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Hey There, BNSF bans kicking cars? Wow! I tell you what, kicking cars is so much fun! Yeah, you heard me, it was fun! You get the right cut of cars and the right crew and you can switch fast! Now I know run-by switching was banned long ago. Run-by's are when you have a car coupled to the engine and the car is on the wrong end of the engine in comparison to the switch lead. You have a brakeman at the switch, a brakeman on the car, and the conductor at the pin on the locomotive. With no air on the car, you speed up, then when you get near the switch the engine slows for slack, pull pin, engine races ahead. When the engine clears the switch the brakeman throws it, the car goes into the siding and the brakeman on the car ties one on, to stop the car. Really exciting! Most yards have topographical issues. Some flat switches are downhill, just requiring a pin to be pulled, others are uphill which requires the "kick". Richmond's Acca Yard is interesting. The North Yard, South End, pulls the pin. North Yard, North End pulls the pin. The South Yard, North End, kick the snot outta them! South Yard, South End, pull the pin and a lil' kick. Fulton Yard on the C&O just down a way was interesting too! The yard is a bowl. Kick a car in a track, kicked car comes rolling back. Many an old timer told the tale of a kicked cut rolling its way through the yard out onto the viaduct...Ah yes, those were the days! I remember being at Clifton Forge, VA...uphill...trying to sleep in the bunk house... Engine...wub wub wub wub wub wub.....bamn! Wub wub wub wub wub....bamn! all night long! Like I said, kicking cars was a lot of fun! Too bad BNSF! Kickin' is an art!
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