01-23-2011, 05:50 AM
As a teenager in the 60's, I had the chance to ride with train crews that used only hand/lantern signals to do all switching and I can assure you that it was no rougher than anything you see today where radios are used. It was fascinating to watch them switch long cuts of cars inside huge distillery complexes at night using only lantern signals. Everyone worked together and knew where to be at all times while working in locations with close clearances and sharp curves. Smooth couplings and accurate car spotting were the the norm.
Old head engineers would do things like count telephone poles to judge distances and look for certain landmarks as a way to measure train lengths, etc. Seems that this is a lost art these days, although every now and then you'll still see switchmen using hand signals while working.
Old head engineers would do things like count telephone poles to judge distances and look for certain landmarks as a way to measure train lengths, etc. Seems that this is a lost art these days, although every now and then you'll still see switchmen using hand signals while working.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"