How to line up a switch without getting off the moving engine

When I watched shay 15 switching the 2'6" gauge yard in Chiayi in 1973, I observed an impressive new level of efficiency and speed in making switching moves. Switching operations were carried out by one man on the engine as engineer/fireman, and one man handling the switching. Here, in a series of movie scans (sorry about the resolution), the engine is running from a siding into the main track. The switchman lines the switch back for the main after passing thru, without getting off the engine, and without the engine slowing down. The switch is of the European type with a heavy weight on the switch lever.

Note: these screen shots have been arranged randomly by the NGDF and I have been unsuccessful in placing them sequentially, in part because they were not scanned sequentially, but I think you get the idea anyway

The 2-man yard crew









Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/10/2019 11:21PM by Olaf Rasmussen.