Staff picker/grabber

Grandeeod

Why were the pickers done away with? Why did we revert to slowing down to pick up a staff? I only ever saw it once and that was in Maynooth before it reopened in the early 80s. Sligo train lashed through at 60mph and staff was picked up.

Del.Monte

There was also sorts of problems with them apparently - some cases of the staff ending up in the canal at Enfield and the like. I never saw one in use. iI just had a peek at an old IRN thread and it mentioned snatcher men on some trains to operate the equipment - hardly a good use of manpower.

tabbey

Del.Monte wrote: »

There was also sorts of problems with them apparently - some cases of the staff ending up in the canal at Enfield and the like. I never saw one in use. iI just had a peek at an old IRN thread and it mentioned snatcher men on some trains to operate the equipment - hardly a good use of manpower.

This was a remnant of steam days when the fireman was expected to work the staff snatcher.

Basically the MGWR route from Clonsilla to Mullingar was the main ground for using the snatchers. There were possibly a few other locations, but not many.

I recall a man employed as a porter working as snatcherman in the 1970s, he had an unpleasant experience when on a 141, a staff did not engage with the snatcher, and went through the window glass of the trailing cab door.

metrovick001

There was a Manson type exchange pole located at Enfield at the foot of the steps of the cabin until about fifteen years ago. I hope it didn't get skipped.

Seanmk1

metrovick001 wrote: »

There was a Manson type exchange pole located at Enfield at the foot of the steps of the cabin until about fifteen years ago. I hope it didn't get skipped.

Go to 2:25 in this video and you'll see the snatcher in action

http://www.euscreen.eu/play.jsp?id=EUS_524B0F1DFF9D4311A5271797E7849D5E

Del.Monte

Link does not compute.

tabbey

Seanmk1 wrote: »

Go to 2:25 in this video and you'll see the snatcher in action

http://www.euscreen.eu/play.jsp?id=EUS_524B0F1DFF9D4311A5271797E7849D5E

This is the most excellent video footage I have seen for years.

haulier

There was a snatcherman on the up/down night goods & the newspaper trains between BRAY and WEXFORD until the service was withdrawn - all were night turns

tabbey

haulier wrote: »

There was a snatcherman on the up/down night goods & the newspaper trains between BRAY and WEXFORD until the service was withdrawn - all were night turns

There may have been a man in the cab to manually exchange the staff, but the cabins on the line were not fitted with snatchers, or staff exchangers, to give them their official title.

Even a second man in the cab would only have been after the end of brake vans, when the liner trains were introduced, which were fully fitted with brakes, so the guard travelled in the loco. This could only be from the seventies.

haulier

The up/down WEXFORD NIGHT GOODS, consisted of an A class locomotive, loose coupled goods wagons, guards van & was crewed by a driver, guard and a snatcherman south of BRAY.

The newspaper train was a fully vacuumed train - locomotive,vans ,including guards/heating van - crewed by a [ CANAL ST. / CONNOLLY ]driver & guard and a snatcherman south of Bray

tabbey

haulier wrote: »

The up/down WEXFORD NIGHT GOODS, consisted of an A class locomotive, loose coupled goods wagons, guards van & was crewed by a driver, guard and a snatcherman south of BRAY.

The newspaper train was a fully vacuumed train - locomotive,vans ,including guards/heating van - crewed by a [ CANAL ST. / CONNOLLY ]driver & guard and a snatcherman south of Bray

The OP referred to the mechanical staff snatcher attached to the sides of locomotives, below the cab windows.

To use these snatchers, you needed a corresponding device on the ground, near each signal cabin.

The Dublin & South Eastern Railway route did not have staff snatchers on the ground or attached to signal cabins, so snatchers could not be used between Bray and Wexford, regardless of how many men, or women, or chimpanzees were in the cab. The staff had to be manually exchanged.

On AEC railcars, the guard exchanged the staff, so some of the AEC railcars had snatchers fitted beside the van door.It always amazed me how these flimsy railcar bodies did not disintegrate after periods of using the snatchers.

haulier

All NON STOP trains on the DSE south of BRAY, were rostered for a "snatcher" up front with the driver - whether man,woman or chimp.

As for the OP's remarks about "Staff picker/grabber" - it could equally apply to those who were rostered for these duties, as well as the machinery involved.

Grandeeod

haulier wrote: »

All NON STOP trains on the DSE south of BRAY, were rostered for a "snatcher" up front with the driver - whether man,woman or chimp.

As for the OP's remarks about "Staff picker/grabber" - it could equally apply to those who were rostered for these duties, as well as the machinery involved.

I meant the machinery actually.

Grandeeod

Grandeeod wrote: »

I meant the machinery actually.

A useless fact:
The A Class were fitted with staff snatchers from almost new. The C class only got them after the re-engining. The B101 class had cut -outs in the body sides for them but I never saw a photo of one fitted with the equipment. At that rate perhaps the 1970's & 80's were the peak years of snatcherism?

226 may receive snatchers towards the end of its restoration. It would probably be the only loco in existance with them then which would be a reasonable reason to fit them. Snatcher enthusiasts would be only delighted.

Problem is, water lodged behind them and tended to rot the cab sides so it might be the case they would only be fitted on special occasions such as my birthday.

Utdfan20titles

They call a staff picker a shuttle bus nowadays

Del.Monte

I seemed to remember there was a snatcher apparatus at Killonan Junction, but it could just be premature (?) senile decay on my part.

tabbey

Fratello wrote: »

A useless fact:
The A Class were fitted with staff snatchers from almost new. The C class only got them after the re-engining. The B101 class had cut -outs in the body sides for them but I never saw a photo of one fitted with the equipment. At that rate perhaps the 1970's & 80's were the peak years of snatcherism?

I may be mistaken, but I think some steam engines, especially Woolwich 2-6-0 locos had snatchers.

It was really the singling of Clonsilla to Ballinasloe / Longford in the late 1920s, that necessitated mechanical staff exchange, at least as far as Mullingar.
The Woolwich locos were bought by the MGWR before grouping in 1924-25, and would have been the fastest locos on MGWR.

As far as preserved locos are concerned, I think they look better without snatchers, cleaner, neater and easier to maintain. I appreciate that it would be a novelty to see one in use, but they do not run at speed in Downpatrick.
Also there is a possibility of a child on the platform getting an ear clipped by a snatcher, with insurance problems ensuing,

Temp101

Grandeeod wrote: »

Why were the pickers done away with? Why did we revert to slowing down to pick up a staff? I only ever saw it once and that was in Maynooth before it reopened in the early 80s. Sligo train lashed through at 60mph and staff was picked up.

Automatic staff exchange was done away it with mostly because with most passenger trains stopping at all block posts, (either at stations or crossing other trains at the few non-station block posts still left) the need to keep maintaining the equipment wasn't justified. It would appear it was felt a slack for a freight train wasn't that big a deal.

topnotch

There's another video about the Cork-Dublin train on that website that maybe of interest. In one scene a woman appears to be taking her moped on the train, also lots of Moore street like traders outside Heuston.http://euscreen.eu/item.html?id=EUS_47DAF4AEC39D4F42B3B87978122B406A

roundymac

Great video:o. In a 9 minute clip the loco changed from 076 to 083 to 084.:D

tabbey

Temp101 wrote: »

Automatic staff exchange was done away it with mostly because with most passenger trains stopping at all block posts, (either at stations or crossing other trains at the few non-station block posts still left) the need to keep maintaining the equipment wasn't justified. It would appear it was felt a slack for a freight train wasn't that big a deal.

Loose coupled freight trains, travelling at 25 mph never needed mechanical staff exchange.
By the time brake fitted goods trains replaced old style goods trains in the late 1970s, ETS staffs were on the decline with CTC developing.