I first heard this term in a Pentrex video about Norfolk & Western 1950s fast freights. They referrd to them as “Time Freights”. What does this term exactly mean, and is it still used, or is it a lost term from the Timetable & Train Order operation era?
I’ve heard of the designation time freight – also thought it came from the train order era – any one from that age care to verify …
Time freight means the same thing as Hotshot or Redball freight.
Time Freight is any freight that is hauled that is Time Sensitive.
Current day examples are UPS, USPS, Auto Parts, Appliances, Food Stuffs…freight that the shipper wants to ship in a specific window for the consignee to receive in a specific window.
It is premimum service levels for which the carriers charge a premimum rate.
Back in the “good old days”, many freight trains had schedules, and were authorized for the mainline by timetable authority (the timetable had the freight schedules as part of the subdivions General Orders). These were called Time Freights back then, and it was an official railroad designation.
(FYI-a station can be any point on the railroad designated in the Timetable [the signs you see on some sidings is the official location of that siding; this was important, for the exact location of a station could determine which train has authority on the main]).
For most stations, the station time listed was departure time (some listed two times - arrival and depparture). The train had no authority on the main track past named station until it’s scheduled time. A good engineer would be able to figure the best speed to operate his train so as to not have to stop at a station; instead if he did his figuring correct, he would be able to just keep crusing past the station on or just after his time Made for some tricky calculations-on-the-fly, as one had to consider speed, train size, terrain, slow orders, etc. when estimating the proper speed. And it got even more interesting if a particular train (or two) were being run in Sections!
To further complicate matters, a train’s particular class (First, Second, Third, Extras & Work Trains) could be superceeded by train order when neccessary, as well as it’s directional superiority. When things got busy, it made for some very complicated train orders.
Don’t know if anyone else remembers the consolidated code of operating rules. The part that stands out in my mind still is superioriy of trains, by right class and direction. A time freight is one that appears in the timetable schedule.
Randy