07-01-2012, 01:10 PM
Mark, thanks for providing the link for the video.
Up until the last couple of years it was permissible (and still is on some roads) to get on/off moving equipment. I used to do this all the time to get from one side to the other of a moving train although not between cars and only on locomotives/cabooses with a continuous hand rail separating the employee from the coupler.
Balloon track operations are becoming very common these days for loading frac sand, oil, ethanol, grain, perishables and just about any commodity handled as a unit train large or small. It eliminates switching and allows the locomotives to remain on the head end at all times.
This can be duplicated on an HO layout easily by using a long piano hinge to connect half of the "balloon", 2' x 4'-6'' to the other 2' x '8' portion of a switching layout so it can be lowered along side the switching layout when not in use.
Barry
Up until the last couple of years it was permissible (and still is on some roads) to get on/off moving equipment. I used to do this all the time to get from one side to the other of a moving train although not between cars and only on locomotives/cabooses with a continuous hand rail separating the employee from the coupler.
Balloon track operations are becoming very common these days for loading frac sand, oil, ethanol, grain, perishables and just about any commodity handled as a unit train large or small. It eliminates switching and allows the locomotives to remain on the head end at all times.
This can be duplicated on an HO layout easily by using a long piano hinge to connect half of the "balloon", 2' x 4'-6'' to the other 2' x '8' portion of a switching layout so it can be lowered along side the switching layout when not in use.
Barry