Some railroads "call signals". The NS and CSX in Northwest Indiana do call the signals over the radio, while CN does not.
CSX is very regimented in the nomanclature....such as "CSX (engine number), west on track 1, Milepost 222.2, clear indication, CSX train 388-28"
NS is much less specific..."NS307, clear East End of Nickel" NS crews also acknowledge each train as it passes another with something such as "highball 215, you're flashing" which indicates the train looks good and the marker is flashing. If the marker is not flashing then the train must notify the dispatcher and usually it is restricted to 30mph.
If you do not have a scanner to listen in, go to the Fostoria live internet feed (Google Fostoria and it will appear) and you can listen to all the activity in that area. At first it seems like a lot of mumbo jumbo, but if you get a map or a reference, you can figure out where the trains are.
I believe but am not sure that the verbal transmissions over the radio is for safety reasons so each train is aware of the others in the area PLUS it forces the conductor to make a transmission at each signal, thus keeping them more aware and awake.
ed
trainwatcher wrote:Do railroad crews have to verbally acknowledge each and every signal they approach? And is the communication always by radio or is there a way to transmit such transmission via computer or other technology?
Each individual railroad sets in its operating rules whether train crews are to acknowledge the aspect or indication of intermediate and absolute signals. Not every railroad requires this. Generally the train crew is merely required to broadcast the aspect of the signal.
Train dispatchers are not listening for signal acknowledgement nor required to respond, and in fact the dispatcher usually will not even be on the correct tower to hear the train crew. The information is meaningless to the dispatcher anyway since he cannot see the field aspect of the signals, nor does he care what the train sees or doesn't see. (If the train is looking at a signal that won't clear, they'll let him know.) All that is shown on the preponderance of dispatching consoles is whether a signal is cleared for movement or not cleared. On the dispatching console a cleared signal that is locked up as clear in the field displays as green on (by industry convention) and a not-cleared signal as red, but that doesn't mean the signals display the same thing in the field at that moment. In most cases most of the signals showing red or green on the dispatcher's console aren't even lit in the field at the same time.
The technology certainly exists to transmit signal aspect acknowledgement digitally and we use that technology for other purposes, but it is not employed to transmit signal aspects that I am aware of. The point is not to inform the dispatcher, who doesn't care and has better things to do, but to keep the crew in the habit of acknowledging signals to each other in the cab. By broadcasting, a Road Foreman or Trainmaster can verify that the rule is being followed.
Cab signals are a different matter altogether, but I don't think you were asking about that.
S. Hadid
CSX and NS are required to call signals....train, engine #, direction, signal name and aspect. Crews are also required to inspect passing trains, and report the results of that inspection.
The vast majority of train-dispatcher communication is done verbally over the radio. Some communication is done over the phone, either land line or mobile.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
The announcement of signal indication, where it is requied, is required to take place on the Road Radio channel for the territory. All personnel working on that territory with a radio are required to monitor the Road Radio channel for the specific territory - such personnel are Trains, Roadway worker, Signal technicians etc.
The safety aspect of calling signals is that other personnel upon hearing a called signal can know if that train is entering territory that the hearing person may believe that they have the sole authority to occupy. Numerous accidents have been prevented when persons or trains holding authority to a track segment have heard another train call a signal and thus indicate that they are now entering the track segment of the authority. At that point in time, who is wrong is of secondary importance, getting movements stopped to prevent the incident is the first order of business for any and all concerned.
Calling signals over the road radio channel is not a perfect defense against authority errors, but it as averted numerious collisions.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Not the signal aspect being incorrect -- that is an extremely rare event -- but the incorrect observation of the signal, incorrect interpretation of the indication of the signal aspect, or violation of authority limits granted by signal indication or by a verbal authority such as a track & time, work & time, etc.
I would like to know where you get your info. If the box is not flashing the train is restrected to 30 mph? Just when did engineers haft to start running 30 if the box is not flashing? roflmao. get it right glad your not on my crew.
Wabash ,I think he's referring to the FRA rule on the EOTD loosing it's link.Because you know by law that if your two way communication is lost for 16 mins. and 23 seconds,you are suppose to drop your speed to 30 mph.
But if the flashers not working,were suppose to report that by law.Remember,light by night,flag by day.A little more complicated than that now though.
Now as far as the dispatcher caring what you have in the field,ask the ones around hear that have averted trains hitting those that have entered the main from a signaled middle track,after a main line train passed a clear signal,that would have been an approach (or prepare to stop at next signal immediately reducing speed to not exceed 30 mph).
That happened here once,and an on the toes dispatcher saw a signal drop ahead of a hotshot,on his display screen and asked that train,what siganal he had called and taken.And when he said a clear,the dispatcher had them stop their hotshot ,not to go by the next goverening signal.All because he knew something had happened.Then they all found out a newly marked up conductor on a cab shoving west in a middle track towards the hotshot eastbound, lost his bearing and shoved the train he was on,out onto the mainline in front of the eastbound hotshot.
Luckily no one was hurt.No loss of life.Just a mainline switch tore up.And yes a fired fresh conductor,who didn't get as much time off as say an "old head".
The calling of the signals has been the best rule ever implamented by any railroad,and has saved untold lives.
The dispatchers have a hard and demanding job.Their territories are always increasing as the railroads seem to push for fewer people.
And to all the younger railroaders out there.Get your rest.I've heard that so many times over the last 15 years.But it's true.Pay attention,stay alert and stay alive !
And thank God for good dispatchers and railroaders.
Collin ,operator of the " Eastern Kentucky & Ohio R.R."
For most of my 42 years as an engineer on the L&N/CSX we would be fired if we reported a signal indication on the radio. Some management is slow to learn.
KC9JKR
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