Car Poleing.

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I could be wrong here but I believe the ICC out lawed poling. Yes diesels 
have or had pockets as well as steam engines. On at least the Southern it 
looks like everything up through the GP 18 and SW9 had pockets.

Jason Greene
Murrayville, GA

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 28, 2006 9:26 PM
Subject: Car Poleing.



> Since the N&W kept steam as long as they did, I was curious as to how long

> they

> continued the practice of  "Car Poleing", or shoving a cut of cars on an

> adjacent

> track using a wooden pole about  8 or 10 feet long re-inforced with a 

> steel

> ring

> on each end.  Standard equipment on steam locomotives was to carry a pole 

> and

> a re-railer  hanging from each side of the tender.  I recall seeing a crew

> "pole"

> some cars on the Southern well into the era of first generation diesels. 

> The

> practice of "poleing" cars was dangerous and could result in a pole 

> shattering

> and flying in different directions which could result in injury.  The

> practice was

> seventually considered  unsafe, and most roads prohibited it's use.  Would

> any of you have an idea as to when the N&W too frowned on the practice 

> since

> they had locomotive tenders in to the diesel age.  Time was when all

> rolling stock

> had a pole pocket on each corner of the car, as well as on both sides of

> the pilot

> of a steam locomotive, and on each rear corner of the tank.   To expose my

> ignorance, I cannot recall if any diesel locomotives ever had pole pockets 

> on

> any of the early models or not. I also wonder if  pole pockets have been

> entirely

> eliminated from today's  rolling stock along with the roof walks. Bill

> Sellers.

>

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