Reaching Over Drawbar/Coupler - Your Thoughts?

What do different Class 1 railroad rule books have to say about reaching over a drawbar/coupler assembly to close an angle cock? Are there any best practices out there?

Here’s the problem: in many situations, it is neither safe nor practical to be on the engineer’s side of the train (from where angle cocks must be closed on the last car before the break when leaving a portion of the train behind). For example, when the engineer’s side is directly adjacent to an active main track. Autoracks present a special problem because they do not permit crossing over mid-train.

I understand why some railroads prohibit reaching across; they’re rightly concerned about someone getting an arm or hand injured should the draft gear, drawbar or couplers shift while reaching across.

Maybe there is a solution that is both safe and rules compliant. I look forward to the dialog on this.

don't reach accross, you get paid by hour so do it the safe way.

There's nothing wrong with it as long as you a. don't get caught and b. let you engineer know you're in-between. Yes I know it's not the safest thing in the world, but almost every trainman I've worked with has done it.

Reaching over is a violation of Cardinal safety rules, and is a SOFA no-no, as well. Many, many people have been injured, had amputations and have even been killed, by "reaching across, just to close the air". Ever seen couplers re-adjust themselves, while the train was sitting still? If you know you are going to make a cut, it shouldn't matter what type of equipment is involved. Work the engineers side of the train, and the anglecocks are on your side (unless the loco is backwards, then work the blind side) A few extra minutes doing it right, sure as hell beats a lifetime of missing parts, or permanent deformities....... Some of those anglecocks can't be reached at all, from the opposite side, unless you lay on the drawbars, and remove your feet from the ground. (Sounds entirely safe to me.......... )

Another good one Golden! And Dutch as well. I especially like the SOFA part in there Golden. Makes for great reading at the AWFHT when you cannot sleep.

But seriously, as a couple of Hoggers have said, and me too, work the engineers side. We can see you, it makes us feel better knowing your alive and it lets us know how much time we have on our hands before we have to start working the controls.

Golden Arm brings up a great point about drawbars readjusting themselves, especially on grades. Put a set of 24 loaded tank cars, a few auto racks in the mix and talk about good times.

In my opinion there are not enough reasons to reach over a drawbar.
If your making a cut the valve on part left standing is to be left open while making cut (no botteling of air), and pumping up on air goes at hourly wage.

If making hitch, make safety stop before hitch , open valve, make hitch, hook up hoses , open other valve.

IF and only IF you need to close both to change a hose, or gasket, close one side, either cross over a car or at a ladder and coupler, and do other side, or make split so you can perform the work.

If I may, I have an alternative to reaching over the drawbar to close an angle cock to make a cut. Go to the next car that you are taking with you, close that angle cock and bleed the air if need be. After you make your cut and get your safe distance, then close the rear cock and go on your way.

All good inputs. I agree that safety is paramount. I'd like to identify a way of making the move from the side of the train opposite the adjacent, active main track (this only presents a problem when you're leaving part of your train on a track where there is a busy adjacent main to the right of the train, facing toward the head end). I'm especially interested in autoracks, since they cannot be crossed over. I think scooter 66 is on to something.

Assuming I'm on the side opposite the angle cock I need to close (the left side of the train as it faces forward), wouldn't I close the angle cock on the head end of the last car I want to take, then make the cut? I'm still having trouble figuring out how to drag the last car, because, once I pull the train apart, the last car I'm taking with me is going to go into emergency and I don't think I want to drag it very far. Maybe just pull it enough to separate the air hoses, stop the movement, bleed the air off the last car, then separate at least 50 feet, cross behind it, close the trailing end angle cock, then recross, go to the leading end of the last car and open that angle cock to restore air to the last car.

Keep those thoughts and ideas coming!

Dragging that car isn't an issue. If you can't work the correct side, for some strange, oddly bizzarre reason, and you really are THAT worried about moving a car with air set on it, just bleed it off. Still can't see the reason for working the "wrong" side though.......

I concur with Golden Arm on that one. Dragging and bleeding and this and that takes far longer and requires more work on the person switching, all the while placing the employee in a position to get hurt by slipping on the ballast, etc.

The easiest way is not the best way and is a sure way to have someone question you and in this day and age with young managers fresh out of college without any understanding for shortcuts and an understanding of the rules, I see far more trouble to do anything but the basics in switching, etc. I've only been working in the industry going on 4 years, but I have learned that the guys who have been hurt or killed were taking the short cuts or the easy way for the early quit, etc. Your getting paid for 8 or 12 hours.

Quit or no quit, you better believe that the time off to think about how to do it a better way because an Manager does not like the way you did it or thinking about it in a hospital is not going make it any better than if you just did the way the guys have been doing it for years.

i wouldnt reach across for all the reasons posted. Also if you were sending air back and the hoses were going to be charged there is no way on gods green earth I am going to stand that close to them hoses and send air back!

I understand one reason why he wouold be on the wrong side. He did state a main line next to the train, but if I am doing switching or inspecting most of the guys coming at me would hear the chatter and at least say hot rail I would hope. Then you hop off on their field side and watch them by and then go back to your buisness.

Some of these rules were made because some folks don't use common sense. Reaching across drawheads, stepping on cut-levers, stepping on draw-heads. Those are DANGEROUS actions. Plan your work. Don't do these stupid acts. Some of us hate to have to tell your family about what kind of worker you were. (key word there is "were").

Don't do it.

Many have been the times I've come to a stop; the conductor's asked for "three-step protection" (Reverser removed; generator field off; air set); and THEN felt the yank of delayed slack runout.

Working as a switchman...I won't forget. Had a new man with me (the blind leading the blind! Three months on the job and I'm training...) and the last car was a tank car. Called for the engineer to pull ahead two cars. We were riding the tank and the new guy forgot where he was (and I forgot I was his keeper) and he leaned against the bulkhead of the tank like you'd lean against a wall.

That tank went from zero to six mph instantaneously; and the trainee went arse over tip - almost like a Loony Toons short.

Unexpected things can happen with railroad equipment...especially as it's coming to a stop or recently been stopped or started.