Classifying trains... What was the Order?

[ghonz711]

Hello everybody... I know that Passenger trains have always been classified as First Class, and that Extra Freights were third, but where did the other forms of freight trains; like peddler, TOFC, unit trains, sit in the system?  Any help would be appreciated

Ghonz

[dehusman]

passenger trains weren't always first class, mixed trains (which carried passengers) were sometimes 2nd class.

Extra trains were NOT 3rd class trains.  They were extra.  They have NO class from a timetable perspective.  They are not authorized by schedule, they are authorized by train order.

Generally manifest trains fell into 2nd class and locals were typically 3rd.  Unit trains are by nature unscheduled and so it would be very rare to have a unit run as anything other than an extra.  Plus by the time unit trains were operated railroads had pretty much done away with most of their scheduled trains.

Trains that have class, are scheduled trains.  That means that they have to run every day at about the same time.  Anything that is irregular will run as an extra. 

Dave H.

[jimrice4449]

Locals, on the RRs  I worked for were run as work extras.   They would get a train order reading:

eng 123 works extra 700AM to 1159 AM between here and there not protecting against extra trains except protects against extra 789 east after 956 AM

 

This would allow eng 123 to work in either direction between the 2 named stations, clearing any scheduled trains by their timetable time at wherever they might be and either puting a flagman out to protect against extra 789 east or getting in the clear by 956 AM.   After 1159AM it would either get a new train order authorizing it to work further or get in the clear.

[wjstix]

Class is only one thing that determines which train has rights over another train. On the Great Northern for example, their timetable noted that silk trains (which were essentially freight trains) coming from the Pacific NW going east had priority over everything, even the Empire Builder or Oriental Limited.

[jeffhergert]

  The CNW in the late 1970s gave their hot TOFC trains First Class time table status for a while.

  Jeff

[ghonz711]

Wow thanks for the interesting information.  I never knew Extras ran as a seperate class.  Very intersting .  Seems like all the railroads ran a little differently from the rest.  Does anyone have information related more specifically to the Canadian National Railway in the 1940's and 50's?  It would be much appreciated!

Thanks Again for all the information so far!

Ghonz

[dehusman]

I never knew Extras ran as a seperate class. 

Extras aren't a separate "class".  They have no class.  They are extra. 

ONLY trains listed on a schedule page of a timetable have a class. 

Trains are superior by class, right or direction.  Extras can only be superior to another train by right (given to them by train order).  Extras aren't even superior by direction.

Dave H.