Flying Switch (Dutch Drop)

Robert Michalka -> Grand Trunk Western Historical Society

Robert's comment:

Flying switch gone wrong: GTW 6049 (ex DT&SL 49) made a flying switch to get around a car of plastic pellets and was trapped in the siding when the car stopped short. James River paper mill, Rochester, Michigan, September, 1989.

Like poling cars, doing a flying switch is another railroad practice that is now generally outlawed. Unlike poling, which is not allowed by FRA rules, it is a railroad rule that prohibits doing a flying switch. Most railroads have this rule. But Matt Cox commented on the posting that "We do it once in a while on the glc." The reason the FRA explicitly outlawed poling is because it impacts how locomotives and freight cars are built. Specifically, they no longer need to include four poling pockets when they design and manufacture new equipment.

Before discussing the photo, I'm going to describe my understanding of what a flying switch is. Below is a diagram of a "facing switch." (The L is the locomotive and the C is a freight car.) It is no problem to spot (leave) a freight car on the siding: throw the turnout to the siding, drive forward so that the car is where you want it on the siding, uncouple the car, backup the locomotive so that it is back out on the main, throw the turnout back to the main and proceed on your way.

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-LC----------------------------------


The following is a diagram of a "trailing switch." Notice that the locomotive, not the car, is closest to the turnout.

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-CL----------------------------------


(Update: when I originally wrote this, I had assumed a different crew member does the different functions. The video at the end of this posting demonstrates that one person does the functions but sometimes needs to run pretty fast. I have rewritten the text to assume one, instead of three, crewman doing the groundwork.)

(Nov 2024 Update: John Sciutto on a post used the term "Dutch drop." This is his answer to "what is a Dutch drop?" I note that he also assumes that the ground crew has three workers.

A “Dutch drop” was also known as a “flying switch” was the process of spotting a car or cut of cars on a siding, spur or interchange track that was a facing point switch (opposite from the direction of travel for the train) in the forward direction of the locomotive with the car or cars trailing. If the crew had access to or close to a passing siding, they could uncouple from the car and run to the other end of the siding, enter that switch then shove the car to a spot.

To initiate a Dutch drop, the crew would push the car several car lengths beyond the fouling point of the switch. Then, the car would remain coupled to the locomotive but the angle cock closed and the air bled off the car so it would roll freely when uncoupled from the engine. One member (switchman or conductor) would unlock the switch (and unlock and remove the derail on the siding if necessary) and be in position at the switch. The rookie or brakeman on the crew was assigned to the car riding the brake end to slow and stop the car once in the siding past the clearance point (and if they were really good stop the car at the exact spot by the loading dock or designated spot) the other brakeman or switchman would ride the pilot of the engine next to the car. Once everyone was in position, it was like watching a choreographed ballet. The crew member on the car hi balled the engineer. Once moving (and 2-3 car lengths before the switch points, the crew member on the pilot pulled the pin then frantically highballed the engineer. Engineer would go wide open with throttle and uncouple and speed ahead of the now free rolling car. Once the locomotive clear of the switch points, the crew member at the switch lined the switch to the siding. The car then rolled into the siding and the brakeman, riding in top of the car, cranked the hand brake slowing then stopping the car. The switch was lined back and locked and derail replaced. The locomotive drifted back down to pick up all the crew and the rest of their train and caboose, if required.

So that is the process of a “Dutch drop”. An experienced crew often did the several times per day particularly locals. As you can imagine, there was a lot of room for error and relied on a lot of skill, experience and judgement.

)

The engineer starts far enough away from the turnout so that there is room to:

• get the car rolling pretty fast,
• slow down a little so that there is slack in the coupler,
• allow the car to be uncoupled,
• go really fast to open up a gap between the car and the locomotive.

The gap has to be big enough to allow the turnout to be thrown after the locomotive has passed the points but before the car reaches the points. Note that "pretty fast" means that the car is going fast enough that it will coast all the way onto the siding. But it can't be going so fast that a crew member can't jump on the cars and apply the hand brakes to stop it quickly. The picture shows what happens if the car is not going fast enough to coast clear of the mainline. The crew gets out a rope or chain to pull the car past the fouling point.

Once the car is on the siding, the turnout can be aligned to the main so that the locomotive can backup, then aligned back to the siding so that the locomotive can couple to the car and do an accurate placement of the car.

On Facebook, Doug Hefty pointed out that you can set off this way, but not pick up. Since many sidings are parallel to the mainline, pick up may explain why they did poling.

In a posting, Bubba Six comments: "In 1988, I recall seeing the N&W fly switching cars behind the Cargil elevator. I was amazed."

Update: I found an explanation by a real engineer, and I learned that I left out two important preliminary steps:

• test the turnout to make sure it works easily and correctly
• check the handbrake on the car to make sure it will stop the car

His explanation:

A drop, also known as a flying switch or running switch, is performed as follows; you place the members of your crew in position to perform the task. Then, you test the switch you will use to assure it will line easily and also test the hand brake on the car to assure it will work properly and stop the car as designed. Once said tests are performed, you being by starting to accelerate the locomotive and car or cars you wish to drop. The Engineer will then reduce (not shut down) the throttle a bit, possibly apply some locomotive brakes to slightly retard the speed enough to allow the slack between the engine and car run in enough to operate the pin lifter to uncouple the car. After receiving the sign from the crewmember pulling the pin, the Engineer then accelerates rapidly away from the car. Once clear of the switch to be used, a crewmember at that switch will quickly line it for the following car or cars to roll into that track. When said car or cars roll completely into the clear, the hand brake is operated on the car to stop it. The engine is then brought back out of where it was ducked into the clear and into the track where the car went, coupled on and you then go about your business.
Sometimes this works with no problem, other times it does not. When it doesn't is being saved for a "When Things Go Haywire" column of the future. This particular episode went well, only a little too well. Nobody tested the hand brake on the car and when the time came to stop it, the car would not stop, the hand brake did not work. Oh oh.
My buddy (who was the Conductor this day) was riding the car and suddenly learned of his dilemma. The car was rolling at a decent clip but not too fast, right towards the industry they where switching. He could not stop the car and while the door on the end he was going to shove the car into the plant was open, the one on the other end was closed. One of the Foremen at the plant, who was a neighbor and friend of this guy's was observing the situation and realized his buddy was in serious trouble. He ran to the other end of the plant and depressed the button to open the door at that end. Fortunately for my buddy, this guy's quick thinking saved the railroad considerable money in a new door and an investigation on the crew involved.
The door rolled up, the car rolled through the now open doorway just clearing the now barely opened door and out the other end of the plant. This Foreman and my buddy said they were both throwing debris like scrap lumber and the like onto the rail to slow and stop the car. When it hit the bumper post at the end of the track, it was rolling very slowly and did no real damage.

The first of several 1993 photos by Harold M describing flying switching in Albina Yard in Portland, OR

A video  showing a flying switch at 3:15-5:20. At 4:10 you can tell the engineer backed off the throttle to create slack, the rider pulling the pin and then waving the engineer to gun it and get out of the way, and then he jumps off to move the turnout. Fortunately, that lone crewman didn't have to run to catch the car and apply the handbrakes because they let a cut of cars stop it. Evidently riding in front of the boxcar has also become prohibited: "Jack Fuller I cannot believe that a railroader of today would ride on the crossover platform!"

Another video of a flying switch. I assume that "riding on the crossover platform" is when they are riding in the middle of the end of a box car. A guy is doing that in this video as well. Why did they use the horn for one crossing, but not the first one? The flying switch starts at 7:35. I learned the uncoupling, throwing of the turnout, and applying the handbrake can be done by just one person. I found the video on Facebook and they provided a date of May 16, 1991.

The Wabash Central does a variant of a "flying switch." They come to a complete stop, then they let the hopper coast through the turnout.