Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-06
Coupling Pins.
anyhow
fFrom the Albany Journal,


AS the umbrella is the property OF
the community in general, so is the
coupling-pin the property of the rail
roads in common. There is differ
ence, however, While few people who
possess umbrellas buy them, each rail
road has to supply it's quota of iron
pins. A promiscuous pile of musty
coupling-pins lying against shed I'M
der the bridge which spans the net
work of tracks at West Albany at
tracted the attention of a Journal re-
porter. Some were short, others long
some were round, others flat. Shout
ders were wrought on some, others had
tops fattened out. A few had eyes on
top, and others again had short han
die formed of thinner band of metal.
No two of the pins were exactly alike.
Looking about the tracks, the reporter
noticed that at short intervals were
scattered other pins "Do you pretend
to keep the coupling pins of the differ
ent roads apart?" was asked of brake
man who stood near by. "No; why do
you askP Just for curiosity, hey
There are any quantity of them, I can
tell you. We keep all kinds on hand.
Some bumpers have an oblong hole in
them. In these we cannot use around
pin. Then again we can't use the fiat
pins in round hole" "You know the
makes of the various roads, don't you2 2"
queried the reporter. eve become
acquainted from seeing them so often"
was the reply.
"Some roads," continued the brake
man, shave their pins stamped with
their initials, but it's no use. We never
look to see whether pin belongs to
this road or that; but take the first one
we think will fit the bumper. A few
roads have their pins fastened with O
chain, but it won't save the pin. The
chain gets broken and away it goes. IF
1 remember Alright, the Central tried
this plan. Tt would not work salts
factorily, and nine times out of ten the
brakeman would use a loose pin and
allow that on the chain to dangle on
the journey. Some roads don't put
enough iron in their pins, for they
bend when they get on the forward
cars of long train. Of course it is
not always the fault of the pin, but
sometimes the defect is in the bumper.
Not few pins travel great distance?
Well, I should say they did. In the
West Albany yard have seen pins
from Omaha-yes, and from California,
too-and would not be afraid to bet
that there are some here now. We of
ten get the pins of Canadian roads as
well as those of Southern roads. The
other day I saw pin which was marked
in way indicating that it belonged to
the Denver & Rio Grande. If per-
son will give the matter thought it
will not seem strange. Say a train
comes in here from connecting road.
1t is broken up to have the cars billed
in different sections placed on other
trains. The pins are dropped on the
ground or put on cars of other trains
going further on or in another direc-
ton. They keep being transferred so
that they stray from home and never
get back again. I would not be afraid
to wager that lots of pins made in the
Central shops have been used by the
road in the first instance on an out-go-
ing train, and have never come back
again, but been worn out by other
roads. We use the pins of different
roads in the same way-I'm off, here
comes work for me" and jumping on a
section of moving cars being made up
into train, the brakeman was gone.