Car Poleing.

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Bill,

I have the DVD from Greg Scholl Video Productions titled " Norfolk & Western 
Steam Freights."  The original color films were taken by Scholl's father 
from "1954 to end of steam."

There is a sequence in which a K-1 is poling a car.  Given the time frame of 
the video, this puts it at least 1954 and perhaps later.

Jim Brewer
Glenwood MD

----- 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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