This "speed" seems to be a bit unusual . I believe I've read more than one
place that 18 mph is the speed to avoid. From what I remember the 18 mph is
the maximum harmonic for most freight cars and running at that speed for any
length of time leads to tracking problems and derailments. WBG.
--- On Sun, 2/14/10, cvlk <cvlk@comcast.net> wrote:
From: cvlk <cvlk@comcast.net>
Subject: [CBQ] Dutch Drop
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, February 14, 2010, 10:27 PM
I checked a couple of good general references I have on railroad folklore and
they don't have any explanation for the origin of the term "Dutch Drop".
There is a reference to a "Dutch clock" which was a speed recording
mechanism. The illustration was for the Santa Fe, which had installed the
device in waycars and set it to 18 miles an hour, which was the speed that
freights were to be operated at... not under, and not over. The crews figured
out that by slamming the waycar into the standing train at exactly 18 miles per
hour it would record that speed from then on no matter what speed the train was
going.
Probably nothing to do with the switching manuever, but interesting.
Charlie Vlk
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