writing train orders

[Anonymous]

I currently work writing notices for public works projects. Basically I spell out the basics about certain projects going on and pass them on to the appropriate consultant. So given this work experience (I've been on this job half a year now), I recently wondered what it might be like to write train orders. Who exactly does this work? Do the railroads have a stock of order writers, or do they contract with various agencies or other firms? How well does it usually pay?

[TheS.P.caboose]

At one time on the Southern Pacific they had station operators write the train orders. They would be in contact with the dispatcher who would contact them be the railroad radio or by land line.

The very last train order at Santa Barbara was hungon December 14, 1984 which read: EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 15, 1984 DO NOT OBTAIN CLEARANCE AT SANTA BARBARA. The SP had gone to direct traffic control (DTC) along the coastline (Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo).

Today the Union Pacific uses track warrant control (TWC) where the dispatcher will talk to the train or work crew or who ever else is on the main line or siding. They have 17 different boxes and instructions that can be marked off on the track warrant.

I'm not sure how many railroads today use train orders.

[mackb4]

Train orders originate from the cheif dispatchers desk via dispatchers taking the slow orders (both main line,sidings and branch lines),special contacts,bad footing,and other pertanant imformation from the track supervisors.They have a bulliten number,dispatchers initials,date and time of issue.On the NS if the time issued is 4 hrs. earlier than the report time,you are to call the dispatcher for a new set.The NS orders now include a space for a job briefing between the eng. and cond. to be signed by both.This is mandatory.With the absence of most clecks now,we have to get the orders from the printers ourselves.

[tree68]

Based on what I've read here in the past, train orders, in the old sense, are (if you'll ignore the pun) history. In their place are track warrants, Form D's, etc. Do an on-line search on "Form D" and you'll find the standard NORAC form. CSX uses the EC-1, which is very similar. Not sure if any of the forms used by western railroads are on-line. I've never looked.

Around my area, most are given over the radio, especially for a train already on the road. Locals might get their first clearance by phone but after that you can usually hear them given on the radio. The dispatcher reads the clearance to the crew, the crew repeats it back, then the DS declares it effective (and the crew repeats that back, too).

With just four or so through freights each day, and several locals, you wouldn't think that the DS would be that busy with our little stretch of single track. Unfortunately the trains seem to get bunched up, and the DS is often giving railroad out a block at a time, either by adding to an existing authorization, or creating successive new ones.

[arbfbe]

Train orders are now called track warrants. The Chief Dispatcher has nothing to do with them. The trick dispatcher working the district generally types them into a computer and then pushes the buttons to send them to a printer or fax machine at the locations where they are needed. The crews pick them up off the machine, reads them, discusses them and takes them out to the train. If a crew needs a new track warrant while enroute the dispatcher types the warrant into the computer and then calls the crews on the radio. He reads the warrant he has typed to the crew and they fill in the blanks on a preprinted form. They then repeat the track warrant received to the dispatcher who checks the repeat against what was typed into the computer and if all the data matches will give an OK time over the dispatcher's initials.

There never were professional train order writers though there were a multitude of forms of train orders to follow to insure some consistency. Meet orders, running orders, Form Y orders, running late orders all had a form specified in the rule books of the day for dispatchers to follow and the orders were offerred over the signature (initials) of the Superintendant of the Division. That was later changed to the initials of the Chief Dispatcher of the Division.

If you really want to write track warrants for the railroad you will have to hire out as a dispatcher to do so. The railroads are generally short of qualified dispatchers and may be hiring. Check out the railroad websites to see if they have any vacancies. The locations are limited since most of the major roads have consolidated their offices to a single location so if you do not like Jacksonville, Omaha or Ft Worth you will not like being a DS for the CSXT, UP or BNSF. The UP and BNSF have a couple of satellite offices at other locations, though.

[exPalaceDog]

Originally posted by andyjay

I currently work writing notices for public works projects. Basically I spell out the basics about certain projects going on and pass them on to the appropriate consultant. So given this work experience (I've been on this job half a year now), I recently wondered what it might be like to write train orders. Who exactly does this work? Do the railroads have a stock of order writers, or do they contract with various agencies or other firms? How well does it usually pay?
[/quote

Not too creative!

The formats are dictated by the rule book. The dispatcher simply decidesd what needs to happen and issues the order using the working specified in the rule book.

Have fun

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