Signal Lights

[Anonymous]

On the Union Pacific track that runs from L.A. to
Santa Barbara,the signal lights have been removed.
How are the trains controled ?

[Anonymous]

I think I've got the answer you're looking for, I'm not an engineer, but I've been in my share of cabs. Recently, I noticed in a UP SD 90 Mac that a long, square, rectangular box, with multiple lights, had been hung vertically from the ceiling above the steps down to the outside platform. I knew this was not a Distributed Power control box and I asked the engineer what it was. He said that in some places, this box acted as a signal, right in the cab. The multiple lights would indicate the functions of a normal trackside signal. I havn't seen any of these on BNSF, so UP may be experementing with it. Hope this helps.

Brian

[Anonymous]

I don't know if UP is using this for that segment or not, but railroads are moving to the "Track Warrant" system where the dispatcher give the train exclusive rights for a section of track. The dispatcher keeps account of what trains are on which tracks on a computer, the engineer and conductor keeps account on paper or on the computer in the locomotive cab. By using the "Track Warrant" system the railroad is able to eliminate the cost of maintaining the signals and the property taxes associated with the signal equipment.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting; i knew that a number of railroads use the track warrant system in "dark" territory but i had no idea it would ever replace either ABS systems or CTC. I thought an advantage of having signals was that a man didn't have to hit the ground to align the switches, therefore saving time. Can we have some elaboration on this. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

This is interesting; i knew that a number of railroads use the track warrant system in "dark" territory but i had no idea it would ever replace either ABS systems or CTC. I thought an advantage of having signals was that a man didn't have to hit the ground to align the switches, therefore saving time. Can we have some elaboration on this. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

brian this box is used for the cab singnals on the UP between north platte and chicago. Both the UP and CNW used CCS and ATC 'automatic train control" on there east/west mainline. cnw also used ATS "automatic train stop" on some of it's wisconsin rails. The singnal circut run's thru the rail and displays the singnal on that box. It also indicates weather a switch is misalinged or there is a broken rail. One of the many saftey issues the CNW pionerd.

[Anonymous]

Using Track Warrants doesn't preclude having the dispatcher control the switches. For a meet the dispatcher would tell one train that they have the track into the siding and would tell the other that they have the main to the switch on far side (to them) of the passing siding. The train taking the siding would simply radio the dispatcher when they were to the end of thier warrant. The train on the main would verify that the other was clear of the main, the dispatcher would give them a warrant for the next section and set the switch for the main. When the train on the siding verified that the other was clear of the switch then the dispatcher would set that switch for the siding and give the train a new warrant. All done without a trackside signal, and with no one having to hit the ground.

[Anonymous]

DTC (DIRECT TRAFFIC CONTROLL) BLOCKS....OR DO NOT PASS ORDERS FROM THE DISPACTHER

[Anonymous]

CAB SIGNALS WILL ONLY WORK IN SIGNAL TERRITORY... IF THE SIGNALS ARE NO LONGER THIER...CAB SIGNALS ARE INOPOROTIVE... AND THE BOX IN THE CAB IS MOSTLY USELESS IN THE CASE...NOW IF YOUR ON SIGNALED TRACK...THE BOX WILL SHOW THE INDICATION OF THE SIGNAL ALONG THE TRACKS... THE CREW HAVE SO MANY SECONDS TO HIT SOME KIND OF SWITCH OR BUTTON SHOWING THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THE SIGNAL AND MUST START TO COMPLY WITH ITS INDICATION... EX. THE HAVE A CLEAR SIGNAL, THEN THEY GET AN APPROCH SLOW SIGNAL,THEY MUST AGKNOWLAGE<-SPELLING?) THE IT..AND THEN BRING THE TRAIN TO SLOW SPEED... IF THEY FAIL TO DO THIS...THE LOCOMOTIVE WILL PUT THE TRAIN INTO A PENALTY BRAKE APLICATION...MEANING IT WILL PUT THE BRAKES ON THE TRAIN AND BRING IT TO A NICE CONTROLLED STOP....

[Anonymous]

ONLY HAVE TO LINE SWITCHES IF THEY ARE NOT LINED FOR YOU MOVEMENT!

[Anonymous]

THE TERRATORY I RUN UNDER WE HAVE SPRING SWITCHES AT THE SIDINGS...SO ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THE RAIL ROAD..AND KEEP ROLLING..WE DONT HAVE TO STOP AND LINE SWITCHES