[CBQ] poling

["Leo Phillipp via groups.io" <qutlx1=aol.com@groups.io>]

I have followed the discussion about polling pockets on the GE 44 tonner 
switchers.
But i suspect there are followers of this list wondering what exactly was 
poling and how was it done.
Im sure there are others on the list who can explain in more detail but since 
no one has stepped up I’ll start the conversation.

I will state upfront that i have a very vague memory of being part of a crew 
that involved
Poling a car with a tie. Beyond that i cant recall the location or job or the 
outcome. I do recall the trepidation.

Let me say upfront that poling would most likely occur on a yard switch job or 
a wayfreight. Here’s my idea of what would be the most likely scenario for 
poling cars.
Your crew”kicks” cars down a track and then proceeds down an adjacent track to 
grab cars or maybe serve an industry. Then as you reverse movement and get back 
to where you “kicked” the cars they have rolled back and now “foul” block or 
“frog” your locomotive movement. So your crew decides to pole them out of the 
way rather than call for help and admit you didn’t monitor the free rolling 
cars or tie them down.

So you run up alongside of the cars blocking your movement and take the pole 
and place it in the pockets of your loco and a car. This requires a very steady 
and gentle hand on the loco throttle. Once in place the ground men back away 
from holding the pole and the loco carefully,slowly and gently shoves the cars 
on the adjacent track back towards where they are intended to be until the pole 
drops.

What could possibly go wrong? Let’s see the pole drops out of one pocket our 
the other before the cars are out of the way, the pole breaks and splinters 
sending shards all over,etc,etc. 

I sincerely doubt that poling was used as an efficiency move as switch and 
wayfreight crews had a built in incentive to make overtime . 

Leo Phillipp




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