Hand signals are not limited to those in the rule books. Our current rule book only shows 3 specific hand signals. The rule reads that any signal not specified in the rules is acceptable as long as all members of the crew understand it's meaning.
Some of the "outlaw" signals can vary from railroad to railroad, even from one location to another on the same railroad. Most variations are subtle but noticable to an old head, some can vary quite a bit. As long as all concerned understand them, they are OK to use.
Jeff
If you want a permanent record of the six universally-used hand (or flag or lantern) signals, just get a copy of Peter Josserand's Rights of Trains.
There really aren't a lot of local or area specific hand signals, because the railroads work to rule. If some new head `invents' a new hand signal, one of the old heads will straighten him out in a hurry. In all probability, the engineer seeing something unfamiliar will stop and dismount to physically investigate what was going on.
There's an old story about a brakeman who had climbed atop a loaded hopper to get a line of sight to the locomotive. He dropped his lantern, but it was caught by a ground man who was right next to him. The ground man tossed it back up, where the brakeman caught it and resumed signaling.
The cut of cars ground to a halt. Several minutes later, the engineer walked up and addressed the brakeman. "I want to see you jump off that car and back on. If you did it once, you should be able to do it again."
Chuck
Yes, check any book of rules or the AAR Code and you'll find all of the signs, signals, and appliances.
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AFAIK, the hand signals used by railroad workers have been documented and preserved, and there is no need to begin a specific effort to preserve them. IIRC, the hand and lantern signals used by brakemen are illustrated in the official rule books, and are still used as needed.
Dan
Languages died historically. the group-owned language we, and the mentors who gave it to us, used before hand-held radios, rides in an ambulance, where it's not in an ER or intensive-care.
: that singular or plural combination of terms and gestures, hand- and lantern...well ok....and light that whole bunch of locally specific, area general, industry or engine (as in yard engine) specific visual and oral speech, slang, sandhouse terminology, what's remaining can be saved to fascinate, entertain and educate.
what might we consider?
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