This afternoon a local on the BNSF Harbor Sub (Lawndale, CA) had the standard 3 engines…with only one tank car; there are often 10-20 or more. No FRED or red flag on the tankcar…wouldn’t think you’d need one. But is there a minimum train length where a FRED makes sense or is required per regs?
MP
On a yard to yard movement, under two miles in daylight, outside of CTC, no rear marker is required.
And, any movement that is withinn yard limits requires no marker.
Yard limits are not necessarily confined to a yard proper, they can extend for miles…
Train length makes no exception…
From the GCOR, General Code of Operating Rules
5.10 Markers
A marker of the prescribed type must be displayed on the trailing end of the rear car to indicate the rear of the train.
5.10.1 Highly Visible Markers
Display a highly visible marker at the rear of every train as follows:
From 1 hour before sunset to 1 hour after sunrise.
When weather conditions restrict visibility to less than 1/2 mile.
A marker equipped with a functioning photo-electric cell will automatically illuminate at the appropriate time.
When an engine is operating without cars or is at the rear of the train, the trailing headlight illuminated on dim may be used as a marker. Inspection of Marker
When a highly visible marker is required, a qualified employee must inspect it at the initial terminal and at each crew change point. To determine if the marker is functioning properly, the employee will inspect it by observation or by telemetry display in the cab of the engine. The engineer must be informed of the results of the inspection.
5.10.2 Alternative Markers
Display a reflector, red flag, or light fixture at the rear of the train as the marker when any of the following conditions exists:
A highly visible marker is not required.
A defective car must be placed at the rear for movement to a repair point.
The rear portion of the train is disabled and cannot be moved, and a highly visible marker cannot be displayed on the rear of the portion to be moved.
or
The highly visible marker becomes inoperative enroute. If this occurs, notify the train dispatcher and move the train to
I don’t know if it’s covered in the rules of thr road, I’ve noticed no FRED’s on locals. If you’re somewhat aware of the UP coastline, they have a switcher (local) that switches the mainline between Burbank Junction out towards Oxnards. They may divide it up between two locals. I haven’t seen FRED’s on this kind of operation.
Thanks for making us non RRers more knowledgable about the RRs rules[:D][:o)]
[quote]
Originally posted by edblysard
whos fred
Fred is the conductor. Since he no longer has a caboose, he has to ride on the rear coupler…
The entire Harbor Sub. is yard limits, so no big deal.
Several times i have seen Coal trains with a operating FRED on the rear facing DPU engine, even tho the unit’s headlite is on dim, as required. These were BNSF coal trains north of Denver, running both ways. Possibly a malfunction in the Guages in the rear unit???
Good question - I have seen them, too. Also wondered about it!
Hardly ever use the thing, since ALL the railroads locomotives are in the train and its a dead end line…whats the point. [D)][oX)]
Well, I could say something about the point and a comb over, but I will keep my tongue civil and just say - the ones that I have seen, were flashing. Seemed a little redundant to me, but hey, I just watch.
Mook
How soon they forget…BN had a penchant for running trains into each other on “dead-end” branches, including some classic rear enders…The Golden Sub. incident was classic…look it up.
What’s green and white and goes KA-BOOM in the middle of the night???[}:)][}:)][}:)]
Do NOT EVER take safety or use of a safety appliance for granted…variables won’t, constants aren’t![:D]
And,
One of the function of the rear end device is the ability to put the train in emergency braking via the radio signal, so, even if the rear unit fails to respond to the lead, the engineer always has the option to big hole it with the fred…
Last, the flashing light is much more noticable that the locomotive head light on dim.
At night, you see the fred from a long way off, but the dim headlights often get lost in the background lights…
Ed
fred or freddy means freight ready
or E.O.T. device = End Of Train device[8D]
Fred is a short guy with blinking red eyes. Known to hang out on freight car couplers. Notorious for whining. Also known to occasionaly dump air. [8D]
Actually, it stands for Flashing Rear End Device.
matt doesnt like Fred because he doesnt wave like the guys in the cabooses did.
stay safe
Joe
a FRED was what the first generation of devices was…all they where was a flashing rear end device…the second generation just had 1 way communications…the 3rd generation have 2 way commincation capibiltys… they send a signal to the lead (or any locomotive that has the proper ID code dialed into the HTD)… that shows the rear brake pipe air pressher…if the marker light is on or off…and if the rear end is moving… they are also able to recive a signal for the HTD to put the train in emergancy from the EOT…
csx engineer
And while I can’t give you the “Techno-name” - Flashing Rear End Device is what people have named it. It has a “real” name that those letters stand for…
First, the politically correct name used in GCOR and Class 1 operating rules is “EOT” (End-ofTrain device) as “FRED” is potentially discriminatory… don’t you love the world of political correctness?
Sceond, according to US federal law, CFR Title 49 Section 232, all trains operating outside yard limits must have an accurate air gauge on the rear end of the train. While this does not necessarily require an EOT unit as such, it is certainly the most convenient option. If there was no EOT device, then most likely there was also some air gauge mounted on the back that may not have been noticeable to a casual observer. The only exception where rear-end air gauges are not required are on “landlocked” railroads (that have no interchanges with the national rail network in some form), moves within yard limits or light engine moves (no freight or passenger cars or cabooses). In the old days, the caboose fulfilled this purpose as it has an air gauge inside of the caboose for the rear-end crew to monitor.
Most EOT devices in use today are 2 way EOT devices, which are EOT’s that transmit air line pressure information to the locomotive and also, in the event of an emergency brake application, can vent the train line air pressure from the rear end of the train.