What's the longest time you had to ride a cut -backwards?

Allright-here we go! Just wanted to hear some stories about riding cuts of cars being shoved---I rode some loaded auto-racks the other day on some yard track----and I swear I think the top of the car was swaying 6 feet from side to side. We got off after a 10 minute shove and I asked my conductor how much I owed for the carnival ride! LOL


Nashvillie Newbie

Several "great shoves" come to mind, during my travels. Last place I was at (CSOR) we pulled to the end of all 3 branchlines I serviced, and shoved back to the main yard, at Hartford and East Hartford. Shoves were 9 miles, 6 miles and 5 miles, respective for each branch. Truth be told, we often had a hack with us, to protect that movement. A really great shove, was when we were called for the "Acid Train", from Oak Island, to Browns yard, and then down to the waterfront, at South Amboy. With a 50-65 car loaded acid train in tow, once you got to Browns, you had to shove the entire Raritan River RR line, down to the plant, and spot the train. Across 2 big highways, around 2 wye's down a 1.6 percent grade, while negotiating a giant horshoe, it was quite the shove. I would estimate around 6-8 miles. That train was in the 6500-8000 ton range, and the crew rode the end platform, of the last tank, all the way to the end of the line. There was a couple of times on the NYS&W we shoved from Butler, to Sparta, to spot the lumber yard, on the mainline, a distance of approx., 20 miles. This was done at track speed, with crew riding the car to spot, due to no runaround at the lumber yard. With one car only, we would all ride the cab of the engine, and hang out the windows, to "protect" the shove. At some time, everyone probably does it, although we would always prefer to make a "drop" on the cars, to prevent riding a shove. Sadly, making drops, or "flying switches" is now forbidden, on most properties. The carriers think it's safer to ride a shove for 10 miles, then to allow a crew to make a drop. Just a few of many, many shoves I have made, across the country, over the years. Regards

Riding shoves are probably much easier (and safer) when done on a hopper where there is a place to stand, instead of hanging off the side for that length of time!

In theory, yes. In reality, it's now against the rules, on most properties, to ride inside that cozy, covered platform. Too many guys have been killed, or crushed, riding the ends of those shoves. It still happens, but "don't get caught", is the rule of thumb. Regards

GOLDEN-ARM wrote: Sadly, making drops, or "flying switches" is now forbidden, on most properties. The carriers think it's safer to ride a shove for 10 miles, then to allow a crew to make a drop.

But remember; nothing's against the rules if you don't get caught.

My sentiments, exactly. I never "go after" a crew, if they are getting the work done, and nobody gets hurt. I don't like having my hands tied, and I don't go looking to jam anyone else up, either. Be safe (as long as it doesn't interfere with train operations ) Regards

Loaded Lumber cars are the bane of my existence, I will go out of my way to avoid riding those things any distance. It's even worse when you have a remote box strapped to your chest (but wait you say, the FRA doesn't want you controlling the move while riding the point. Tell it to my employer). I have crawled inside those hopper cars a few times for long shoves, and I don't mind tanks so much just as long as the engineer isn't playing "crack the whip" with the slack. At least some railroads give you a shove car for long distance moves, I can't see hanging off the side of a boxcar for 9 miles.

"My guy" wouldn't ride the side, for those distances. If we didn't have a covered hopper in the train (which we usually did, if the hack wasn't with us) he would sit on the end platform, with his feet resting comfortably on the cut-lever, and he would ride that way. Coming back from the "market", he would ride inside the loaded trash cars, on the point, in the space where the trash sloped down to the end sheet. Wasn't "real" trash, but construction debris. I kept constant vigil on him, making sure he was ducking down, through all of those tunnels we run through, between the market and Hartford yard. His choice to do this, and it saved us from making a "double run-around" while servicing the market, so we saved an hour or so, every time we did that. I shot a cool telephoto shot of him, "riding the trash", while we shoved past the old Colt Firearm factory, in Hartford. I will post it, when I get a chance

SteelWheels21 wrote:Loaded Lumber cars are the bane of my existence, I will go out of my way to avoid riding those things any distance. It's even worse when you have a remote box strapped to your chest (but wait you say, the FRA doesn't want you controlling the move while riding the point. Tell it to my employer). I have crawled inside those hopper cars a few times for long shoves, and I don't mind tanks so much just as long as the engineer isn't playing "crack the whip" with the slack. At least some railroads give you a shove car for long distance moves, I can't see hanging off the side of a boxcar for 9 miles.

Yet another reason why someone is far better off spending a considerable amount of time on the ground before making the move to running. Nothing like having some lazy-a$$ straight-air you like a sling-shot! A little air underneath the cut makes all the difference in the world when making shoves. Some are just plain lazy though, straight-air is their method.

GOLDEN-ARM wrote: Coming back from the "market", he would ride inside the loaded trash cars, on the point, in the space where the trash sloped down to the end sheet. Wasn't "real" trash, but construction debris.

One good run-in and the resultant load shift will cure him of that habit. Once I considered riding in a gon full of rail, you know after riding on the handbrake platform for 20 minutes. Got inside the car and took a good look around and got the hell out. Didn't feel like being impaled that day or thereafter. Another time, I decided to ride in an empty drop-end gon. You guessed it: a little run-in and the end dropped in the car! I'm pretty strong but I don't think I was up for bench pressing the end of a gon that day.

It's a very unforgiving environment we work in.

Hey, BigC, you should have walked up to the engine, and slapped that hogger. I never shove a guy, riding on the point, without at least a minimum on the train. Only if we are shoving up a good grade, will I not have that air applied. Good idea not riding that rail car, as steel slides very easily. That construction debris is like ground sheetrock, lumber, etc, and it is packed in tight. Loose stuff might blow away, but that stuff does not shift. You could ride the inside of a drop end gon, just stay towards the center of the car, well clear of any moving parts, or ones that COULD move. I might have to work a little harder, to shove against the air, but I never would chance "launching" the guy on the point, unless I had a serious grudge against him, and even then, I would rather give him "spaghetti arms", than to risk running him over. Moveable/shiftable loads are to be respected, but there are ways around anything. I have ridden the top of many a train, on covered hoppers, tank cars (LPG or ammonia cars, with the full length catwalks up top) even pigs. We used to store empty pigs, at Reed Valley, when there was no more room at SK. I caught a job picking them up, once, with a cool guy who said "once I close the switch, just start pulling, but keep 'em under 30 mph, until you see me again". He closed the handthrow, and walked across the table tops, while we were pulling back towards the NJCT. He didn't mind walking those cars, and I enjoyed watching him do it, on a 3/4 mile long empty pig train. He was an "old head", and seemed quite at ease, with the jump, from one car to the next. Saved him from walking the ballast, up to the head end, as we were sitting on a crossing, once we cleared the switch. Made the day a lot shorter, as well. Regards

As for the longest shove which is a normal move, I would have to say a local that has to shove 4 to 4&1/2 miles everynight after servicing it's last customer.

There is also a job which goes downtown Boston on Amtrak and has to shove anywhere from a mile to 3 miles at a time, which is good pay wise.

We have a regular job that shoves carbon black and tank cars abt. 5 or 6 miles down the main, onto a branch and into a storage yard where we then switch them out.

best --the tanks
worst--those carbon black hoppers with the airbags inside (they look like boxcars) with no "cozy compartment".

Well, actually, the best is when we go back there light engne

shortlinerailroader wrote:Well, actually, the best is when we go back there light engne

Not really, there's no money in that!!!