Re: How to push a train?

When starting a train with a rear end helper in the "good old days" without radios, the road engine would whistle off, the helper would begin to shove. When he got the slack in, the helper would whistle off, the road engine would open the throttle, take up the slack that came in when the helper started to shove, and away you go.

On the road you need to know the tonnage of the train and figure out how much is your portion and run the engine accordingly. If you had, say a 400 ton train, you'd say to your self, "I think I need to drop the Johnson Bar down to about here...." From there you take educated guesses as to where you need to be.

The engine on the front is in control of the show, he sets the pace. He knows how much he needs to work and runs as such. The helper on the rear (or mid-train) just pushes his share.

Some guys do this rear well, other guys really suck at it.

When stopping the road engine sets some automatic air, the helper engineer, if he is awake, sees this and begins to ease off a bit, but not much. The road engine eases off and the helper keeps shoving to a stop. That gathers the slack in as much as the helper can shove, so that when the train starts again, the slack is already in.