On a shoving move the engineer cannot see the leading end, so someone has to protect the point: a crew member riding or walking ahead, or a track confirmed clear before the move. The conductor calls car counts to the engineer by radio as the leading car closes on its target. Shoving into tracks with hidden cars, derails left on or fouled crossings causes a large share of yard accidents.
Shove 15 cars into the plant, the conductor's on the point and he'll count you down.
A shove with nobody on the point is called shoving blind, and the rules allow it only on track already known to be clear.
Also heard as
- shoving move
- back up
Related terms
Kick
To shove a cut of cars, uncouple it on the move and let it roll free onto a track.
That'll do
Radio call telling the engineer to stop the move right there, the last words of a switching count.
Derail
A device on a rail that lifts a rolling car's wheels off the track before it can reach another track.
Cut
A group of cars coupled together and handled as one piece; as a verb, to uncouple them.