Fusees

JG mentions a good spot for the placement of fusees. I have done the same thing for those shoves over grade crossings at night. Here's another spot for ya, especially on empty cars. Tap a fusee into the springs using a piece of trap rock or another good size rock. This way the fusees twnd to stay in place where placing them in the traditional spots may cause them to get knocked off by slack action.

Actually, JG, the memory is the fourth thing to go. I forget what the first three were, though.......................

Fusees are great for unfreezing a switch lock as well. However, I have heard that it can damage the internal components on the newer locks as some of the parts are plastic. Any thoughts on that one?

slchub wrote:Fusees are great for unfreezing a switch lock as well. However, I have heard that it can damage the internal components on the newer locks as some of the parts are plastic. Any thoughts on that one?

I used a fusee to thaw a frozen lock at Neilson Jct., (where the UP/BN converge in southern IL.) totally trashed that puppy. The UP MOW man wasn't enthused with my method. He said the newer high-security locks do indeed have plastic components.

Hmmm...metal=low security; plastic=high security

shortlinerailroader wrote:Hmmm...metal=low security; plastic=high security

Plastic internal parts. Believe me, they're much more secure than your old fashioned switch-locks.

jg greenwood wrote:I used a fusee to thaw a frozen lock at Neilson Jct., (where the UP/BN converge in southern IL.) totally trashed that puppy. The UP MOW man wasn't enthused with my method. He said the newer high-security locks do indeed have plastic components.

JG, was it a S-G lock? Or do you guys use something new on CNIC?

Geez, we use fusees to thaw our S-G 104 locks routinely in the winter. Which by the way seems to have arrived a little early this year!

thebigc wrote:

jg greenwood wrote:I used a fusee to thaw a frozen lock at Neilson Jct., (where the UP/BN converge in southern IL.) totally trashed that puppy. The UP MOW man wasn't enthused with my method. He said the newer high-security locks do indeed have plastic components.

JG, was it a S-G lock? Or do you guys use something new on CNIC?

Geez, we use fusees to thaw our S-G 104 locks routinely in the winter. Which by the way seems to have arrived a little early this year!

Not sure what you're asking Bigc. By high-security, I'm referring to the newer, hardened, pad-lock like switch locks. At many locations on the IC we still have the old-fashioned switch-locks, they're rapidly disappearing though............

S-G refers to Sergeant-Greenleaf, if I have spelled it correctly. They make switch locks. I believe it is their brand which uses the keys you describe - the 107, 102, and similar numbers.

I once had a salesman tell me they were totally resistant to freezing up, just could not happen. That was when they were first coming out. In the years since I have found them every bit a prone to freezing as the older style. The older ones could often be opened after giving them a sharp blow with a spike or something heavy - to break the ice, not the lock itself. The S-G don't seem to respond quite as well to that treatment.

Years ago one shortline started up and bought a whole box of regular Master padlocks keyed alike and put them on the switches, figuring it was a name brand, less attractive to railthief collectors, etc. Winter arrived and the crews began to use fusees to melt the ice. The fusee also melted the brass internal parts, causing the whole cylinder to fall out and render the lock useless. An order to Adlake for traditional switch locks soon followed.

I've never looked closely enough at our locks to determine who made them, but by "old fashioned" do yall mean the ones that click closed and have the cylindrical key? Ours also have the little spring-loaded cover that slides over the keyhole. I think BNSF has more modern ones where you insert the key in the bottom and it looks more like a conventional padlock. You also need the key to lock AND unlock it.

Of course, we don't worry much about snow and frozen locks down here. (hurricanes--well....)

shortlinerailroader wrote:I've never looked closely enough at our locks to determine who made them, but by "old fashioned" do yall mean the ones that click closed and have the cylindrical key? Ours also have the little spring-loaded cover that slides over the keyhole.

Adlake made our old locks. Conrail standardized on the Penn Central keyed lock and NJ Transit just continued the practice until the advent of the S-G lock. The shackles on the old locks looked solid but the body of it looked as if it was constructed of sheet metal.

shortlinerailroader wrote:I've never looked closely enough at our locks to determine who made them, but by "old fashioned" do yall mean the ones that click closed and have the cylindrical key? Ours also have the little spring-loaded cover that slides over the keyhole. I think BNSF has more modern ones where you insert the key in the bottom and it looks more like a conventional padlock. You also need the key to lock AND unlock it.

Of course, we don't worry much about snow and frozen locks down here. (hurricanes--well....)

Yes, I believe that's what we mean by the term "old fashioned."

I looked today...on the keyhole cover it says "KELINE" on ours. I did not see anything stamped on the BNSF's.