Signal aspect at interlockings

[edblysard]

Our timetable says "within one half, (1/2) the visual distance of men, equipment or obstructions fouling the track, and switches not lined for your route." Bet you can guess how much fun I can have shoving a cut down a switching lead with every switch lined against us! Durn that switchman helper, he just flat forgot to line back!!!

[Soo2610]

Ed, It has been enlightening reading some of your posts. However, the frequency and times of your posts leads me to ask a question. Do you ever sleep? or are you running a laptop plugged into an inverter which in turn is plugged into that 74 volt outlet in the back of the cab?
By the way, to answer your question from a different post, the line we rode from London to Hollyhead a couple of years ago, if my memory serves me right, was mostly continuous welded rail and concrete ties.

[edblysard]

Sleep? Oh, yeah,that when your three kids and wife lay down on a bed and close their eyes for a long time...I really ought to try that some time. Really, I work the afternoon shift at a railroad, 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm, and my wife works a 7:00 am to 4:00pm, so i get up with the kids and get them off to school. On your trip, did you notice if the Brits used steel also?. So far, we havn't been real happy with the steel, like I said, it breaks instead of flexing. Dont have any concrete ties, so cant compair, but bet they have the same problem. By the way, its 12:45am Houston time, about 7 oclock in the evening for normal people.

[wabash1]

and just where is normal people time. at 1245a your time only makes it 145a in new york and 9pm on the west coast

[edblysard]

Dont know, I havent met any "normal" people in a long time...

[Soo2610]

Didn't notice any steel. Ride was fast, smooth and very scenic. Be glad you at least work a set shift. I never know what my schedule is going to be. Can really be rough on the family when the little lady also works and the kids have extracurricular school activities to go to and be picked up from.

[edblysard]

We too have a extra board at the port. I tell all the young, unmarried guy to get on it, thats where the $$ is, and it gives them a chance to work all the jobs we have, so they can get a well rounded idea of what will be expected when they get foreman rights and are "forced" to a job. No surprises, they already been there and done that.
My wife works, 7:00 am to 4:00pm, I work 3:00pm to 11:00pm+, so I do the get em off to school thing in the morning, she does the after school stuff. At least this way the kids get to see both of us a few hours each day. When you hire out, they tell you that your not going to be home on holidays, bitrhdays ect, and you understand what they are saying, but the reality dosnt sink in untill one day you realize you havnt be home for christmas in years, and you have you kids birthdays written down on a card in your wallet so you can remember to call them on their birthday. Now some old head is gonna say "stop crying and whineing" no one forced you to do this, and they are right, but railroading is a legal drug addictiin, you just cant quit. If you stick it out long enough to get over your derail, you end up doing this the rest of you life. I almost cant remember what it was like to work anywhere else...

[Anonymous]

That depends upon who owns the interlocking the interlockings that were the former ATSF were dark untill they were activated by the dispatcher on the former BN they were always lit with the the BNSF some of the interlockings of the former BN are being converted to be dark untill they get activated by the dispatcher those are the manual type of interlocking the automatic type intrelockings on the Chicago division so far stay lit up for both sides rember that draw bridges are manual interlockings they will more often be lit they go red only if the bridge tender opens the bridge for traffic. Rodney