A simple question here that I've been wondering about for a while. Using a model for reference, why do the side grabs curve away from the steps at the bottom?
"Speed rails" They are curved like that so you can swing on the caboose at 10-15 MPH. Grab that rail and it'll suck you right on the steps.
Joe has the right answer, but unless you want to get fired, you dont board/leave a moving train! At least not on the BNSF or UP RR you dont. Charlie
That's what my initial assumption put the reason for, but it seems it would be too easy to be dragged under instead of pulled onto the step. :/
I guess if you're getting on, you grab the last side grab so that the motion of the train pulls you up onto the side steps instead of tossing you under the train. Makes sense to grab the end of the caboose side grabs anyway as they are usually on the end of the train and if you miss, you missed the train rather than becoming mince meat.
the procedure when boarding a moving engine or car is to raise the leg closest to the direction the train is travelling and place that in the step or stirrup while grasping the grabirons firmly. It the physics involved, say if the train is travelling from left to right and you are on the engineers side and you want to board the locomotive, as the loco approaches you raise your left leg and place it on the lowest step and grasp the grabirons firmly, the intertia will actually raise you up so that you can put your other foot on the step and you commence climbing the steps all the while maintaining 3 point contact ie. both hands grasping handrails,one foot on a step. Anyway, it's just not worth the risk of getting fired or injured by boarding moving equipment. You know how to do it in the event of an emergency. There are "weed weasels" everywhere watching every move you make! Charlie
The procedure for getting off on the fly is pretty much the opposite. For instance if your train is still travelling from left to right(Imagine yourself standing along the ROW, on the engineers side, facing the tracks) what you do is firmly grasp the grabirons or railings(use both railings)put your body into a semi-crouch, use the leg FARTHEST from the direction of travel of the train, place it behind you and move it as close as you can to the direction of travel and place that foot on the ground, when that foot touches ground release your grasp from the railings and allow your other foot to make contact with the ground. If you do it right, inertia will actually "pull" you off the locomotive. If any of this is confusing, get some archival,historic films of railroading in the 30s,40s and 50s. You will see employees getting on & off moving equipment all the time. I have a video that shows a guy getting off a GG-1 electic loco on the ladder behind the engineers door, hitting the ground and reboarding the other end of the loco. Charlie
Umm, but isn't that like saying it isn't football because the entire loosing team is no longer carried off the field on stretchers and or body bags? I 'll take rule 1.1.1 (When in doubt, take the safe course of action-GCOR4) over negative fingers any day...
