Help With Old Railroad Tool Terminology Please
Jud Powell
I have a railroad supply catalog from the mid twenties. They term the part
simply a "Car Mover". I also own one. It was used by the Graysonia Nashville
& Ashdown until about three years ago in their car shop. I suspect you will
find it still in use where cars must be moved and no engine
Texarkana, Texas
>A friend tonight gave me a wonderful thing, making him a dear friend
>now. It's what I call a "comealong," which was used to leverage standing
>freight cars to start them rolling, usually in industrial settings, but
>also if a car being kicked died on a switch and they couldn't use the
>locomotive to shove it.
>
>It has about a six foot handle, heavy hardwood, straight grained, with a
>metal shoe which has a pivoted bar that raises up when you push down on
>the handle. You'd wedge this in against the wheel, reef down on the
>handle (often with two guys) and the shoe would raise up against the
>wheel and (hopefully) start the car rolling.
>
>Anyone know what the proper title is for this piece of equipment, and
>approximate eras in use? I'm assuming 1880's to 1930's, roughly.
>
>Donovan Gray
>Olympia, WA
>
>
Mark Tomlonson
The tool you describe as a "come-a-long" is not as antique as you think.
The current McMaster-Carr Supply Company catalog shows four variations on
this tool, which they call a "Car Mover". McMaster-Carr is an industrial
supply firm, and sells tools, storage racks, lunchroom supplies etc. Sort of
like a "wish-book" for manufacturing plants.
So I would say the tool is in current use.
BTW McMaster-Carr also lists car chocks, clamp stops, derails, re-railers,
car chocks and blue flags - the tools an industry would need to handle short
(under 6') movements and adjustments of cars spotted at their docks.
Around here, a "come-a-long" is a ratcheting hand winch that can be used for
tightening cable or chain tying down loads, for hoisting (when rigged
properly) and for pulling, as in tying one end to a tree, and the other to
your 4x4's frame to get it out of the mud.
Mark Tomlonson
Kalamazoo MI
Wolfe, Terry
Donovan,
I've always refered to them as just plain and simple "car mover" Were (and
still are used) at a lot of grain elevators industrial sites and other
applications where a piece has to be moved a little at a time for
load/unload. Some slang I have heard for these............jacker
jib
carslip
car-kicker
man-maker
and my all favorite.....""the
sweat-stick""................
----------
From: owner-railroad
To: Multiple recipients of list RAILROAD
Subject: Help With Old Railroad Tool Terminology Please
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 1997 11:20PM
S.W. Johnson
I saw this kind of tool in regular use in private small industrial sidings
in the Buffalo, NY, in the 1950s. And there was one on the wall of the
baggage car (held in some sort of rack which I don't remember) on Milwaukee
7 & 8 in the 1940's. I always heard it referred to as a "come along."
Stan Johnson
Gavin Hamilton
At 23:20 26/03/97 -0800, you wrote:
>A friend tonight gave me a wonderful thing, making him a dear friend
>now. It's what I call a "comealong," which was used to leverage standing
>freight cars to start them rolling, usually in industrial settings, but
>also if a car being kicked died on a switch and they couldn't use the
>locomotive to shove it.
>
>It has about a six foot handle, heavy hardwood, straight grained, with a
>metal shoe which has a pivoted bar that raises up when you push down on
>the handle. You'd wedge this in against the wheel, reef down on the
>handle (often with two guys) and the shoe would raise up against the
>wheel and (hopefully) start the car rolling.
>
>Anyone know what the proper title is for this piece of equipment, and
>approximate eras in use? I'm assuming 1880's to 1930's, roughly.
>
>Donovan Gray
>Olympia, WA
>
In UK terminology, these are known as "Pinch Bars", and are still used
in preservation circles. I've had occasion to use them myself and have
discovered that they work better on larger wheels.
regards,
Gavin Hamilton
Linslade,Beds,UK
gavinnh...@unn.unisys.com (work)
ga...@hamilton.powernet.co.uk (home)
Glen Smith
At 11:20 PM 3/26/97 -0800, you wrote:
>A friend tonight gave me a wonderful thing, making him a dear friend
>now. It's what I call a "comealong," which was used to leverage standing
>freight cars to start them rolling, usually in industrial settings, but
>also if a car being kicked died on a switch and they couldn't use the
>locomotive to shove it.
>
>It has about a six foot handle, heavy hardwood, straight grained, with a
>metal shoe which has a pivoted bar that raises up when you push down on
>the handle. You'd wedge this in against the wheel, reef down on the
>handle (often with two guys) and the shoe would raise up against the
>wheel and (hopefully) start the car rolling.
>
>Anyone know what the proper title is for this piece of equipment, and
>approximate eras in use? I'm assuming 1880's to 1930's, roughly.
>
>Donovan Gray
>Olympia, WA
>
They are still available and are commonly used by small industries to move
single cars like positioning a covered hopper's outlets over a conveyor or
moving an empty avay from the ramp.
Aldon makes them and I believe they are referred to as car movers.
Glen Smith
Port Morien, NS
Canada
Matt Conrad
Gavin Hamilton <hami...@pop3.powernet.co.uk> wrote:
> At 23:20 26/03/97 -0800, you wrote:
> >A friend tonight gave me a wonderful thing, making him a dear friend
> >now. It's what I call a "comealong," which was used to leverage standing
> >freight cars to start them rolling, usually in industrial settings, but
> >also if a car being kicked died on a switch and they couldn't use the
> >locomotive to shove it.
<snip>
> In UK terminology, these are known as "Pinch Bars", and are still used
> in preservation circles. I've had occasion to use them myself and have
> discovered that they work better on larger wheels.
The American term is car knocker. That term also applies to the person
who inspects and mantains railroad cars.
--
-Matt Conrad, jmco...@InfoAve.net
Curator, SC RR Museum.
http://www.webtelpro.com/~scrm/
Museum volunteers: strong backs, weak minds.
Bob Mrotek
At 11:20 PM 3/26/97 -0800, you wrote:
>A friend tonight gave me a wonderful thing, making him a dear friend
>now. It's what I call a "comealong," which was used to leverage standing
>freight cars to start them rolling, usually in industrial settings, but
>also if a car being kicked died on a switch and they couldn't use the
>locomotive to shove it.
>
>metal shoe which has a pivoted bar that raises up when you push down on
>the handle. You'd wedge this in against the wheel, reef down on the
>handle (often with two guys) and the shoe would raise up against the
>wheel and (hopefully) start the car rolling.
>
>Anyone know what the proper title is for this piece of equipment, and
>approximate eras in use? I'm assuming 1880's to 1930's, roughly.
>
>Donovan Gray
>Olympia, WA
>
>
We used to call it a "car pusher pole" or something similar and I used one
all the time in the 70's to move cars that were in the shop. I'll bet that
you can still buy one from the Nolan Company or a similar supplier.
Bob Mrotek
Brett Rekola
Donovan Gray wrote:
>
> A friend tonight gave me a wonderful thing, making him a dear friend
> now. It's what I call a "comealong," which was used to leverage standing
> freight cars to start them rolling, usually in industrial settings, but
> also if a car being kicked died on a switch and they couldn't use the
> locomotive to shove it.
>
> It has about a six foot handle, heavy hardwood, straight grained, with a
> metal shoe which has a pivoted bar that raises up when you push down on
> the handle. You'd wedge this in against the wheel, reef down on the
> handle (often with two guys) and the shoe would raise up against the
> wheel and (hopefully) start the car rolling.
>
> Anyone know what the proper title is for this piece of equipment, and
> approximate eras in use? I'm assuming 1880's to 1930's, roughly.
>
> Donovan Gray
> Olympia, WA