Steam era signals

[Brakie]

"Workin' with the Air..." - with and without the cabin...Bob C.

Do you mean opening an air valve to cause a pressure loss?

Yes,the conductor would reduce the air by taping once or twice-no unsafe lost of air.On passenger trains their was a communication cord in each passenger car...Today the conductor/brakeman needs to "work the air" while making a shove-not sure how that works with the "A" end of the car as lead in the shove..Thankfully we didn't have to do that-imagine riding the last car on a high mounted brake platform.

Just because we had radios there was no guarantee we would use them all the time.Even when I worked on the C&O under Chessie/CSX(78-84) we still used hand signals.

A side note about whistle signals..We never use 'em during switching moves unless we cross a public crossing.You see the local citizenry frowned on constant whistle use,there may have been whistle ordinances and special instructions in the ETT.

As a ps on hand signals..There was several signals that isn't in the book..A taping on top of the head meant to slack ahead-tapping the fanny meant "slack back".A extended arm with hand down while making a circle was a signal that the brakeman/conductor was going in between the cars or into the bushes to relieve his self.