The Return of a Foggy Day Question

[BNSFwatcher]

H*ll with the cab signals.  They won't tell you the Texaco truck is high-centered on the grade crossing.  I'd slow down to a reasonable speed, considering visibility.

Hays

[nbrodar]

 There is nothing that requires the engineer to slow down, if he is running under clear signals...

However, if the dispatcher receives a report of trees down, slides, or other incidents, he may issue train orders slowing train speed.   The engineer may also slow down if he thinks conditions warrant.

Nick

[CShaveRR]

And the return of the first-responder:

Traveling at Restricted Speed is the only thing that requires the speed of the train to be reduced far enough to stop short (within half of the range of vision) of trains, engines, obstructions, or anything that may cause the speed of the train to be reduced. The train crew would be entirely within their authority to proceed at the maximum authorized speed. A dispatcher would expect them to do this, saying that they should know where the grade crossings are, where the construction projects along their line are located, and that he (the dispatcher) had no knowledge of any storm that would have caused any trees to be blown onto the right-of-way. And there is some point where trespassers and people legally going across unmarked railroad crossings have to bear responsibility for their own actions. They should not approach a crossing without eyes and ears open. If they don't think it's safe to cross, they shouldn't be doing it.

But then, I would expect an engineer who has lost track (sorry!) of where he is to proceed more slowly. Most of these guys are familiar enough with their territory to know roughly when to expect the next whistle board to appear, the next signal, and so on. But one overriding rule is, "When in doubt, the safe course must be taken." If, in the engineer's opinion, that course is to slow down--or stop--that's what he should do.

This is, mind you, the opinion of a railroader who does not take a train out on the road, and has only his rulebook and the opinions of others to go by. I'm sure I'll take plenty of flaming for what I've just posted, but it should be interesting, regardless.

[OldViking]

Thanks to all for their kind replies to my question. In the process of re-reading the question I realized the question could have been more clearly stated. The trials of being old and a being a Viking. I should say I have been hanging around railroads all my life and have a layman's understanding of how signal systems work. My question should have been more along the lines of when running at authorized speed in fog or snow so dense the crew can only see the nose of the locomotive, getting a clear indications from the cab-signal, how does the railroad account for the unseen hazards that may be lurking on the tracks or right next to the tracks? A person(s), a stalled car, heavy machinery next to the tracks that was not called to the railroad's attention, a large object that has fallen on the tracks but did not break the circuit, all scenarios that would be invisible to the crew until they were right on top of the problem. All which could cause the loss of life or a serious wreck. Under normal visibility conditions the crew could warn trespassers or hopefully stop before striking anything fouling the track. The qustion should have been, does the crew on its own, or under orders from the dispatcher, slow down when the visibility is zero or almost zero in cab-signaled territory.