There's a great story told by Josie Crum of a conductor doing the brake inspection at Lizard Head on the RGS (Craft lines weren't as straight on the Southern!). It was winter and there was about six inches of snow on the ground. The conductor had to adjust the brakes on one car in the "get out and get under mode" that George describes. It was a two handed job to pull the rigging tight once you got the cotter key out and the conductor didn't want to lose the key in the snow so he popped it into his mouth, not taking into account the temperature of the metal involved. Needless to say, once he got that frozen key unstuck from his lips and tongue he was resolved not to make that mistake again! Had a little trouble eating for a week or two.