I’m digging up this rather old topic for a clarification. Railway Man, thanks for your very informative post.
Regarding the leaving signal in your description, does the dispatcher need to issue a command to the leaving signal, or does the leaving signal always clear, if the conditions you describe in 1 and 3 are met?
The leaving signal is an automatic signal, the dispatcher or control operator does not control the signal. If conditions permit, the signal will display a proceed signal once the switch is operated. If they don’t permit, the signal stays red (stop).
Our leaving signals don’t work until the hand lined switch is opened. Our sequence of events are different. Call dispatcher for authority to enter the main/controlled track. The dispatcher verbally authorizes to enter the main/controlled track. Crew opens the switch. If signal changes from stop (red) to a proceed (usually yellow for us) the train may immediately enter the track and then proceed on signal indication. If the signal doesn’t change, the train must wait 10 minutes and then may pass the red signal and enter the track and proceed at restricted speed to the next governing signal. The train doesn’t need further authority to pass the signal but would report that it didn’t clear up and they had to wait.
FRA regs require that if a ‘train’ is to parked clear of the Main Track(s) in signalled territory AND the track speed exceeds 20 MPH said train can only be ‘parked’ on a track that is protected by a signal, or an Electric Lock Switch. The Electric Locks may be timer operated or Dispatcher operated (most are timer operated).
Remember the Rule Book defination of a train ‘Engine with or without cars displaying markers.’
There are many spur tracks along lines to service various industries. Most of them DO NOT have Electric Lock Switches to the Main Track(s) and thus, trains cannot clear in those tracks - even if the track is long enough to handle whatever size train we are talking about.
All switches (and derails) that lead to Main Track(s) in signalled territory are connected to the signal system. Trains must get permission from the Train Dispatcher to enter any signalled track - even signalled sidings.
When non-electric lock switches and/or derails are operated, their operation will create a indication on the Dispatchers model board and will ‘drop’ signals on either side of the switch and/or derail to their most restrictive indication. The wait time stipulated by the rules is to allow any train that ‘might’ have passed such signal time to pass the location of occupancy.
With many Electric Lock switches, removing the regular switch lock from it’s keeper will begin a timer on the switch, set the opposing signals on the location to their most restrictive indication and set a indicator, after time has run the indicator changes and the switch can be operated by the crew. In many cases if the crew tries to operate the switch BEFORE proper time has expired, the timer starts over again from Zero.
Hand throw switches with a leaving signal that I’ve ever come across don’t have an electric time lock.
When you have to wait the 10 minutes (Also applies to hand throw switches in ABS, but the wait time there is 5 minutes.) the person who lined the switch is supposed to wait in case they need to line it back. When you line the switch, it sets the main track signals to red. The wait time is in case a train has already past the last signal. It would have no notice of the open switch or train pulling out in front of it in that situation.
The great Andy Sperandeo wrote about this in The Operators a few years ago. The Electronic Lock is the device placed at the entrance to a yard in dark territory to prevent trains from entering the yard on the main track or sidings in signaled territory that are dead end. If a siding connects to the main track but it is not a passing siding an electronic lock must be used and only a dispatcher or a signal tech can open an electronic lock not the crew. All electronic locks are fitted with timers this is why a tech must be at the switch to set them. All of the switches on the OSL except those at the concrete plant in Bliss, the siding going to the Bliss Wye, and most of the sidings on the OSL have electronic locks. The electronic lock is the silver box next to the switch.
I’ve never seen one of these and never will. CN doesn’t even have these in the Canadian rule book anymore. There might be a few isolated ones left but they’re all in special instructions in applicable timetables.
It’s all too easy to tone up the RTC now and get your enter main track permission. I really don’t see the point in why these would even be out there anymore.
The only one I know of (on CN or elsewhere) was at Clover Bar Yard on the east side of Edmonton, to go north off the main track into a couple industry spurs, Lafarge cement and Celanese Canada’s chemical plant (now demolished and turned into a bitumen diluent terminal).
It was removed about 3 years ago, so now there may be none left on CN.
We’ll see how long it takes to re-invent the wheel, esp. in CTC territories and interlockings. Besides, it’s fun watching the faith healers waiting to feel the solenoid release the locking pin in the case.