the cars were going. But after a few moments, and while the crew was setting up for the next kick, you'd hear from the distant end of the yard, "BANG."
And they'd kick the next car.
tree68 CSSHEGEWISCH Watching a drop is a fascinating experience (I've seen it twice) but kicking cars is also enjoyable, especially watching just how far a car will roll on an empty track. Several years ago I was on a business trip to Lynchburg, VA. Whilst killing time one night, I visited an NS (former Southern) yard located next to a mall there. Or, I should say, sat in the parking lot of said mall with a view of said yard. A crew was kicking cars. They'd back up to clear a given switch, set the switch(s) for the desired track, then give a car or cars a healthy shove. It was dark, and you couldn't see where the cars were going. But after a few moments, and while the crew was setting up for the next kick, you'd hear from the distant end of the yard, "BANG." And they'd kick the next car.
A good crew would get three or more kicks from the cut they were coupled to before they would have to pull back beyond the critical switch to restart switching the rest of the cut. The good crews would have multiple cars moving on multiple tracks at the same time.
BaltACDA good crew would get three or more kicks from the cut they were coupled to before they would have to pull back beyond the critical switch to restart switching the rest of the cut. The good crews would have multiple cars moving on multiple tracks at the same time.
Normally, but there's also places you don't want to make a cut (curves or dips), or sometimes you may start a car into a track so it wouldn't hit as hard.
zug - who's kicked many, many, many cars.
BaltACD tree68 CSSHEGEWISCH Watching a drop is a fascinating experience (I've seen it twice) but kicking cars is also enjoyable, especially watching just how far a car will roll on an empty track. Several years ago I was on a business trip to Lynchburg, VA. Whilst killing time one night, I visited an NS (former Southern) yard located next to a mall there. Or, I should say, sat in the parking lot of said mall with a view of said yard. A crew was kicking cars. They'd back up to clear a given switch, set the switch(s) for the desired track, then give a car or cars a healthy shove. It was dark, and you couldn't see where the cars were going. But after a few moments, and while the crew was setting up for the next kick, you'd hear from the distant end of the yard, "BANG." And they'd kick the next car. A good crew would get three or more kicks from the cut they were coupled to before they would have to pull back beyond the critical switch to restart switching the rest of the cut. The good crews would have multiple cars moving on multiple tracks at the same time.
Like everything else today, rules and instructions don't always allow doing things in the good old days. Some places kicking cars isn't even allowed or severely restricted. Examples are not being able to cut off a car(s) in motion until previous cars have cleared the lead and switches lined. Some places, especially where kicking up grade-if it's even allowed, require knowing the cars in motion have coupled into standing cars and aren't rolling back before kicking another cut.
Dropping cars (the flying switch) is prohibited. Gravity drops are allowed by the rules, but almost prohibited everywhere by local instructions.
I participated in a drop once, during training on a yard job as a new hire. It wasn't too long after that that they were prohibited. Mainly because the reduction in crew size makes it hard to do. Not to mention that switches don't always receive the attention they should and may not line easily.
jeffhergertLike everything else today, rules and instructions don't always allow doing things in the good old days. Some places kicking cars isn't even allowed or severely restricted. Examples are not being able to cut off a car(s) in motion until previous cars have cleared the lead and switches lined. Some places, especially where kicking up grade-if it's even allowed, require knowing the cars in motion have coupled into standing cars and aren't rolling back before kicking another cut. Dropping cars (the flying switch) is prohibited. Gravity drops are allowed by the rules, but almost prohibited everywhere by local instructions. I participated in a drop once, during training on a yard job as a new hire. It wasn't too long after that that they were prohibited. Mainly because the reduction in crew size makes it hard to do. Not to mention that switches don't always receive the attention they should and may not line easily. Jeff
Back in the 'full crew' days in Baltimore Terminal, the Seagrams distillery was served by a facing point Westbound switch on the Eastbound Main track. The plant was switched by a crew out of Mt.Clare Yard which is East of the location. Crew would pull their cars behind the engine and make a run-a-round move with their engines between HX Tower (which is also East of Seagrams) and W. Baltimore control point. One day the Trainmaster was with the crew and featured that particular run-a-round move was just wasting time and ORDERED the crew to make a 'flying switch' with their cars into the plant's lead. Crew intitially refused but were threatened with an Investigation for Insubordination. They reluctantly relented and attempted the move. The cars made it onto the Seagrams lead which moved down grade as it moved away from the switch, however the brakes on the cars were not sufficient to keep the cars from going against a set up track in the plant that had multiple tank cars connected to various hoses - the moving cars coupled up to one or more of the stationary cars on a Blue Flagged track. Crew ended up in a Investigation for their switching failures. The Trainmaster (son of the President of the company) was reassigned to the West Virginia coal fields the next week.
They may have - that's just my generic recall of what they were doing. Hard to tell from 100+ yards away in the dark.
Most of rules allowing the dropping of cars say it's OK "when practicable."
One retired trainman in a very old issue of Railroad Magazine wrote that if everything went OK when dropping cars, the move was "practicable." If something went wrong and cars were damaged or derailed, then the move wasn't "practicable."
jeffhergert Plus not checking the switch gap, kicking across a road crossing, on and off moving equipmen. At one time, we had to lock the switch when we weren't standing by it. So, you're right, it ain't like the old days. BaltACD tree68 CSSHEGEWISCH Watching a drop is a fascinating experience (I've seen it twice) but kicking cars is also enjoyable, especially watching just how far a car will roll on an empty track. Several years ago I was on a business trip to Lynchburg, VA. Whilst killing time one night, I visited an NS (former Southern) yard located next to a mall there. Or, I should say, sat in the parking lot of said mall with a view of said yard. A crew was kicking cars. They'd back up to clear a given switch, set the switch(s) for the desired track, then give a car or cars a healthy shove. It was dark, and you couldn't see where the cars were going. But after a few moments, and while the crew was setting up for the next kick, you'd hear from the distant end of the yard, "BANG." And they'd kick the next car. A good crew would get three or more kicks from the cut they were coupled to before they would have to pull back beyond the critical switch to restart switching the rest of the cut. The good crews would have multiple cars moving on multiple tracks at the same time. Like everything else today, rules and instructions don't always allow doing things in the good old days. Some places kicking cars isn't even allowed or severely restricted. Examples are not being able to cut off a car(s) in motion until previous cars have cleared the lead and switches lined. Some places, especially where kicking up grade-if it's even allowed, require knowing the cars in motion have coupled into standing cars and aren't rolling back before kicking another cut. Dropping cars (the flying switch) is prohibited. Gravity drops are allowed by the rules, but almost prohibited everywhere by local instructions. I participated in a drop once, during training on a yard job as a new hire. It wasn't too long after that that they were prohibited. Mainly because the reduction in crew size makes it hard to do. Not to mention that switches don't always receive the attention they should and may not line easily. Jeff
Plus not checking the switch gap, kicking across a road crossing, on and off moving equipmen. At one time, we had to lock the switch when we weren't standing by it. So, you're right, it ain't like the old days.
At least our train and yardmen can get on and off moving equipment. One of the few good things PSR brought about. There are restrictions. First one has to take the computer based training. Then demonstrate to a manager getting on and off moving equipment.
Even engineers, like me, had to take the CBT but we didn't have to do the demonstration since we don't get on and off moving equipment.
Speed of moving equipment is restricted to 4 mph.
jeffhergert... Even engineers, like me, had to take the CBT but we didn't have to do the demonstration since we don't get on and off moving equipment. Speed of moving equipment is restricted to 4 mph. Jeff
Until they go to one man crews without a beltpack.
BaltACD jeffhergert ... Even engineers, like me, had to take the CBT but we didn't have to do the demonstration since we don't get on and off moving equipment. Speed of moving equipment is restricted to 4 mph. Jeff Until they go to one man crews without a beltpack.
jeffhergert ... Even engineers, like me, had to take the CBT but we didn't have to do the demonstration since we don't get on and off moving equipment. Speed of moving equipment is restricted to 4 mph. Jeff
It would seem to me a one person crewmember without the beltpack might not want to get off moving equipment. I recall some years back a CSX engineer getting off the movement to get a switch. That didn't work out so well and inspired a movie.
jeffhergertThat didn't work out so well and inspired a movie.
"The train that couldn't slow down!"
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