Kicking cars

[csxengineer98]

that artical just about sums it all up, but the only time you realy need to run along side the car holding the cut leaver up is if the pin wont stay up..or if the engineer isnt a good kicker and bangs the cars around to much to make the pin fall once you get it up... most of the time..you just reach in..grab the leaver.. lift..and let it fly...
csx engineer

[silicon212]

On my old Magma excursions back in the 90s, the crew would have the engineer accelerate the cars to be kicked to about 5MPH. Go too fast, and you have a collision that could result in a car or two going onto the ground, or a broken knuckle - too slow and the car never makes it to its intended destination. The real fun comes with "dropping" cars - its like kicking only the locomotive is ahead of the cars to be moved and not behind. In that case, you're hoping not to become "frogged" by a car stopping partially through the switch!

[rrandb]

I have seen then on the steps of either car but not jogging.

[Murphy Siding]

Holy Cow![:O] How fast are they going when they kick a car,and how far does that poor guy have to run?.

[Anonymous]

Murph - That's pretty much how flat switching works. You bleed the cars off to release the brakes, then you loco pulls out a track and you begin switching. Depending upon the yard and your comfort level you may ride a car back in each track and tie a handbrake on it before you begin kicking cars into the tracks you are using to classify cars. But you do run along side the cars and another crew member will usually line up your tracks for whatever you are kicking. Then you tell the engineer by radio or handsignal to give a kick and he widens the throttle as he deems necessary. You run alongside dodging switchstands holding the cutting lever up and tell the engineer to stop when you are going fast enough. The car rolls free into its track, you back up, your switchman lines you up for the next car (you both have a switchlist so he knows what will go where too) and you repeat the process until you have switched your cars or until the end of your shift.

[Murphy Siding]

In an old Trains Magazine, I was reading an article about railyards and switching. Around here, all switching is done with a switchman riding the car and getting off to do the groundwork. So, kicking cars is quite foreign to me. If I understood the article correctly, it sound like some poor devil has to walk(run) beside a car, holding up a lever(?), until the train hits the right speed. Then,he signals the engineer, who brakes the locomotive, causing the car to come uncoupled. At that point, the switchman can let go of the lever(?). What am I misunderstanding here? Wouldn't every switchman have to be an olympic triathlete? Can someone shed some light on this for me? Thanks