My source for banning poling in the 1960s was Wikipedia, and no specific date in the 1960s was given. Just because a locomotive had poling pockets, doesn’t mean that it was
 legal to pole freight cars. I suspect that the ban was a government safety regulation, rather than a railroad ban. The poling ban may coincide with removing running boards, shortening ladders, moving placard board lower, lowering hand brake housings, etc.
 OSHA was created April 28 1971, and they issued all sorts of regulations like ladder cages, safety harnesses, etc. 
  
In any event, I didn’t see a single pole on any of the Q 44 ton switchers pictured in BB#6, original or extended. 
  
Nelson Moyer 
  
  
  
From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io>
On Behalf Of norm1garand via groups.io 
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 8:27 AM 
To: cbq@groups.io 
Subject: Re: [CBQ] New Rapido GE 44 Ton Switcher 
 
 
  
The GM&O 901-class SD40's, from 1966, along with the 1969 built, 701-class GP38's, and 1971 built, 721-class, GP38AC's all had poling pockets.  The 1964 and 1965 built 601-class GP35's also
 had the poling pockets. 
 
Reportedly NKP GP35 910 Built in June 1964 was the last factory
 
delivered locomotive with poling pockets. 
 
My part was pestering Craig Walker of Rapido for Phase I 44 tonners and  
CB&Q 9103 when the Rapido road show visited the main train shop in town  
in March 2024. 
 
Bill Hirt 
 
On 10/27/2025 2:38 PM, Jonathan Harris via groups.io wrote: 
> Got mine a couple weeks ago, and yes it's a beautiful model and a  
> much-needed and appreciated addition to the HO CB&Q roster. 
> As for the practice of poling, well . . . it may have been banned in  
> the '60s, but such bans were honored in the breach, as I saw it done  
> on a shortline in 1967.  My hunch is that Class I railroad crews kept  
> doing it too sometimes, when they thought they could get away with it. 
> Also during the (earlier part of the) 1960s, I tried it out on our  
> high-school model railroad club, using an appropriately shortened  
> round toothpick. It may have been illegal, but it worked great. 
> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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