On Thu, 2 Nov 2000, Mike Decker wrote:
> Hi Folks:
>
> I just found out that Simmons-Boardman in Omaha has reprinted Peter
> Jossrand's "Rights of Trains". This is a book written by a Western Pacific
> RR Dispatcher which "explains" the pre-Consolidated Code and GCOR railroad
> rule books. If you want to know how things were done in the "dark"
> territory with lamps and train orders, this is the book.
Peter Josserand's book is indeed the definitive work on train
order operations, and everything good about it is true.
However, automatic block signals were in use for many decades
before the first CTC was installed, and indeed many lines still are
simply ABS, with no CTC. (One example is the Santa Fe's line from
Hutchinson west across Kansas and Colorado, the route of the
Southwest Chief, which has ABS but no CTC. It does have Automatic
Train Stop, which is why it is good for 90 mph. It is dispatched
with Track Warrant Control, the successor to train orders.)
So train orders were applicable in much territory which is
not dark. I don't believe the T&BV, later B-RI, then BN
between Waxahachie and Houston had CTC (I'm not sure it does
yet), but it had block signals dispatched with train orders
and was not dark territory. I would suggest this was the
norm on almost every reasonably busy line up the 1940s and
1950s, and is still true on many lines.
The belief that train orders were used only in dark
territory is a modern misconception.
Incidentally, Josserand was not the original author;
the book went through several editions and Josserand took
over for later editions after the original author died.
I think the last edition was from the late 1930s or 1940s,
as you say.
This doesn't take anything away from Josserand, because
his work was exceedingly valuable.
> ... It not only
> describes "how" things were done, but explains "why" in plain, simple
> English. The book was written, I believe, in the 1930's or '40's, to help
> railroaders understand the rule book. Not all of us railroaders were (or
> are) as literate as the people who wrote the rule book :-) There has always
> been a certain amount of misunderstanding of rules, even in the old days.
> Anyway, S-B has this book for sale for $29.95 plus S&H. Their phone is
> 402-346-4300, and they take plastic. I read an original copy years ago,
> when I was beginning my railroad career. Today, I ordered one for my own
> library.
>
> Best,
>
> Mike Decker
|