Carl, he’s just not reading, or at least not comprehending, what everyone is saying here. He has a certain idea in his mind and apparently is not really looking for answers, he is merely looking for confirmation of his misunderstanding. Either that, or he’s a troll.
All the points that have been made on this topic are valid especially those that tell what an engineer must do. Lets face it a restricting signal is the most complicated of the signals to obey and takes the most concentration. I have flown all over the world and the air traffic rules and radio statements ( with few minor exceptions) are the same in all FAA and ICAO states including light signals. The railroads need standarization throughout the US with no possibility of ambiguity especially for restricting aspects. What with the shortage of T & E throughout the US; if an old head goes TDY he may not remember what the signal aspect means where he is operating especially if fatiqued. This is a place where standarization should triumph over differences on other divisions or RR’s