Etrump Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> On other roads, in territory where the train order
> semaphores were not kept at the "stop" aspect at
> open T.O. offices, there was usually a rule in
> place that required the semaphore to be kept at
> the "stop" aspect for a certain amount of time
> after the train (the markers on the rear car) that
> picked up orders there had passed the station
> before it could be placed back in the "clear"
> aspect position. This was on the order of a ten or
> fifteen minute period so that a following movement
> could not get too close to the other train.
>
> That's right, ain't it Skip???
The roads I worked for and the rule books just said to space them 10 minutes apart, but didn't say to set the TO signal to stop. I used to do it sometimes anyhow, but I worried sometimes that the rear end might look back, see the board at stop, and bighole her, thinking he had missed an order.
My first experience with manual block was where the Nickel Plate crossed my road on a bridge. The IC ran underneath in a cut, and the NKP was at station level. We had to go down stairs or take the hydraulic elevator to IC's lower level to work passenger trains. I had orders for an eastbound NKP freight, so just set the board at Yellow (they had 3-position signals) hung their orders up and went below to handle the mail on our passenger. When I got back up, the NKP train was clear of the crossings and stopped; the head brakey was in the office and related how they had to see the board at stop before they could take the "Permissible" yellow. So they blew 4 shorts, I set the signal at permissible, and they got their orders and headed for Indiana. Nobody broke me in on that job, so I learned the hard way. I had a lot of those "2-minute break-ins." (I was a bit of a Boomer back then.)
(
Reminds me of the old story about the Boomer Op's break-in: He walks in at 359 PM, says to the first trick man: "Which way's East, which way's West? Good Night!" )
Skip Luke
Switchman (ret): Grand Canyon Railway;
Engineer (ret): Georgetown Loop RR Inc., Sumpter Valley Ry., Monticello & Sangamon Valley;
Dispatcher(ret): Illinois Central, White Pass & Yukon, Burlington Northern Ry.
Mariner, Musician, Miner