Shunting on the SAR

[ge_rik]

I'm always interested in seeing how shunting operations were carried out on real NG railways, so when my near neighbour (Clive) sent me a video he'd discovered of a Garratt shunting on the SAR, I was intrigued.

What surprised and pleased me was the pace at which the manoeuvre was carried out. Very reassuring that similar operations on the PLR can often be done at a lick!

Clive, who grew up as the son of a station master on one of the SAR 2' lines, has been making a 3D printed model of one of the Garratts which steamed past his window on a regular basis. He tells me that his cousin's husband worked on the railway and developed a knack of aligning the chopper couplings during shunting by using his foot. ...... He lost his foot! Clive says - "He wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box"

Rik

 

[Paul M]

He tells me that his cousin's husband worked on the railway and developed a knack of aligning the chopper couplings during shunting by using his foot. ...... He lost his foot! Clive says - "He wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box"

He wouldn't have a leg to stand on if he tried that these days

 

[GAP]

He wouldn't have a leg to stand on if he tried that these days

Don't give up your day job, stand up is not for you

I did see at least 3 safety breaches though.

 

[dunnyrail]

I worked at Healey Mills yard for getting on 5 years, watching 08’s and sometimes other power racing around the yard would amaze many these days. We are living in a H&S world where everything is ‘risk analysed’ thus giving operators at Model Railway shows that shunting on Steam and even early Diesel days was carried out at almost 0 miles an hour is correct. This vid is proof (admittedly in South Africa) that was not the case. Slow speed would be utilised when the last few yards to the spotting location likely a goods shed or unloading point were achieved, but loose shunts and exits from sidings would be pretty quick. So a good lick then slow down when the loading point is almost achieved is good realistic practice.

Getting between the train not seen on preserved railways (unless being naughty) due to incidences of trap accidents, I think the main line may be the same but watching a loco couple up to a train is not something seen that often these days unless at a marshalling yard or sidings.