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Switchman
A switchman (North America) also known as pointsman (British Isles) or yardman (Commonwealth) is a rail transport worker whose original job was to operate various railway switches or points on a railroad. It also refers to a person who assists in moving cars in a railway yard or railway terminal, terminal. History Working in railway yards or along siding (rail), sidings, during the pioneering years of rail transport, switchmen as a group suffered large numbers of grievous bodily injuries, including in particular crushing injuries and amputations, owing to their work in close proximity to moving trains. An early issue of the American ''Switchmen's Magazine'', in the introduction to a piece on long-serving switchmen, described the dangers: "The vocation is the most dangerous of any of the different branches of railroading, and that they live for years is only due to their extreme carefulness. The least misstep will often result in crippling a man for life. Their hours of work ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Switchman
''The Switchman'' (Original title: ''El Guardagujas'') is an existentialist short story by Mexican writer Juan José Arreola. The short story was originally published as a ''confabulario'', a word created in Spanish by Arreola, in 1952, in the collection '' Confabulario and Other Inventions''. It was republished ten years later along with other published works by Arreola at that time in the collection ''El Confabulario total''. The story revolves around a "stranger" who wishes to travel to the town of T. by train, but is quickly met by a "switchman" who tells him more and more fantastical stories about the train system while they are waiting. Plot A stranger carrying a large suitcase runs towards a train station, and manages to arrive exactly at the time that his train bound for a town identified only as T. is scheduled to depart. As the man speculates about where his train might be, he feels a touch on his shoulder and turns to see a small old man dressed like a railroader and c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Switchman Throwing A Switch At C & NW RR1a34657v - Crop
A switchman (North America) also known as pointsman (British Isles) or yardman (Commonwealth) is a rail transport worker whose original job was to operate various railway switches or points on a railroad. It also refers to a person who assists in moving cars in a railway yard or terminal. History Working in railway yards or along sidings, during the pioneering years of rail transport, switchmen as a group suffered large numbers of grievous bodily injuries, including in particular crushing injuries and amputations, owing to their work in close proximity to moving trains. An early issue of the American ''Switchmen's Magazine'', in the introduction to a piece on long-serving switchmen, described the dangers: "The vocation is the most dangerous of any of the different branches of railroading, and that they live for years is only due to their extreme carefulness. The least misstep will often result in crippling a man for life. Their hours of work are long, and the labour ver ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association
The Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association of North America (SMAA) was a 19th-century fraternal benefit society and trade union in the United States of America. Its members included the switchman, operators of railway track switches and those who coupled train cars in railway yards. Organized in 1886, the union came to its demise in July 1894 with rise of the American Railway Union and the smashing defeat it was delivered in the Pullman Strike, 1894 Pullman Strike. The organization was succeeded in October 1894 with the establishment of the Switchmen's Union of North America. History Establishment The first trade union of American switchman, railway switchmen was a local organization founded in the city of Chicago during the tumultuous labor struggles of 1877. In June of that year James Cullerton, a switchman for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway, sent word to the various rail yards of the city asking for three delegates from each to be dispatched to an organizational meetin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Switchmen's Union Of North America
The Switchmen's Union of North America (SUNA) was a labor union formed in October 1894 that represented the track switch operators and people who coupled railway cars in railway yards in the United States and Canada. It became part of the United Transportation Union in 1969. Precursors The origins of the union can be traced to August 1870 when a local switchmen's mutual aid association was formed in Chicago. At that time, switchmen were paid $50 a week for twelve hour days, seven days a week. The association was formed to help them bargain for better conditions. The Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association of North America was organized in 1877 and held its first meeting in 1886. The national association suffered from a lockout by the Chicago and North Western Railway and the failed Burlington Railroad Strike of 1888 against the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. In 1889 it was affiliated with the Supreme Council of United Orders of Railway Employees. Although blacks were wide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Traffic Guard
Traffic guards, also known as traffic controllers, traffic marshalls/traffic marshals or flaggers, are trained to set up warning signs and barricades to slow down the speed of traffic in a temporary traffic control zone. When they are on scene they will set up equipment to warn approaching traffic about the incident. Equipment Traffic guards use a variety of equipment: *Signal flags. *Signal hand sign; called stop/slow paddles in the United States, these are a sign that has 'stop' on one side and 'slow' or 'go' on the other side. *Traffic vest. *Helmet (or a hard hat); protecting the head from hazards. Automated traffic controls In some cases, alternatives to human traffic guards are used for traffic control. Traffic guards may be assisted by Automated flagger assistance devices (AFADs) so that they can stay out of the roadway when directing traffic. Temporary traffic lights or yield signs may also be used as an alternative to human traffic guards. See also * Traffic police ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Grave Of John Cook, Pointsman, Corstorphine, Edinburgh
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic pronoun ''thee'') ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rail Transport
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of land transport, next to road transport. It is used for about 8% of passenger and rail freight transport, freight transport globally, thanks to its Energy efficiency in transport, energy efficiency and potentially high-speed rail, high speed.Rolling stock on rails generally encounters lower friction, frictional resistance than rubber-tyred road vehicles, allowing rail cars to be coupled into longer trains. Power is usually provided by Diesel locomotive, diesel or Electric locomotive, electric locomotives. While railway transport is capital intensity, capital-intensive and less flexible than road transport, it can carry heavy loads of passengers and cargo with greater energy efficiency and safety. Precursors of railways driven by human or an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railway Switch
A railroad switch ( AE), turnout, or (set of) points ( CE) is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another, such as at a railway junction or where a spur or siding branches off. Design The parts of a turnout are known by different names in different jurisdictions. The main terms in U.S. and UK usage are shown in the selectable diagrams. In this article, the U.S. term is listed first and UK second, in parentheses. The most common type of switch consists of a pair of linked tapering rails, known as ''points'' (''switch rails'' or ''point blades''), lying between the diverging outer rails (the ''stock rails''). These points can be moved laterally into one of two positions to direct a train coming from the point blades toward the straight path or the diverging path. A train moving from the narrow end toward the point blades (i.e. it will be directed to one of the two paths, depending on the position of the points) is said to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railway Yard
A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or unused locomotives stored off the main line, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic. Cars or wagons are moved around by specially designed yard switcher locomotives (US) or shunter locomotives (UK), a type of locomotive. Cars or wagons in a yard may be sorted by numerous categories, including railway company, loaded or unloaded, destination, car type, or whether they need repairs. Yards are normally built where there is a need to store rail vehicles while they are not being loaded or unloaded, or are waiting to be assembled into trains. Large yards may have a tower to control operations. Many yards are located at strategic points on a main line. Main-line yards are often composed of an up yard and a down yard, linked to the as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railway Terminal
A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such ancillary services as ticket sales, waiting rooms, and baggage/freight service. Stations on a single-track line often have a passing loop to accommodate trains travelling in the opposite direction. Locations at which passengers only occasionally board or leave a train, sometimes consisting of a short platform and a waiting area but sometimes indicated by no more than a sign, are variously referred to as "stops", "flag stops", " halts", or "provisional stopping places". The stations themselves may be at ground level, underground, or elevated. Connections may be available to intersecting rail lines or other transport modes such as buses, trams, or other rapid transit systems. Terminology ''Train station'' is the terminology typically us ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siding (rail)
In rail terminology, a siding is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighter rails, meant for lower speed or less heavy traffic, and few, if any, signals. Sidings connected at both ends to a running line are commonly known as loops; those not so connected may be referred to as single-ended or dead-end sidings, or (if short) stubs. Functions Sidings may be used for marshalling (classifying), stabling, storing, loading, and unloading rail vehicles. Common sidings store stationary rolling stock, especially for loading and unloading. Industrial sidings (also known as spurs) go to factories, mines, quarries, wharves, warehouses, some of them are essentially links to industrial railways. Such sidings can sometimes be found at stations for public use; in American usage these are referred to as team tracks (after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
