poling

[railroad65]

What's a pinchbar? Any pictures? Thanks

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Old Timer
I've seen it done many times by people who knew what they were doing, and there weren't any problems.
Old Timer

True, but I always thought it was a rather nerve-wracking operation. Extreme care had to be used.

[Anonymous]

Poling was just like a lot of things around the railroad - it was only dangerous in the hands of people who didn't take care in doing it, and who used unsafe poles.

I've seen it done many times by people who knew what they were doing, and there weren't any problems.

Old Timer

[trainfan1221]

A lot of locos did have polling slots, despite the danger involved. I think it was only for when a loco got trapped by a car that didn't quite get the distance to clear up. Railroads aren't immune to dangerous practices, such as link and pin couplers, which thankfully didn't last.

[tatans]

Many, many moons ago we tried to spot a reefer beside the ice house, no locomotive was available not even a pinch bar, so one guy got a C.P.R. truck and an old fence post, well, after the pole slipped off the front bumber and destroyed the grill and part of the radiator we got the car rolling, oops, it just went off the track into the gravel, who thought to stop it, after the stationmaster reamed us out we spent the rest of the day watching B&B guys put the car back on the tracks, and we finally got a pinchbar. good times.

[tatans]

Didn't any of you wonder what that round steel plate at the corner of a boxcar and on each corner of most steam engines was for? that's where the pole went so it wouldn't slip out (supposedly) Gee, no danger there eh?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Poling is incredibly hazardous and a switch crew could consider itself lucky if nobody got injured or killed in such a maneuver. It has been outlawed for some time now.

[ValleyX]

From those I knew who actually did it, it was mostly used to put cars in the clear when a drop or kick move didn't get the job done. Had an old conductor tell me one time, when he was a young brakeman, he refused to stand and hold the pole when it started to creak and he thought it was going to break. The conductor he was working for wanted to turn him in to the trainmaster for failure to do his job but nothing ever came of it, he continued to railroad until retirement. This would have happened in the late 1930's.

[edbenton]

poling was were you used a piece of timber to shove a car on an adjancent track. some RR's even had poling cars were the switchman or brakeman could stay off the ground and shove the cars around. Fell out of practice due to the danger in it pole breaks and splinters fly around. Also good to clear a fouled switch lead.

[sanvtoman]

could someone please explain "poling" to me. i noticed most steam and early diesels had poling slots on the or near the steps. thank you!