Bob Campell et al
As I read through the various posts which had accumulated overnight re
"follow on sections" I was jumping up and down re the incorrect terminology
regarding "markers"...I thought well if I continue through this thing maybe
someone will jump on and straighten it out...Bob you got it right.
Just a couple of other comments. Some roads continued to use the green
classification lights for sections of first class (generally passenger)
trains in CTC territory where train numbers and sections have no meaning at
all since all movements are by signal indication and train orders (other than
"slow" orders) are not used. This was done on the Q in the 1950's and I
don't know how long after that. Also even the requirement that markers be
turned to show green to the rear when a train is in the clear to be met or
passed was also carried on into CTC days.
I recall one late evening when I was braking on the Hastings-Huntley local
which also made trips on the off days east to Sutton and up the Lushton
branch and south the Clay Center (all in Nebraska for you Lines east guys).
We had come back from Lushton and were on the siding at Sutton headed west as
dusk was falling. We headed uptown to eat before returning to Hastings. It
was dark enough that we had the markers lit. We started away from the waycar
and the conductor happened to look back and noticed that the markers were
still showing red to the rear. He said..."Hey kid you didn't turn your
markers...get back there and do that".
We were in CTC territory, but the rule about marker position had not changed.
Regarding markers on the rear end of Zephyr type trains. On the round end
observation cars the markers were built in with a red lens to the rear and
green to the front and sides. These, of course, could not be turned. As I
recall there was a specific provision in the rules exempting this type of
marker from being turned.
If you get back into the old rule books you can see that the marker position
rules were far more complex than just turning both lamps from red to green to
the rear.
There were provisions for one red marker and one green marker when running on
double track against the current of traffic and another provision for showing
a different display when moving or standing on a long lead next to a main
track. Some of these rules were still in effect in the 1950's.
I remember being told to turn one marker green to the rear one night coming
into Hastings from the Red Cloud line which turned an ran parallel to the
mainline west of Hastings Yard (CTC territory).
Railroading was far more complicated and required far greater "paying
attention" in the days before CTC and related new technology.
You can tell that I've got too much time on my hands also.....I love to talk
about this stuff and hopefully some of the younger guys will gain a greater
appreciation of how it used to be.
Pete
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