Hey All

got a question, Is there a reference of how certain signs are used

some examples, Yard Limit,Switching Limit,Whistle posts, etc

Thanks

Jason Webb www.scl-aline.com

-- Jason Webb - www.scl-aline.com (jwebb4@cfl.rr.com), April 14, 2003

Answers

Jason:

The signs you referred to were placed as a reminder to train crews of their obligations to follow rules described in the Operating rule book and the employee timetables.

As an example, the Whistle Post was located at a distance from a highway grade crossing. This distance was tied into the automatic grade crossing protection system(where one existed) such that there was sufficient time for the grade crossing protection to operate and give drivers sufficient warning that a train was coming. It also required train crews to sound their horn two longs one short and one long-the last long to be sounded as the train approaches and crosses the crossing. Where there was no automatic protection, the distance was long enough to permit the warning to be sounded based upon normal operating speeds.

Yard limit signs were placed to designate the limits of yards-that is where yard operating rules were in force as opposed to main lines. Switching limit signs designated the end of the area where switching moves could be made without securing permission from the dispatcher. other signs such as temporary speed limit signs and resume speed signs designated locations where trains had to reduce speed and where they could start to resume speed-after the length of their train passed the resume speed sign.

If you have access to a book of rules and some employee timetables, they would have the necessary references to some of the various signs.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak@mnr.org), April 14, 2003.