Whistle Post

[Mookie]

J brings up a "whistle post" - what do they look like? I have always wondered how those brilliant engineers knew when to blow the whistle - especially in the dark. Actually, as a kid, I just figured they ran those tracks so much, they just "knew". That's why they were so brilliant!
:)

Jen

Boy am I going to catch it from the rest of you!

[zardoz]

Jen,
When I was running on the CNW, the railroad used a small (about 7x9")white reflective plate with a "W" in black letters. These were placed on a post in the ground 1/4 mile from all crossings (when possible). They were of immense help in inclement weather.

p.s. Did you know that new locomotives have a foot-activated pedal on the floor, that when activated, automatically produces whistle signal 15L (two longs, one short, one long). The other method of activating the whistle is a manual push-botton on the desktop.

[Mookie]

Well, kaduh to me. I have seen those signs and just never knew what they were for! Isn't that just like a RR to be so logical!

I wi***hey would give one of the engineers here in town an automated whistle. He seems to think he should just do short beeps and a lot of them. I think he does it when he can get away with it - but I can hear him at my house when the windows are open and he just drives me nuts!

[zardoz]

I'm surprised to hear that in todays highly lawyer-happy society that an engineer would fail to comply with whistle (and bell)rules. If a train hits a car, and the engineer is proven to not have complied with warning (or speed) rules, the engineer can be charged with Manslaughter.

To emphasize the absurd:
Years ago one of our engineers (and the railroad) was sued by a driver. The charges amounted to "Failure to whistle sufficiently in advance of crossing". What made the case so silly, was that the CAR HIT THE TRAIN about 50 cars (1/2 mile)deep in the train.
The case was eventually dismissed, but how much of a shyster does a lawyer have to be to even present such an absurd case?

[Mookie]

I hear him in the middle of the night and I think it may be a hostler or a switch engine. I realize they use the whistle to indicate backing up, going forward, etc, but he puts all those into one whistle!

An old engineer heard it too and said it was "misuse of the whistle" and a violation of the rules. So I know I am not imagining things.

Hey OJ got off, so guess lawyers can sue for just about anything! And I hear Lacey Peterson's husband is "looking for the real killer" - probably on a golf course with OJ.

[Anonymous]

Actually there are close to 98,000 private crossings which many have more traffic than some public crossings.http://www.fra.dot.gov/pdf/cross_chp5.pdf The FRA is so far in the railroads pockets they don't even have a national standard for whistles. If you look the states that do have whistle requirements which some don't are for public crossings only. LISTEN for WHAT?

[Mookie]

and this has to do with my posting?

[Anonymous]

That's why they were so brilliant!
I'm sure if you think about long enough the head lights will come on. Hint: Whistles and whistle laws.

You know why blonde engineers don't get coffee breaks? They have to re-train them after.

[Anonymous]

Hey Jenny,
Do you have microsoft train-sim ?
It`s as close as you can get to railroading with out the diesel smell !!! It helps with alot of your questions.

Nathan

[Anonymous]

Jen, 'Ja ever think that maybe that engineer is tooting at his girl? An old neighbor of mine many years ago told me her dad would blow for Padonia Road in a certain way that the family knew it was him; they'd be sure to be out in the back yard for him. (He ran for the Northern Central/PRR from 1890's to death in 1940.) The B&O around here used cast concrete whistle posts. I've ridden the Kane Knox & Kinzua, an old B&O branch; they had cast iron whistle posts. But you guessed right; an engineer knows his territory well enough that he doesn't need a W post. I think they mostly serve as a reminder...and especially now with engineers running over so much more railroad.

[Anonymous]

I'm just going to add my 2 Cents

CPR and CNR both use a Horizontal dimoned shaped object, wiht a white background, and a big "W" foreground, in black lettering. where i am, Trains are not allowed to whistle, it has the exact same sign with a red bar throuhg the W, every time we go over a crossing, or enter or exit the station, we must use the bell only, no whistling.. unless you have kids throwing each other on the tracks (like last night) then you can use a whistle (in extreme cases)


Cheers,
Kev

[wabash1]

Jen the post was right the sign with a "W" on it is a whislte board, now the old southern had a a larger sign it was long it had to bars a dot and then a bar. like morse code 2 longs a short and a long. standard nation wide for crossings. Now missouri made a statement that is totally false. the only railroad i know of that doesnt blow for crossing in the nations standard is the railroads at six flags disney world etc. when these guys get something worth writing and is truthful then maybe we will have a disccussion other wise they are not worth out time other than telling them they are wrong.

[Anonymous]

Missouri, speaking of whistles and blowing. Why don't you blow me?
Ken

[Anonymous]

Nice one Jenny!

[Anonymous]

Mookie come to Missouri here and we can go right up the tracks "W" sign public crossing No "W" sign private crossing. Why do you give false information?

[Mookie]

Gentlemen: I will answer this all in one.

Skeets - She must really be a looker, cuz this morning it was two longs and 3 shorts, 2 longs and 4 shorts and one long and 4 beeps! (it is a yard engine and who knows what he is looking at!)

Nathan: I only have a puter here at work and I share a database with many people. They wouldn't like a train sim on my puter, so will have to wait to get a good puter for home and the web and e-mail. This year was a new car - maybe next year.
Like the idea, however.

Kevin & J - something niggles at the back of my mind that there are allowances for gated crossings and neighborhoods and possible noise reduction - especially during the night. But not sure what it all was. BNSF main line does run thru and very close to a lot of our older neighborhoods. And they travel very slowly, since they are coming into or leaving the yards.

Ironken - Thank you and :)

Missouri - Well, fortunately I am a brunette and don't have to be retrained. And being your neighbor, I know that we get a lot of Missouri Mules and that they are known for their stubbornness. They are also a hybrid and sterile.

Jen (Mookie)

[edblysard]

As soon as I can breath in enough air, and wipe the tears from my eyes, I will have to re-read this one, shoot, I may even print and frame it.

Well Done, Jenny, Well Done...
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure if i've ever laughed so hard in my life.

i'm not quite sure what Missouri was ranting about, that got me confused. most likely something directly from the "I-couldn't-care-less" cateogry
LOL @ Ken... Whisltes and blowing.. that's a classic.

keep up the great one liners Ken.

Cheers,
kev

hahahaahahah...

I was reading all the posts last night, and read that lisa has a problem with people that can't spell (like me) . i have onw thing to say to her:

"Huked on Fonics wurked fer mee"

Kev.

Nice one Jenny and Ken.. ED your a great laugh too.
peace.

[Anonymous]

Who has a problem with spelling on this forum? Lisa? And Lisa's significance to us is what?
Ken

[Anonymous]

I bet you Lisa is watching right now...

kev

[wabash1]

whho is lisa maybe i aint got that far yet. and it goes to show that missouri is not listening couse i said you call the railroad and have them installed not rant and rave on hear. they could care less about it on here. does talking to a wall sound familar.

[Anonymous]

wabash - Lisa comentated on everyones spelling in another forum. It was pretty insulting. And Missouri seems to have the "hit and run" desease. He hits everyone with a stupid statement.. then runs like heck and never says anyhting about it again.

lets hope he doens't have a car.

Cheers,
kev.

[edblysard]

Actually, lets hope he does...

[Anonymous]

hey missouri.. heres some food for thought

i was picking up my TRains magazine today at Magazine world.. when i couldn't belive there was an "Idiots only" magazine for sale, and on page 78, there is a picture of a train, and facving that (79) there is the following statement:
"London, Ontario - A man, who wishes to remain unidentified, mirely escaped with his life. this is the story. His Car a 1991 Toyota Camry, Stalled on the tracks nerby London Ontario. Not far off Was a CP Locomotive, bearing down at him at exactly 58 MPH. The CP Conductor at the time, who's name cannot be mentioned, Sq the car at the last minute and immediately applied the breakes. The GE AC6000CW responded immediately, it was about 1/4 of a mile away, and had reached a speed of 45 MPH.. due to its relitively light load, by the time it would hit the corssing.. The man inside the car wasted no time.. he reached in the back seat...and pulled out his daughters minature pink Umbrella.. to fend off the oncomming train.. why he didn't realize is that this act.. was going to save his life..The umbrella absorbed the entire force of the impact.. and stopped the entire train dead in it's heels. One on looker said he actually saw the back wheels of the locomotive lift off the ground montarily.. before crashing back down..
Scientists were unavailable for a comment.
Taken from: June 2003 - "Idiots only"

So missouri, i was wondering, can you test this theory out for me.. i'll tell you where to pick up the pink umbrella... remeber, a few additional scaratches MAY appear on your car, if you don't extend the umbrella to a sufficent length in order to stop the train.

[Mookie]

I like this!

Jen