Without commenting on numbering skates, I have wondered if there were someway to hang a skate on each car, near the non brake end, without compromising the historical accuracy of our fleet. Suggestions anyone? right now we just throw them onto flat cars, coaches, cabooses (cabeese?). On our visitor cars they can eastly become a trip hazard.
Rather than figuring out where to locate or store a skate on each car, wouldn’t it make more sense to simply leave several skates in the areas where cars are normally parked? Maybe put a skate on each locomotive for the occasion when a car or cars may be left at some unusual location.
Thanks, Bill. The additional skates are greatly needed.
A few thoughts from an operating crew perspective:
-- Skates are needed when cars are moved to some siding on the road where there is likely a grade. I'm not a great judge on grades, so I am biased to using one when setting off a car.
-- I don't see the need and don't want to have a skate on board each car while in public operation. It would be an unneccesary tripping hazard most unwelcome by me, as there's no way to stow a skate safely in most coaches.
-- For freight and maintenance-of-way cars, it might make some sense to have a skate directly assigned to some.
-- Wayne's suggestion to place skates in central location(s) at Sheepscot makes sense to me. Perhaps at the north end of the car barn and the north end of the shop bays, and likely on each freight/MOW car. Ben and others have done a terrific job in provisioning other train crew tools at Sheepscot Station.
"Every tool has its place" it is said. The skates are another example, I'd say.
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