--- Mike Decker <mdecker@g...> wrote:
> Hi John:
>
> I just got back from depositing our daughter in UP territory (Laramie,
> Wyo.)
> for college, and saw your question. Putting your inside leg against the
> hose on your side is a good plan. That way, you won't get hit by the
> hose
> on your side if they come apart. You probably wouldn't be able to hold
> two
> glad hands together when the air hits them anyway, and you'ld be down on
> one
> knee trying it.
>
> We had a brakeman killed in Gillette one night while they were switching
> out
> 368. It was in 1977 or '78, before portables were standard issue. He
> left
> his lamp out in between the tracks while he was in between the cars
> lining
> air. The brand new head brakeman (person) and the almost new Engineer,
> saw
> the lamp and coupled into the track, figuring he was in the clear. He
> wasn't...and the joint, with two comparatively inexperienced people
> working
> by lamp signals in the dark, was harder than it should have been. The
> force
> rolled him, and cut him just about in two. The moral of the story is:
> if
> you are working with lamps, take it between the cars with you. They
> aren't
> supposed to move if they don't know where you are.
>
> Mike Decker, ex-Brakeman, now Engineer, Edgemont, SD
>
> Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 22:25:14 -0400
> From: John Knopp <jdknopp@g...>
> Subject: Re: a dumb question about getting air
>
> At 04:32 PM 8/21/2000 -0700, Tom K. wrote:
>
> >If a trainman is coupling air between two cars the preferred method is
> >to place your left or right foot, (depending on whether you are right
> or
> >left handed, straddling the rail closest to you. You then hasve an
> escape
> >route if something goes terribly wrong.
>
> I'm OK with having one foot outside the gauge but as far as the two
> hoses
> are concerned would you advocate bracing your inside leg against the
> hoses
> or perhaps grasping the two glad hands in your free hand as the angle
> cock
> is opened?
>
> Also, have you ever had anything start rolling on you when you were "in
> between"? (I'm just curious as to how often that sort of thing occurs.)
>
> Thanks!
>
> John Knopp
> jdknopp@g...
>
> No I would not.If you brace your legs against the airhoses, and they
come apart, they willl break your legs. On your second point, the
preferred method of being, "in between", and is one of the gcor rules, is
to notify every member of the crew, you are in betweeen. The engineer
before you step between the cars, is to respond to your statement of going
in between, by responding, "set and centered." What this means, is the
reverser is centered, and the brakes are set to at least 10 lbs psi. If
these procedures are followed the train will not move, while the air hoses
are being worked. When I mentioned gcor that relates to General Code of
Operating Rules. And most railroads abide by these rules. If when coupling
cars, and the airhoses won't reach, with the trainman in the clear, he
asks the engineer to bunch up the slack. This usally gives enough room to
couple the hoses. If that doesn't work, they have extension hoses agout a
foot long with angle cocks on both ends to help keep the air coupled. Hope
this info helps. Tom Kaufman
>
>
>
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