# DO NOT HUMP on wagons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-hump-on-wagons/325327>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 8, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-hump-on-wagons/325327 "2005-10-08T18:03:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![willbick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cc9497/32.png) [@willbick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willbick)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-hump-on-wagons/325327/1 "2005-10-08T18:03:44Z")

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my dad invented various versions of the hydraulic retarder used to control wagons whilst working for Dowty engineering in the UK. I dont think he would consider the products of his work to be ‘gimmicks’! They made Dowty tens of millions of pounds (and himself nothing - but that’s the lot of a British engineer!)

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**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-hump-on-wagons/325327/2 "2005-10-08T18:13:05Z")

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And here is the link to the appropriate Straight Dope article:

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_402b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_402b.html)

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-hump-on-wagons/325327/3 "2005-10-10T21:57:44Z")

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**willbick** , that’s pretty interesting. My dad is an engineer too, petrochem, and has a few gadgets and procedures to his credit. How long ago was yours working and inventing?

BTW, welcome to the boards.