Been there , done that, Andre! Like you say, it was safer and much more expedient. Switchmen, myself included, at Streator [IL] used "talk" to each other and lay out the next five moves without ever uttering a word. Beats any so-called time consuming, productivity robbing "job briefings" dreamed up by college boy party animals hands down!
Bob Nicholson --- In [email protected], "Andre Ming" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > ...we also used prototypical hand signals...BR (before radio) > > Interesting! > > As a railroader, I will say that (IMHO) switching by hand signals was safer > than using radio. > > Hand signals are almost becoming a lost art on Today's Railroad. > > We have a new hire (green hand) on our crew. He seems to like railroading. > Even though I'm the engineer, as the "old head" (i.e. one that has been > around railroading WAAAAY too long), I have begun to teach him hand signals, > and how to use them. (The regular Conductor on this switch job only has 19 > months railroading, so he's still learning them also.) I explained to the > new hire that radios fail, and it behooves him to know hand signals and how > to use them. IF one knows a good selection of hand signals, you can > essentially convey any info you need to convey without aid of radio. I > started by teaching him how to "count" using his hands/fingers, and the > signal for a "joint", "hooking/snapping air hoses", etc, etc. > > Off the top of my head, there are hand signals for: > > The Basics: > > Bring Them Ahead > Take Them Away > Half Car > Stop > > Other: > > Numbers 1-10 > Cut > Pick up > Shove > Kick > Drop > Engine House/Depot/Office > Rip Track > Bad Order > Align a switch > Align behind > Head End (of train) > Tail End (of train) > Check Your Headlight (Turn it on or off) > Swap Ends (Of a consist) > Crossing > Main Track > Pass Track > Pin (Need slack to pull a pin) > Finished (End of work) > Hold "X" cars. (i.e. leave room for) > Connect Air Hoses > Etc. > > When hand signals were used day in, day out, you talked with them and gave > signals in clusters. Merely by using hand signals, a Conductor could pass > to his ground crew and engineer something like: > > Align 3 rail > Pick up the head 5 cars (on 3 rail) > Shove to 4 rail, cut 2 > Set remaining (cars) to Main Track > > Did I say safer? > > Yup, the rule was (is) simple for the engineer: If you cannot see the person > controlling the move: Stop movement. > > Andre Ming > Eastern OK > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
