It gets better as it goes on, Jim. I remember old heads telling me how they set out 40 and 50 car blocks of cars in the fog. The engineer would know where to stop based on landmarks, give the brakeman time to uncouple, then pull ahead the correct distance, give the brakeman time to line the switch(es) then shove into the set out track.
If the brakeman wasn't ready for the engineer to move at any time, he knew how to take preventive measures in a way the engineer would know there was something amiss, and not move until he knew it was safe to do so, all the time completely out of sight of the brakeman until he shoved the cars into the set out track. It was a dangerous time, and not the place for inexperienced people, but railroaders met these and other challenges and succeeded in overcoming them on a daily basis. That's one reason I would have just about given up my manhood just to have David P. Morgan and John Kneiling braking for me for a week on the sixteen-hour-a-day local I was assigned to as a new conductor in 1970. Bob Nicholson __________________________________________ --- In [email protected], Jim and Cheryl Martin <farnhamho...@...> wrote: > > Bob and Andre: > > I was being facetious of course, but in the end came out learning something. > Wonder how many factoids I could pick up if I took things more seriously? > > Cheers' > Jim > > > > ________________________________ > From: shabbona_rr <user141...@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Sat, November 13, 2010 3:28:09 PM > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} FNF > > > No, that's where proper training comes in. An experienced railroader knew > where > he was. Inexperienced railroaders learned by watching how they did it. That's > why it took at least four years of working experience before a trainman could > take promotion to conductor, and an engineer (at least on Southern Pacific) > needed eight years - just to be a yard engineer. > > Two weeks of book and computer training by smart alecky chalk-twirling > college > boy instructors just don't cut it - especially today! > > How do you think we ran in the fog? > > Bob Nicholson ________________________________________ > > --- In [email protected], Jim and Cheryl Martin <farnhamhouse@> wrote: > > > > I'm curious so maybe the professional railroaders can help me out here. If > > you > > > > get distracted and lose count of the poles, do you have to back the train > > up > >and > > > > start over? > > > > Just wondering > > Jim > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > From: Andre Ming <laming@> > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Sat, November 13, 2010 10:36:52 AM > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} FNF > > > > > > We still use pole count on the A&M. 40 per mile. > > > > Of course, most of the original telegraph poles are long gone, so we have > > miles marked in 10 pole increments to help orient slow orders/etc. All > > this > > week, I had slow orders that basically read: > > > > 10 MPH at: > > > > MP. 417 plus 17 poles to 23 poles > > MP. 418 plus 13 poles > > MP. 420 plus 8 poles. > > > > Andre Ming > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "shabbona_rr" <user141771@> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 8:35 AM > > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} FNF > > > > > On Santa Fe, the nation's premier railroad, we figured 40 poles to the > > > mile. Slow orders were based on poles (not pole length spacing) to locate > > > affected track, for instance, "3 Poles West of MP205 to 4 Poles west of > > > MP > > > 206." > > > > > > Once a BN conductor was ridiculing me because they used feet instead of > > > pole lengths. I asked him which he'd rather count from the train, poles > > > or > > > feet > > > > > > Bob Nicholson ________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], prorr@ wrote: > > >> > > >> Peter, Nice job, they look very relistic.If my memory serves me > > >> correctly,they were spaced about 80' apart. I can remember old head > > >> engineers using > > >> them to calculate train length. Of course back then most cars were 40 > > >> footers and every pole was 2 car lengths.They may have been 120' foot > > >> apart but > > >> I'm thinking 80' is right. > > >> > > >> Gary Carmichael > > >> > > >> > > >> In a message dated 11/13/2010 9:00:26 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, > > >> pavanvliet@ writes: > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> This week I finished installing 9 scratchbuilt telephone/telegraph poles > > >> on part of the layout that is already in the scenery stage. I documented > > >> the process of building them on my web site: > > >> > > >> _http://pmrr.org/Articles/Scenery/TelegraphPoles.htm_ > > >> (http://pmrr.org/Articles/Scenery/TelegraphPoles.htm) > > >> > > >> Enjoy, > > >> - Peter. > > >> -- > > >> Peter Vanvliet (_pavanvl...@_ (mailto:pavanvliet@) , or > > >> _pe...@_ (mailto:peter@) ) > > >> Houston, Texas > > >> > > >> "It is easy to give up; anyone can do that..." > > >> > > >> _http://pmrr.org/_ (http://pmrr.org/) (my model railroad) > > >> _http://fourthray.com/_ (http://fourthray.com/) (my company) > > >> _http://houstonsgaugers.org/_ (http://houstonsgaugers.org/) (model > > >> railroad club) > > >> -- > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus > > > signature database 4984 (20100330) __________ > > > > > > The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. > > > > > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ 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: [email protected] [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/
