See this caboose: https://www.google.com/search?q=photos+of+cabooses&source=hp&ei=A3haYcS6Gv3k5NoPzv2N8Ak&oq=photos+of+cabooses&gs_lcp=ChFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocBADMgUIABCABDIGCAAQFhAeOgUIKRCABDoOCCkQgAQQxwEQ0QMQkwI6CAgpEIAEEJMCOg4IKRCABBDHARCvARCTAjoQCCkQgAQQxwEQrwEQChCTAjoNCCkQxwEQrwEQDRCTAjoCCCk6BAgpEA06BggpEBYQHjoFCCkQoAE6CAgAEOoCEI8BOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToICC4QsQMQgwE6BQguEIAEOggIABCABBCxAzoOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQowI6CAguEIAEELEDOgsILhCABBCxAxCDAToFCC4QsQM6CwgAEIAEELEDEMkDOgUIABCSAzoLCC4QgAQQxwEQrwE6BQgAELEDOgUIIRCgAVCTI1iGlQFgx6EBaAFwAHgAgAG_AYgB8w-SAQQxMC44mAEAoAEBsAEe&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp#imgdii=FfWp5qu7DjkYkM&imgrc=H-CGj0ldkExBfM
What is the purpose of the curved grab rails the curve away from the platforms?
All cabooses seem to have those. I can't figure out how you'd use them.
Still in training.
It helps you get on when the thing is moving fast, remember, this is from the era when it was common (if not expected) for trainmen to get on and off at 15 mph or better.
Get on the trailing end of the caboose as it is coming toward you. Grab the bottom of the curved handrail with one hand and let it gradually slide along the rail, you will be pulled up and toward the steps.
A lot of passenger equipment had them as well.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Thanks, Dude. Now that makes sense to me.
I call those "quarter circle boarding irons."
I tried doing this when I first hired on. I found it dangerous as it was too far away from the steps, making you stretch out and becoming unbalanced. Never used the darn things again!
.
15mph is a bit fast. We tried to be at 10mph or below when someone was getting on or off moving equipment. Dismounting can be done at higher speeds, especially if you have a smooth place to land, like a grade crossing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moh2l7udjio&t=5s
Note how Fatty Arbuckle seems to have a good grip on it. 1:06
54light15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moh2l7udjio&t=5s Note how Fatty Arbuckle seems to have a good grip on it. 1:06
Amazing CGI for the period! [/sarcasm]
As risky as it was for the actors - note the 'cameramen?' on the car tops.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
We aren't supposed to, but I've done one or two mounts and dismounts in motion. I don't recommend it.
It helps if you've been instructed on how, of course.
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...
tree68We aren't supposed to, but I've done one or two mounts and dismounts in motion. I don't recommend it. It helps if you've been instructed on how, of course.
It also helps when you aren't making your first attemps when you are 50+
tree68 We aren't supposed to, but I've done one or two mounts and dismounts in motion. I don't recommend it. It helps if you've been instructed on how, of course.
It takes a fair amount of practice to get good at it.
Trailing foot on, trailing foot off, and ride the leading end of the car so that if you slip you will fall against the side of the car, not into the gap between two cars (it's fine to ride the trailing end of the last car). Look up "Getting off on the Right Foot" on youtube for some old time instructions, we watched this on the first day of rules class when I hired on.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rx57jVGfso
We're not allowed to do it anymore either, but for the first few years of my career it was a normal part of switching (our rule was 4 mph or less).
This is about the only subject that working railroaders and Hunter Harrison agreed on, getting on and off at slow speeds is not only more productive than stopping every time, it is also safer. Why? You are not subjecting yourself to the rough slack that is often generated when a switching movement stops or starts, especially when the cars are bled off.
4 mph can actually seem rather slow once you get good at it, I found that 6 or 7 mph was quite comfortable (I have long legs and aren't carrying a lot of weight above my hips.....).
I agree with Mark, once you get good at it you should be able to get on at 10 and off at 15 or faster without falling or seriously hurting yourself in the moment. But it is a very bad idea to make this a regular habit due to the strain it puts on your joints (several of my older and retired co-workers have titanium hips or knees as a result of decades of switching in this manner).
Ah, the Archie Bunker movie. The first one we were shown, too.
They started allowing getting on/off again at 4 mph. It's gone through a lot of changes since I hired on. At first only yard men could do so, and then only certain months of the year. (Months without snow/ice conditions.)
Then it depended which Service Unit (Division) you were on. Some started allowing everyone, others restricted to yardmen. Finally for a long time no one could get on/off except in an emergency. Then came PSR.
There's places where getting on/off is safe, other places where it isn't. Besides the toll on train and yard service people's joints, some people don't recognize the unsafe places. I think this also influenced the banning of the practice, at first on the road, then everywhere.
Jeff
Dad used to commute on the CNJ, back in the days of heavy weight coaches. He would dismount from the his car when it was still moving. He had told the crews that he had worked as a locomotive fireman for three years between high school and college and, as he demonstrated he knew the technique, they let him get away with it. People would get fired today (if you could even open the door while the train was moving)
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.