Re: Hand Signals

As a ready stated, railroad rule books give the basic (and required) flag and lantern signals. The various additional hand signals are developed to convey additional information.
In the East it seems that they use flag signals (same as lantern) during the day while in the West various "come-to-me", "go-away" signals are generally used during the day. A railfan locomtoive engineer told me a quarter century ago that to him the dividing line for these signals is the Mississippi.
It is important to know what the additional signals mean to the crewmembers involved. I have generally seen the hands held togeather, chest high, to indicate that the engineer should streach the train after making a coupling. However, I have heard that a railfan visiting a railroading uncle who worked for the Soo Line reported that up on the Soo this signal indicated that the brakeman was going to go between cars to make up the air hoses. Talk about possible problems!!!!