Cowboy Railroading: Gravity Switching

See the full video here:    • Nashville & Eastern Railroad: Rare Mi...  

In the early 2000s, the Nashville & Eastern Railroad established a transload facility at Fisk Road on Cookeville’s east side. The small two-track site is where the shortline sets out railcars for customers that transfer their shipments to trucks which take the loads to warehouses or processing plants. Royal Oak, as mentioned previously, is one such customer that receives corn starch as a bonding agent for charcoal briquettes. We watched as the three-man crew worked to switch the transload site, first grabbing the empties before shoving the inbound loads into the transload spur.

Due to how the transload spur is designed, empties must be pulled out first and then shoved onto the mainline, clear of the switch. Handbrakes are tied to prevent the cars from rolling down a slight eastbound grade. Once the empties are tied down, the loads are uncoupled, pulled clear of the switch, and then shoved into the transload spur. The locomotives are parked momentarily while the conductor and brakeman gravity switch the empties clear of the switch, meaning, the handbrakes are knocked off so the cars can roll by the locomotives. Since there isn’t a true siding or wye at Fisk Road, this move allows the locomotives to couple onto the opposite end of the cars for the return trip to Lebanon.

In the 2020s, gravity switching is increasingly rare, with most shortline railroads opting to place a locomotive at each end of the train. As you can see in this shot, the loads are being pulled ahead of the switch. Conductor Williams then lines the switch so they can be shoved down the transload spur.

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