The discussion about torpedos and then rules tests brought back a memory of
a test that I never forgot. Not all field rule tests were done out in the
weeds or from the company car parked nearby. Sometimes they were done from
a nice warm and dry building.
I was the head brakeman on one of those lumber trains that BN numbered an
82 or 98 one clear Sat or Sun afternoon coming off the C&I at Aurora headed
for Cicero. As usual we were routed onto main 1 off the island. The signal
at the tower was a high green,which was bit odd as we usually got a clear
or yellow x/o to go up #2 or #3. So that kind of got my attention. As we
passed the tower I noticed someone in the window watching us go by, again not
totally unusual but a bit uncommon. Then as the engineer was looking across
Broadway and the nose of the engine was just about under the signal
bridge,and at the last possible second, I noticed the high green change to a
high
yellow ?!
It was barely two city blocks to the absolute signal governing the switch
down into the hole for the shops/Hill yard at Spring St. and on a curve so
that you couldn't see the signal from our current position due to the
buildings.
Needless to say we didn't get stopped for the all red at Spring St in time.
I thought I was going to be spending some unpaid time off. After getting
stopped we were given permission to proceed east from where we were.
Neither of us ever heard another thing about the test.
But the lesson has never been forgotten; the rule book says you will
observe the signal indication until you are past it.
Leo Phillipp
Ps-For a view of the location see Spoors Volume pgs 84 and 86.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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