Steam Loco design questions

["Marc Hunt" <march@pip.com.au>]

As I seem to recall those dish shaped mouldings on loco buffer beams.

If my memory serves me correctly they are a leftover from the days when
"push poles" were used during shunting movements.

One end of the pole was pushed up against that dish shaped pocket and the
other on a suitable spot on a wagon in an adjacent siding, the loco eased up
and the wagon was "poled" to the required location.

As an Enfield Guard I had many occasions when I had to "rope" a wagon clear,
Arnotts Nth Strathfield and Pippita were a regulars, and I've used a pole to
"jimmy" wheels to get them moving, but when it came to putting a pole
between a loco and a wagon , I wasn't that stout of heart as it appeared to
be a most unsafe practice.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Marc Hunt
Ex-Enfiled Guard