I believe that the pre-Amtrak "Super Chief/El Capitan" was limited to 18 cars due to the location of grade crossings near the Topeka station.
It might not be as much of an issue nowadays with commuter trains and Amtrak. Commuter lines generally run short but frequent trains, and Amtrak trains aren't usually exceptionally long, so it might not be something the crew would need to know. Employee timetables / rulebooks normally have the length of all spur tracks and passing sidings in them, so I would assume pre-Amtrak that railroads running passenger trains might well have platform lengths in them too. Could be important info if you were running a 16-car 20th Century on NYC, or a 20-car Mainstreeter on the NP.
Whether they need to know or not, most do know the minutia of their runs after a few months on the job. As a frequent user of commuter trains in Montreal in the 1980s, I could tell that the engineers knew exactly.. within a centimeter or two.. where to stop, and they could hit their mark time and again without so much as the slightest jolt. I would think they took pride in that..
tree68I'm a tourist line engineer - never worried about platform length specifically. They aren't listed in our timetable. The only time we really worry about a precision stop is PE, when, due to the extreme length of the train we have to get it just right so the two end traps are still on the platform. Mvlandsw does remind me of an anecdote I saw some time ago. A commuter engineer was known for hitting his "spot" at one station on the dime, every stop. Then one day he completely blew that one stop out of the water - no where near the proper spot. When asked why, he said "someone cut down my danged tree..."
Mvlandsw does remind me of an anecdote I saw some time ago. A commuter engineer was known for hitting his "spot" at one station on the dime, every stop.
Then one day he completely blew that one stop out of the water - no where near the proper spot. When asked why, he said "someone cut down my danged tree..."
Same thing is racing - you have to decide on braking markers for each corner - so you don't brake too soon and be overly slow or brake too late and be unable to negotiate the corner on the proper line. Don't pick a marker that can move during the course of the on track session.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I'm a tourist line engineer - never worried about platform length specifically. They aren't listed in our timetable. The only time we really worry about a precision stop is PE, when, due to the extreme length of the train we have to get it just right so the two end traps are still on the platform.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
I was qualified on commuter trains and Amtrak and nobody ever asked me about platform lengths.
We had spots such as a telephone pole, a building window, the X in a sign, etc, to know where to stop. The conductor would tell us if we had to stop at other than the usual spot for some reason.
Engineers and Conductors, passenger or freight are required to be qualified on the physical characteristics of the territory upon which they operate. Those characteristics include such things as platform lengths, siding lengths, crossover speeds, permanent slow order locations, the locations of Mileposts, location of grades both ascending and descending as well as the actions necessary to comply with all the restrictions upon the line.
Good evening, question about passener engineers and conductors. Are they requiered to know the platform lenghts of the stations they stop at? One of my Metra conductors told me that at least on that raod they are requiered to. Thanks
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