I model the late 70’s and was thinking of using track warrant control (TWC) for my layout. When did the wide-spread use of track warrants begin?
Thanks in advance,
Tom
Track warrants weren’t “widespread” until into the 1980s. However, they are such a useful way of controlling traffic on a model railroad that a number of well-known layouts have backdated their use into the early 1970s era.
Track warrants assume reliable radio communication with the train crew, so they are very anachronistic for the 1950s and earlier. But it’s not as much of a stretch for the 1970s, IMHO.
Byron
Model RR Blog
As mentioned, track warrants were implemented over the 1980’s. There were other systems that were the formative versions of track warrants that predated that that were used in the 1970’s. So you have several choices:
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Not use them because they weren’t prototypical.
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Use them because they work and not care about the timing.
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Use them and give them your own acronym, saying they they were one of the formative systems (VTO - Verbal Train Orders, FTA - Formatted Track Authority, VCS - Verbal Control System, etc).
The demise of the timetable (replaced by track warrants – current “timetables” are mere station lists) and cabooses (replaced by end-of-train devices) certainly took a lot of charm out of railroads. I suppose that’s why I’ll always be “stuck” in the 40-foot-boxcar, iced-refrigerator era… “It is nice to be the king” of one’s layout.
Mark
If you actually take time to read a timetable you will find a lot more than just a “mere list of stations”.
Yes, I exaggerated a bit. There will be special rules, and the tables themselves will provide station information. Trains and their schedules aren’t shown, however, and particular there are no times: there is no “time” in modern “timetables.”
Mark
For TT&TO operation you have a rule book or Peter Josserand’s Rights of Trains. What’s the books, information source for Track Warrants?
Wolfgang
There is no equivalent book for track warrants (and probably won’t be since there are several variations between rule books). The information source are the rule books (both for trains and dispatchers) from the various railroads.
Even Peter Josserand, in some of the applications of particular rules, would sneak out the side door by referring his reader to, “The rulebook issued by your particular company.” Even the supposedly uniform rules of TTTO weren’t all that uniform.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in Septmeber, 1964 - TTTO, 24/30)
The last railroad I worked for that still printed a “time” in their timetables ended that practice in 1977, 31 years ago. Previous railroads I worked for hadn’t had a time in their timetables since the early 1960s. So by such definition, the dividing line between “old” and “modern” railroads would be about 1963. But even on those railroads, the overwhelming preponderance of the systems back in 1963, when I was young, did not have time columns in the timetable – except on a couple of odd lines the entire system was run on signal indication (CTC or Rule 251) or everything as extras.
RWM
So. I think at this point all trains are considered “Extras” and CTC sits watching the giant ant farm of sorts making sure no trains get out of thier area too early or too late.
If its GCOR (General Code of Operating Rules, most of the US west of the Mississippi) then no trains are extras, there is no such thing as an extra since there is not such thing as a regular (i.e. timetable) train.
CTC is just one method of about 10 of authorizing a train to occupy the main track. There are still thousands of miles of main track that is not CTC.
The CTC doesn’t “make sure no trains get out of thier area too early or late”, the dispatcher does that. CTC is one of his/her tools to communicate with the trains.
In September 1974 the RI issued a supplement to the Uniform Code of Operating Rules. The Movement of Trains and Engines by Voice Control. It was used between St. Louis and Kansas City.
An example from the booklet: “RI 312 West you are cleared to move from MP 19 to Union and hold the main track at Union.” or “RI 312 West you are cleared to move from MP 19 to Union and take siding at Union. Report when clear of main track.”
Using this they dropped the “extra” designation and just used the engine number and direction. The dispatchers also had a magnetic board using two magnets to designate the train/engine. The first magnet would be placed to where the train was authorized to, the second was moved along as the train reported it’s location.
Jeff
I found this to be helpful…
Its a pretty good explanation of TWC but it isn’t real thorough about using the box 1 to void a previous warrant. For example, in the scenario at the bottom he says that the westbound train is “at Coyote Jct” which means its “by” Coyote Jct, that’s a really bad assumption.
The key thing is that you can’t take up or give up a warrant from under a train. For example if you give warrant #10 that has ABC1234W proceeding from Anna to Bess, hold main track last named point, then give warrant #12 to ABC1234W, warrant #10 is void, proceed from Bess to Cloy, not in effect until after the arrival of ABC789E, you have frogged the ABC1234W.
As soon as ABC789E arrives, ABC1234W has no authority to be on the main track. Its authority on the main between the switches was warrant #10. When it was voided, it lost that authority. The new warrant is FROM Bess so only covers west of the west switch at Bess. Had warrant #12 read warrant #10 is void, proceed from the east switch Bess to Cloy, not in effect until after the arrival of ABC789E then the main track between the switches would be included in the limits of the new warrant. the other option is to not put a line 1 on warrant #12, wait til ABC1234W clears Bess and then have it report clear of warrant #10.
I recommend Joe Fugate’s DVDs to see how TWC is implemented on a large model railroad. His very first DVD touches on TWC during the layout tour–when they operate a train they have to get three track warrants from the dispatcher as they make their way from one end of the layout to the other. He also has an operations DVD that has an entire chapter on TWC:
http://model-trains-video.com/page.php?16
I do not actually own this latter DVD (yet!) but can vouch for the high quality of his work and the excellent teaching methods he uses. Jamie