Has anyone modeled a poling car?

A good explanation, start at 2:00
I would say a poling car would be somewhat safer being that you are on a platform with a swiveled pole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEgDTjEUHDE

Thanks. That was a good explanation.

For a minute there ,I looked at the title and thought I'd have something to do with the New Hampshire primary.

My uncle was an N&W brakeman. He said N&W made them stop doing that because a lot of guys were getting severely injured or killed.He said it was extremely dangerous.

David

I always wondered what those round dimples on the lower corner were used for.

yes that I would think would be a bit dangerouse I think.

Could someone explain how these cars worked?

I see the poles along the side of the car and I guess they would open out perpendicular to the car, but what would they do?

Thanks,
Frank

quote:

In any event, I think it might be a neat car to model. http://prr.railfan.net/diagram...f&sel=poll&sz=sm&fr=
Have any of you modeled this unique car?

A good place to start might be with a Lionel Transfer Caboose - I hve the Erie-Lackawanna version (6491) from '85. All you would need to add are the poling assemblies on each side for a similar looking car......

Bill: That was my thought as well. Trim one end of the frame, reset the truck, bash the cabin and set in the center and fabricate poles. It would be easier than another project I was contemplating.

Frank: The poles would not be perpendicular but probably 45 degrees. Watch the website video Harleyhouse identified for an explanation. I will try to find a video of an actual deployment.

Thanks.

Found this explanation...

Date: 06/18/09 19:57
Pole Yards
Author: LarryDoyle
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19th Century yards were usually built as "pole yards". A track was built adjacent and parallel to the yard lead and ladder. When a train arrived, or a cut of cars was to be switched, it was spotted on the lead and the locomotive cut off. The switch engine on the poling track placed a pole between its pilot and the trailing corner of the first car to be shoved into a body track, the pin pulled between that car and the second car, and the engine shoved ahead to push the car into the body track. The engine stopped and the pole dropped out, the car continued into the body track under its own momemtum, and the engine and pole were brought back to the next car in line on the lead.

Often, a poling car was shoved by the engine. This was a flat car which had a pole hinged to the side of the poling car, and swung out to set the pole into the pocket on the car on the lead - when the engine stopped, the poling car stopped too, of course, and could be pulled back with the engine and no one would have to carry the pole back. A small cab on the flat car provided shelter for the switchman who operated a lever to swing the pole out and back as needed. This kept the pole operator out of harms way in the event of breakage, as well.

Why, you ask, would you design a yard this way instead of shoving the cut of cars from the rear and kicking the whole cut - pulling the pin on only the first car in the string to allow it to continue to roll when the cut stopped (classic flat yard switching method)? Air brakes, my friend, or lack thereof. Without an effective way of stopping the engine attached to a cut of cars, flat switching was ineffective, and the pole yard was more practical.



Interesting.

C

Not the safest thing in the world. I'm surprised they actually built a car for that purpose, although it might have been safer than having a crewman trying to hold a pole in place during the setup.

More info @ http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrmow.htm

"These cars allowed a switching crew to work three tracks from the center track saving time in switching. Poling cars represented a safety advance over wooden poles positioned by a brakeman between the poling pockets on the car and the locomotive’s pilot beam. According to the PRR Classification of Cars No. 146-D, the S-5 steel poling car design was adopted in 1913. The 25 ft. long S-5, had a total weight of 51,000 lbs. which is a lot, compared to a 40 ft. Class X25 Steel Box Car’s 49,100 lbs. Info: David J. Vinci"