Re: [CBQ] Switch Stands

["Bud Linroth" <wcman8@gmail.com>]

Hello Bob, Rich, Leo and group.  Galesburg yard had a variety of the low switches.  One type was called a "rubber" switch.  It had no mechanism to hold the handle down and you could run through it with damaging the switch.  There were 2 other types of ground switches.  One had a "dog" on top which was a triangle shaped gizmo that you had to push over about 90 degrees and after you threw the which it had to be returned to the upright position. The other type had a U shaped bracket that the handle rested in and a little foot pedal you stepped on.  You by throwing the switch, moved it 180 degrees to the opposite side where there was another U shaped bracket to hold the handle down.

Some of the "high stand" road switches had foot pedal locks on them.  You had to step on the pedal and then throw the switch.  There was a variety of ways the switch was marked to warn you that it had a foot pedal.  Early on, there was a stripe painted around the switch stand and later they painted the handle of the switch white.  Erie, Illinois had a unique situation.  There were 2 short sidings and when a meet occured, both trains had to take siding and meet uptown by the depot. where both trains bypassed and returned to the main.  Due to space considerations, there was a low ground switch there for both of the sidings.  The foot pedal "point lock" was on the opposite side from the handle.  This caused many a problem for a new brakeman.

By a long standing agreement, the last waycar through would line both switches back since they were next to each other.  One day, the rear brakeman had just come out from Galesburg yard to work road service and he did not know about the agreement.  The conductor was not watching and he just lined his switch back.  The next eastbound train (a loaded taconite train), ran through the switch. 

Foot pedals drove new brakemen crazy.  One night a Galesburg bound train was on the main, meeting a train at Hillsdale.  It was just turning dark, and the new brakeman was walking up to line the train in.  When he had the handle in his hands, his engineer turned off the headlight and told the other train that they were "lined in".  Meanwhile, at the switch stand, the brakeman who had not taken his lantern with him, could not throw the switch due to the point lock being engaged. So, the Savanna bound train steamed up and went down the main and hit the standing train.  Three cars were derailed during the collision and witnesses said they had never seen that engineer move so fast.

The Galesburg Railroad Museum has an outdoor display of 5 or 6 yard and road switches.

Bud Linroth

On Sun, Jan 15, 2023 at 7:38 AM Robert Herrick <rdherrick@gmail.com> wrote:

Rich Gortowski and I were discussing different types of switch stands and their assignments. As I understand it, the tall ones were for tracks diverging from the main while the short ones were used in yards and switching areas, e.g. industry spurs. Hoping Leo or another veteran can clarify.

Bob Herrick

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