Poling was also used when a crew had to get a car off a siding at a facing point switch, but they needed the car behind the locomotive. If there was no place to run around the car, poling was the only option. Today, the car would be picked up by a crew working the opposite direction so the switch was a trailing point switch. The car would then be taken to the next yard down the line, and switched into a train going the opposite direction. Not as efficient, but a lot safer.
Poling was a very dangerous process if not done skillfully. I have done it, both on the ground and as the engineer. One time when I was working the ground, the engineer shoved too hard on the pole and it literally exploded into hundreds of pieces. Thankfully I was standing well out of shrapnel range.
I'm also thankful that this operation is no longer legal.
