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. From the old scale house, they used "riders" on the cuts of loaded coal cars to slow them with hand brakes as they drifted east to the trains being made up. I am aware that they were still using riders in the summer of 1953,

Maybe the "weigh and spray" near Narrows did away the need for a scale
house, but the "riders" were still there in October, 1970.  At that time, there
was no operator at the East Yard office and Radford Div. crews were response-
ble for selecting train orders placed on hooks when they reported.  Supt. of Safety
G.W.Gearhart sent me to Bluefield to spy figuring the train orders would run
out and a crew would go on duty without the proper orders.  No clearance card
either.  Well, the East Yard never ran out, but as I recall a "rider" could control
up to 7 cars.  At the east end, the "rider" would dismount and wait for a motor
car that carried the "riders" back to the yard office. Radford Div. crews had
complained that the "riders" were tying the hand brakes down too tight.  Of
course, the Radford Div. crews didn't use a brake stick to release the hand
brake.  They put their feet in the brake wheel.      Harry Bundy


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