There are now available devices that swing into place when chains are needed. You can see the short chains hanging down next to the drive wheels on vehicles so equipped.
[:$]
Murphy of Arabia (SD good enuf?):
Any roadmaster that has a good sized yard or engine facility wonders why so many folks don’t know where the O-F-F switch is on the locomotive for the sanders. Kinda hard buying into the idea that it’s always a defective locomotive. That stuff (screened silica sand) fouls everything it gets into. The eco-friendly switch plate lubricant is like a magnet for sand. The red stuff is hard to set on and even harder to get off. (not like there is a really available steam hose around anymore)… Anyone seen a Kershaw yard cleaner around?
I miss good ol’ Lubriplate graphite 'n grease , but fortunately I don’t play roadmaster anymore.(laundress BossHen is grateful for that)… Like PDN’s comment and the ones about cleaning out the flangeways full of engine crater and sand with the track forces, some things just happen in any era.[:$]
Frozen waste sand in crossings and trackwork flangeways is a nightmare to chip out.
The Alco sand fill “notches” were pretty obvious on their hood units and later switchers.
Freight locos used them too.
Like when you have cars for the MOW yard and they neglect to take their locks off the switches before they go home so you can give them the cars they ordered?
Happened more than once. None of us are perfect.
Some engines, when you center the reverse, the “sand” light goes out, even though the sanders are still blowing.
Some of the newer engine have sand switches that time out (usually just when you need it most) even when moving.
The wooden fusee striker caps were just the right size the wedge into the some of the pushbutton sander switches. That saved your finger from getting sore pushing on it.
Mark Vinski
Been there. One of our F units has a spring loaded lever that you have to hold over to keep sand on. Better than having to keep a button pushed…
Or take the lock off and don’t put a keeper back in the handle.
Customers do both of those things too.
To be fair, train crews have caused a number of derailments by forgetting to properly secure switches too.
MOW vs Transportation battles are almost as good as Conductor vs Engineer, or Management vs Customers…