Lifting the cut lever raises the lock pin in the coupler so the knuckle can swing open and the cars part when the locomotive pulls away. Switchmen pull pins dozens of times a shift, and a pin puller is the crew member assigned to do it at the crest of a hump. By extension, a railroader who pulls the pin has quit or retired for good.
Pull the pin behind the tank car, then we'll shove the rest back to 6 and go get the power.
When an old head says he is pulling the pin, nobody reaches for a cut lever: he is announcing his retirement.
Also heard as
- cut 'em
Related terms
Cut
A group of cars coupled together and handled as one piece; as a verb, to uncouple them.
Knuckle
The hinged, hook-shaped part of a railcar coupler that closes and locks to join two cars.
Kick
To shove a cut of cars, uncouple it on the move and let it roll free onto a track.
Hump yard
A classification yard where cars are pushed over a small hill and roll by gravity into sorting tracks.