Pillars of Smoke Question

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"Pushers that were operated ahead of the caboose, of course, had the air 
coupled through.

In the steam days, as I recall, pushers that were operated behind the caboose for  relatively short distances, such as Boaz to Blue Ridge on the Norfolk  Division, and Walton to Christiansburg on the Radford Division, did not have the air cut in.

Louis Newton"

    As Mr. Newton states on some short pushing moves the air may not have been cut in. But on some, and I would think most, they were.
    Look for the chapter "Roanoke: Alamo For Steam" in the book "The Mohawk That Refused to Abdicate" (page 148) or the same article in the Classic Trains Magazine "In Search Of Steam, 1954 - 1955" (page 60). There you will see that the air hoses between the caboose and pusher are coupled, so the air is probably cut into the pusher.
 
Jimmy Lisle


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