Leo and list
The NY holiday seems to have interrupted my reply to your comments on my head
end flagging episode...You commented that the results could have been
"interesting" if No. 61 had been a bit earlier and, expecting to find the
main track clear, as they had a right to do under the order we had, had come
right on up to the west end of the main track to the west siding switch.
You are right...Under the rules and the order we held, we had no right beyond
the west siding switch on the main track...Legally what should have been done
was for us to have stopped at the west switch, and I should have been sent,
afoot, far enough east to have stopped No. 61 before we headed on down the
main with the car of set out stock...
Something I didn't say in my original tale is that we were in ABS
territory..kind of takes the excitement out of it, but doesn't make the move
we made any more legal, since, at that time, the signals couldn't be used as
an excuse for short flagging.
I'm assuming that based on the info we had via the "hooped up" message at
Table Rock that the engineer knew about when No. 61 would be at Humboldt, and
thus figured that we would have time to make the move and get out of his way.
All that said, the move, while expeditious, was illegal, although,
theoretically, not dangerous because of ABS it still made my heart go "pitty
pat" as I trotted down the main track that hot June morning, wondering what I
was going to do if 61 showed up sooner than we figured.
Pete
BTW I've consulted my 1957 Wymore Division TT and find that our train was No.
78, not 80 which was the evening version...
I've got another little "hair raiser" which I'll put on here soon....Involves
"no clear and proper understanding"...I've got to think it through a bit and
get the sequence of events right in my mind before i start..Kind of like
"starting brain before engaging tongue"
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