06-29-2011, 07:56 AM
Fluesheet Wrote:"Bailing off" referred to manually (and quickly) releasing the brakes on the locomotive so that the locomotives will roll free - which should keep them from being punched in the rear by a very large torpedo!
This is absolutely right. It is one of the first things I learned as a student engineer, bale off those engines in case of emergency application and keep the slack stretched. You'd be amazed at the kick in the rear you can get from an undesired emergency application, potentially throwing you, your grip, your drink, paperwork, etc. off your seat onto the floor, down into the nose, up onto the windshield, etc. As a conductor once I was almost thrown from the front porch of an SD40-2 when I was walking out preparing to get off the unit and my train derailed and went into emergency 30 cars behind the units.
-Dave