Very Interesting...
I once worked as a Switchman on the WPRR, and worked as a Brakeman a few places as well. No radios then, and we did everything
at the time with hand signals during the day, and lamp signals
at night.
The depiction in the video is sure different than the way we were
taught and did it, and different than the way any other old time railroaders I remember gave hand signals....40-50 years ago.
Basically, daytime hand signals were very basic...either "go away from me" or "come toward me"...
In the scenario presented, the brakeman would be standing as he is,
facing the engine, but would be signaling with his right hand only, normally not with both hands as is shown.
As the coupling came within half, then quarter carlength
he should be signaling the movement to slow down, by slowing the circular motion of his right hand.
Just before the knuckles touch, the circular motion was stopped and the "stop" sign should be given, which was the right hand lowered and swung in a back and forth motion below the waist.
Once the coupling completed, and the pin was seen to drop, a slow
"go away from me" signal was given by "backhanding" toward
the engine with the right hand. This was to "stretch" the coupling
and verify that it was a good pin drop with the couplers locked.
Then, if the couple-up was good, another "stop" signal was given, and the "going to couple airhose" sign would be given by bringing both hands together with fists doubled, below the waist.
Once certain the hogger had seen this signal
you could CAREFULLY step between the coupled cars and put the airhoses
together by grabbing the near hose with left hand, and the far
hose under the coupler knuckles with the right, kinking the left or train hose toward you and coupling the gladhands. Then, you open the brakepipe cock on the car, then slowly open the one on the engine tank to "put the air in 'em".
The above positioning of the brakeman on the ground would be for
operations with the front of the engine facing away from the cut of cars to be coupled to....direct line-of-sight from the hogger to the man
on the ground.
If the engine was shoving, with front end toward the cars to be coupled ahead of it, the brakeman would stand facing the engine (and the hogger) and signal with his LEFT hand by day, and with the lamp in his left hand by night.
Otherwise the signals were the same.
The only place where both hands and arms were commonly used to
pass hand signals was when a brakeman might be riding the tops of
a cut of cars passing signals for a man on the ground doing the coupling
or uncoupling some distance from the engine and out of view of it.
Maybe something has changed over time, but thats the way we all did it in times gone by.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/27/2014 01:03AM by Etrump.
