All the planning in the world went out the window when the dumping actually
started. I'd always ask the guy in charge of dumping to NOT hit the dump levers
on ALL the cars at the same time. Waste of time. After running along the string
of cars to get 'em all raised he would, without exception, request the Engineer
to "shake 'em", that is to bang the cars forward and backward to get every
little piece of dirt out of the cars. Well, it's tough to shake anything with a
ZERO MR. It'd take ten minutes just to start to get a release. The spreaders
were not quite as rough on air pressure if all the plumbing was in fair shape.
<Remember that there were no "facilities" either for human intake ie water or
output on steam engines and crews got by for 100 plus years> I guess you forgot
about the coal scoop.
Switch engines (NW's and SW's) had canvas curtains that pulled down similar to
a window shade to cover the radiator air inlet for those day when closing the
shutters wasn't quite enough.
Does anyone out there remember the "facility" on every Geep that ever worked
the Fox River wayfreight??
Karl
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