I got my offical notification today for my training as a Freight Conductor. I was wondering if there is a certain technique to memorize the different signals?
I really won’t need them for the RR work I do, but I’ve been looking at signal aspects anyhow - I think what’s going to work for me will be to look at the logic involved in setting up each aspect - what a given color in a given position tells me. In the end you still need to know the rule, the name, etc.
The signal system has a logic. You’ll need to know your definitions (medium speed, restricted speed, and so forth). Realize that not all signals display all of the aspects in the book–why not? It requires a little thought. But don’t worry–as you discover how these signal rules play out in your territory (i.e., what the signals are really telling you about your operation), it only gets more fun.
I was in Folkston, Georgia, recently, which is a “funnel” for all the old ACL and SAL lines into Florida.
The signals were the modern type–no towers or diagonal arrays, just three vertical lights on a post. Flashing yellow in the middle means “diverge” or so I was told. I never saw a “lunar” (white) display.
al-in-chgo
Actually the lines that meet in Folkston are both ex-ACL, the Savannah-Jacksonville and the Waycross-Jacksonville lines. Seaboard’s former line from Savannah to Jacksonville was a significant distance to the east (and is mostly abandoned or shortlines now), and SAL didn’t have a line into the Waycross area. Last year TRAINS had a major article on the shortline that operates part of the ex-SAL north of Jacksonville.
First off, go to Staples, Office Depot or the like and get some 3x5 cards and a pack of colored sticky dots (red, green and yellow). Make flash cards…use the dots to put the signal aspects (what the signal looks like) on one side and write the name and indication (what the signal means) on the other. Then either quiz yourself or have someone quiz you with the flashcards.
Second there are some tricks:
- The position of a green lamp in a column of reds indicates speed through turnouts: top -track speed; middle - medium speed; bottom - slow speed. After clearing all turnouts you are OK to resume track speed.
- A flashing green indicates (normally) limited speed.
- Any signal with lunar white is restricting.
- A signal with yellow on top means approach the next signal at the speed indicated by the lower lamp: green - medium speed; yellow - slow speed; red - be prepared to stop at next signal.
Nick
I should also add, that if you only need the Seaboard signals you are lucky. When I hired with Conrail, we used NORAC…and there are 137 (I think) aspects in the NORAC book, and I had to know them all:
- NYC/Reading color light
- PRR position light
- Amtrak color position light
- B&O color position light
You only saw 50 aspects on the test, but any of the 137 was fair game.
Nick
Just pay attention and you’ll do fine. Signals will come to you with time and before long you’ll have all the aspects and meanings memorized in a couple of days, and within a few months you’ll have every signal name and location in your head and you’ll be able to visualize the signal in your head. I never thought it would work for me but it did. Just like memerozing every track in a really big yard, before long you just know it.