I came accross the term "highballing the switch’ in a article in Trains. Can anyone tell me what this means? Thanks in advance.
Highball generally means you have a clear signal (going back to when signals were balls, not semaphores or lights - the ball raised all the way up the staff was a “high ball”). I’d assume “highballing the switch” means the train was given a clear to proceed at speed thru the switch?? Be interesting to see it in context, what issue was it in?? Maybe you could quote the full sentence??
i will offer a somewhat longwinded example of what it means. (what else did you expect from me)
when trains departed NYC Brooklyn yard at E St Louis, the crew would usually offer to buy the clerk who worked at the east end of the yard a coke if he would line the high switch back for them so they did not have to stop and let the rear brakeman or conductor off to do so once they had the train out onto the main.
once those arrangements had been made, the guys on the engine would tell the rear end to “highball the switch”. it is a term that was commonly used to notify crew members that lining a switch back to it’s original position was not required.
otherwise, the rear man would have to drop off and line the switch back for the main, put the lock back on and test it, and then notify the block operator who controlled that section of main line (Bridge Junction) that the switch was lined back and locked. this might or might not involve stopping the train depending on the agility of the guy doing the work
an interesting concept when you realize that was about the most effort that guy was going to have to put out for over 200 miles.
some other phrases grunted out over the radio included, “all moving” and “all on the main”
grizlump
It means not stopping to line the switch. For example a train departing the terminal might not stop to line the departing switch back for the main track and leave it lined for the yard, knowing that the next train will be heading into the yard or having an arrangement where someone else will line the switch for them.
It was in the most recent issue of trains magazine. In the section where questions are posed and then answered.
We use highball to mean skip work…as in “Highball the set off”
Nick