Today while up in waukegan doing some rail fanning i was listening to my hand held scanner and because of track work going on near north Chicago they had inbound and outbound trains using the same track between Waukegan and Lake Forest. My question is what is a Track bulletin Form C and a single track operator? From what I heard he was lining the crossover switch near Lake Forest allowing inbound trains to crossover to there normal track is this correct? Thank you and have a nice day.
A form C gives occupancy control of specified track during a specified period to a person other than the controller designated by operating rules. The person usually the foreman responsible for functioning and safety of maintenance/construction/modification of track and/or structures, signals or bridges, is consulted by the operater of whatever wants to occupy the foreman,s territory, be it a Z-train or track-inspector’s hi-railer. A rule-prescribed litany ensues: if permission is granted a detailed identification of the foreman, a description of the form C’s limits identifying the C by number with “pass the red flag and proceed through…” along with other instructions…speed on track affected, bell and whistle passing men and equipment------and so on.
Form B provides speed restrictions which are expected to be of moderate duration, usually forewarned with temporary reflectorized yellow squares of metal on fence posts miles before the “slow order” which are called yellow flags. Figure?
Form A is for anything else the dispr wants you to know about or do if you can occupy the main-track that dispr is the ultimate dictator thereof
You heard the conversation involving getting a train detoured back on another track designated that was not where crossover switches between main tracks were not remotely controlled by signals to machines moving the switches. A person had to do it. The dispr probably texted to the person’s smart phone the instructions…
one more ride way out there pioneers…
A Form C bulletin is used to deliver information such as tracks out of service, crossing signals or defect detectors that are malfunctioning, etc.
They also are used in the situations you heard when one track in double track/current of traffic is taken out of service and the other track is being used by trains in both directions. The single track operator can be either the employee operating the crossover, or on long stretches, they could be acting as an intermediate flagman. In effect doing manual blocking for trains running against the normal current of traffic. They can also be called Flagmen/pilots. Trains running with the current would operate normally with block signal protection.
That is, unless the signal system was also suspended. That would also use a Form C bulletin to deliver those instructions.
The flagmen/pilots or single track operators used to be clerks. Since clerks are almost all gone, the jobs are now handled by trainmen (conductors/brakemen craft).
Jeff
I am curious about the progression of these authority granting documents. After their expiration, are they collected by the railroad or do they get disposed of, as waste?
Do the railroads record as a regular matter of course, The verbal authorities delivered on the radio?
I think that written orders of occupancy are done in duplicate, or more copies(?).
Are those various documents turned in at the completion of the crew’s work period as part of their paperwork?
In the event of some incident ( as in the failure of a train to adhere to its authorities) Is there a paper trail or is discipline handed out on appearances of what might be supposed to have happened?
Thanks!
In most cases, when the train crew is releasesd from duty, the paperwork gets tossed. Everything issued in track warrant or bulletin form, whether via printer or radioed directly to the train, is first entered into the computerized system. Years ago, it would’ve been written in the train order book. If you listen to a scanner, sometimes you can hear the click of the keys as the dispatcher types it in. All conversations the dispatcher has over the phone and radio are recorded. If something goes wrong, there is a trail.
The engineer and conductor must each have their own copy of warrants/bulletins. It’s optional for other crewmembers, but they must read and understand warrants and bulletins issued to their train. Usually when running paperwork at a terminal, they usually get a copy of the track bulletins and track warrant used to deliver them.
I sometimes save my track bulletins,especially when they have something interesting in them for my own collection. like when main line traffic is stopped for a couple of hours for a town’s parade. When I work in TWC territory, I usually always save my old main track movement warrants. I don’t know if there are other collectors of warrants/bulletins like there was/is for the old train orders, but I do.
Jeff
Jeff:
I understand the dispatcher’s communications are recorded…but how about all other communications over the radio?
For example…does your railroad require calling of signals over the radio? Would the railroad be able to go back and determine what signal was called? Or any other train to train or train to ground worker communication?
Ed
We hold cancelled/fulfilled NORAC Form D’s for seven days. When we cancel/fulfill them with the DS, the date and time are noted on the bottom of the form and an X is drawn across the entire form. The conductor (or whoever handles the cancel/fulfill) makes sure to collect all copies and duly anotate all of them.
I don’t think general radio conversations are recorded, but I don’t know for sure. I think it would just be by chance if the dispatcher happened to have a radio tower dialed up to use.
We have to call certain signals, and in TWC territory when entering or approaching the end of limits of the track warrant. In many cases weak radios or microphones, bad antennas or just plain dead spots probably wouldn’t make it possible to use as proof of a certain conversation happened or didn’t happen as required.
Jeff