Re: C&T Double-Header (June 21, 2014)

The track going out onto the trestle is actually slightly downgrade. If you use the standard protocol of releasing the automatic air brakes when the road engine stops on the far end of the trestle, the rear end will run in every time.

We used to have a system in that when the road engine stopped, he held onto the air while the helper came back to the joint. Once coupled up, the helper engineer would lap his automatic brake valve. When the air got cut in to the helper and road engine cut out his automatic brake valve, the helper would read the reduction the road engine had made when he stopped. The helper would then make a small draw on the air to make sure he had the air, then hold on to it. When they got the highball from the conductor, the helper engineer would release the air in the train, whistle off and start pulling. The road engine would do likewise. By the time the road engine got into moving the train, the air would release and away you go, with everyone still upright in the gon.

With a 20+ car train you could really crack the whip on the tail end if you weren't paying attention.

I bet no one there was ever taught that little trick.