Train talk lingo

[burner50]

Yeah 1987-88 sounds about right for starting form D's for me. The train orders were actually in triplicate, the engineer getting the yellow copy. Hard to remember.

So far the best theories I've seen in this thread is the broken knuckle to explain the lingo in post 1.

Generally any main track authorization has to be duplicated so that at the very minumum the engineer and conductor have copies. All other crew members had to know and understand the authority and the limits. And train orders often contained main track authority in them.

 

[trentbob]

Generally any main track authorization has to be duplicated so that at the very minumum the engineer and conductor have copies. All other crew members had to know and understand the authority and the limits. And train orders often contained main track authority in them.

Tower operators would be able to take the original train order and make a copy in their own handwriting as long as the original issuing train dispatcher name was on it. We use them a lot at temporary block stations at night, give a train permission to cross over into the opposite direction of travel giving them a single block because their track was out of service for track work. They were manual switches so you needed an operator in person to cross them over. I was saying earlier, even had a red wooden board with a red lantern hanging on it LOL.

You would just set your alarm, usually would have one Freight around 0400 who had a Bulletin order saying that the block station was open and be prepared to stop. All lingo from the past.

It's all done by remote switches and form D over the radio now.

 

[videobruce]

It would of been nicer if the OP would of taken the time to list where he is and what railroads he was talking about.
Halfway thru the tread he mentioned a yard, but no idea what or where that is. Or what state.

 

[trentbob]

It would of been nicer if the OP would of taken the time to list where he is and what railroads he was talking about.
Halfway thru the tread he mentioned a yard, but no idea what or where that is. Or what state.

I figured it out in post number 27.

 

[trentbob]

Also the experience Freight guys talking about a broken knuckle seems like the most plausible answer to what the original comms were about.