Al Shelton related an old story to me sometime back...it concerned the little FM switch engines.
I guess as delivered, the independent brakestand was a bit far away and many hoggers disliked having to duck back inside to reach it, possibly missing a signal. Some enterprising gents brought a short length of black rubber hose to work with them and they slipped it over the brass handle of the brake, giving them the reach that they needed. The SP found out about this and declared that it was taboo, so hoggers were always sure to remove it and take it home with them lest they be given brownies.
Well sure enough, this one guy gets off of shift and heads home only to remember that he left the hose in the locomotive where it didn't belong. He got to a phone and called the herder to relay his fears and was told that the guy now on shift had already removed it "cause the extra length added too much pressure to the cylinders and make the engine slide"! Can you imagine that? He was dead serious too.