What does anyone here know about railroad “telltales?”
It seems telltales were used as a trackside/overhead warning system. How did various railroads use telltales, and when if ever, did telltales fall out of practice?
Telltales would seem to be a neat little modeling touch for the correct prototypical situations.
Also, how do you model your telltales?
I know they were a required safety device, to warn anyone on top of a moving car to get down and avoid the low overhead clearance they preceeded.
The telltale, in its most basic form, was a ‘beard’ of weighted ropes (or very thin chains) suspended over the track 100 feet (minimum) in advance of a low overhead obstruction (tunnel portal, bridge, even low-hanging power or telephone wires.) The ropes could be suspended from a transverse cable or a higher clearance structure, and hung down to a level 6 inches below the minimum clearance. Since their use was mandated by federal law, telltale location and use was pretty much the same on all railroads.
After roof walks were outlawed, the use of telltales was no longer necessary. I have heard of a few, in use where a worker might be on top of a covered hopper being moved at a grain loading facility. The near-universal application on all classes of trackage is no longer required, and most, if not all, have been removed.
One of my sources of mild heartburn is the general lack of telltales on model railroads that run steam locomotives and freight cars with roof walks. Even the majority of rivet counters seem to be lacking this basic feature of pre-1970 railroad infrastructure.
That said, I don’t model telltales. My prototype had neither roof walks nor high-mounted brake gear, so they were never used.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I remember seeing one modeled in MR magazine with in the past year year and half. You may want to search thru some of the old mags and see if you can find it. If I have a chance I will look thru my old stack and see what I can find.
Telltales was used to warn of low overhead clearances not only for switchmen riding the roofwalk(running boards) but,for any high load…The crew would need to watch the load past under the telltales to insure they didn’t hit as the train ease slowly by.
Of course these are hard to see at night and would give you a “slap” in the face when you hit 'em…Of course better a slap than a bridge or other low object hitting you in your mug.
The last two Model Railroader articles on the subject of telltales were:
“A tale of telltales”
Model Railroader, January 1992 page 130
Article also published in Detailing Tips and Techniques , page 10
( “SASSI, LOU”, TELLTALE, MR )
“Erie RR telltales”
Model Railroader, May 2002 page 84
They warned trainmen of low bridges or tunnels ahead
( DRAWING, ERIE, “RUSSELL, HAROLD W.”, TELLTALE, PROTOTYPE, MR )
These citations are from the online index of model railroad magazines available on this Web site. Just scroll down to the Trains.com resources at the bottom of the page. Do a keyword search on “telltale” in Model Railroader and you’ll find seven citations going back to 1939.
Of the two articles above, the first is a how-to modeling feature and the other is prototype drawing feature with photos.
In addition, the Walthers Web site shows that at least two manufacturers offer telltale kits, Tichy in N and HO scales, and Sequoia Scale Models (Tomar) in HO.
So long,
Andy
I added telltales to my layout some time ago, although several need to be re-done, as the supporting arms (styrene) have sagged somewhat. Here are two on an unfinished section of track:
And another, not that easily seen, opposite the stockpen:
Wayne
Is it not a really neat thing to see how much “telltales thought” goes into the prototype, and then to see the comprehensive forum responses here to what appears to be a simple question?
It also looks like scratchbuilt, or RTR, metal traction pole designs can be adapted for telltales construction.
In the latest issue of RMC that I have,June edition,there is a company called Model Memories making HO and O telltales.
Their site is www.modelmemories.com
Steve
Telltales were a warning to the train crew. When I was young I asked an engineer what they were for and he told me that they were to sweep off any hobos riding the cars.
I’ve got a number of telltales on my steam-era Yuba River Sub just before tunnels or low bridges. The ones I use are Tichy products slightly doctored up to look like they’re well used.
In the photo, you can see it beside the rear driver set on the Cab-forward.
If you’ve got steam locos and cars with roofwalks you’d better have 'em. otherwise you’re going to have brakemen getting knocked off all over the place.
Tom [:)]
Sort of on topic; the Espee used “High/Wide Load Detectors” that were a modernized version (I am sure quite a few roads used the same device). It was a cable hung from a framework, and if something caught the cable it would alert the crew via radio that they had something that probably would not clear the structure they were in place to protect. I noticed that the UP appears to have took them out of service in the area that I am originally from. The ones that I am most familiar with protected the Guadalupe River bridge in McQueeney, TX.