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Reply to "Are you a switchman? (3)"

From Gregg:  " Talking about switching.... Did you ever work a job that only the conductor would actually see the list... everything was done with hand signal and both brakeman were usually kept in the dark. "

When I worked on a local switcher or a yard job, the answer would always be 'yes' to your question.  One of the first things we were was taught was to take and pass signals.  If a person understood what was being signaled and how to carry it out, then he didn't need to know much more in regard to the switch list.        In return, I would ask you if you ever saw a conductor hand lists to his rear brakeman and let him and the pin puller handle the switching while he stayed in the waycar to figure tonnages and sort bills?  Frisco conductors commonly did this when the list wasn't a nightmare.  I can remember Walt Wendell saying to us, "I'll go unlock all the switches and derails while you run to the station to get the list and figure out your game plan."  After that, he went and did paperwork.   Head brakeman on thru freights that only had big S/O's at several stations...in those instances all we needed was a copy of the wheel report to make our set outs.  This was usually an instance where we ran short crew, and the lonely conductor stayed in the caboose.   Then, a local would come behind us and do the work.

Yes, it is fun for me to think about it, too.  That is precisely why I get on this forum and dredge it all up again.

DTownsend4

Goolsby, Moulton. and Lacy on local 444 in a Dave Townsend photo.

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  • DTownsend4

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