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Re: Steam Loco design questions




G'day Adrian,

Adrian Whichello wrote:

> Ben O'Regan <ben@NOSPAMFORemiratespark.com.au> wrote:
>
>
> > And while I'm at it, what is the purpose of the dish-like mouldings at the
> > outer end of the buffer beams on 38 & 60 class (possibly also the 59s as
> > well, can't remember off the top of my head right now). Was it something to
> > do with the buffer beams being cast?
>
> For pole shunting. I think all the cast steel bed locos have it, so it
> may be more of an American thing. Was it ever actually used here?

No, it was always regarded as too dangerous.  Though how shunting with a tailrope
was regarded as safer is beyond me!

(I shunted the biscuit siding at Dapto with a tailrope a couple of times in 1979,
in the dark! and it is not something I would care to repeat!  Still on second
thought it was a lot safer than trying to stop a couple of hundred tons coming
down the bank at Enfield with a couple of S truck handbrakes!)


--
DPC James McInerney

STOP!  In The Name Of The Lore!

At http://www.cia.com.au/bullack/ , the "Lambing Flat" page.