Swing Around the Rosy???

[Willy2]

Well, I'm puzzled about something! In one of my train videos, the mid-train helpers on coal trains are always called swing helpers or swing engines. I figured that they are always called mid-train helpers. I guess not.

What does "swing helper" mean?

Willy

[edblysard]

Willy,
Swing engines are used to swing full yard tracks over to another empty track, and spot them for ground air.
When I fill up a track switching, we "swing" the full track over to the departure yard.
Most of the time, large hump yards have dedicated crews and locomotives to do just that function, empty out full switch tracks.
These are not special locomotives, the term is just applied to the crew doing the swing job, and often, they get pulled off of that to work as helpers.

Ed

[Willy2]

Thanks Ed!

Willy