Re: How to push a train?

I should also add that steam has a hard time starting trains (pistons not moving equals little horsepower). I know SP had an small lever and latch arrangement on the front of some of their engines that kept the pin from dropping and locking the coupler. The engine could help push a train to get it going out of a yard or from a water stop. Once it got going, the throttle would be slowly closed allowing slack to adjust until the helper dropped back. On longer pushes where it was wise to have the brake pipe connected the brakeman would close the angle cock on the caboose and pull the pin allowing the helper to cut off on the fly. After stopping, the helper would have to close its angle cock. The advantage, to this day, of using a point or rear helper is that they are easier to add or cut out of a train compared to cutting in one or more swing helpers. Cutting a helper off the rear does not require any additional air tests.

For the few modern manned helper districts that exist, there is a newer electronic device that allows a rear helper to cut off on the fly. After stopping and coupling up, the helper unit is linked through the rear end device. Though the brake pipe is not actually connected, an emergency brake application will still be electronically sent to the helper from the train or vice versa.

Years ago there was a really bad wreck near Oakland about the time UP took over the WP where two trains were coupled together but not the brake pipe. Something went wrong and the second train's engines in the middle pushed the train off the track on a bridge killing the crew on the second engines and the first caboose.