In several topics the phrase “Track Warrant” has been mentioned. What is a Track Warrant and why is it so important?
Hi Tim
Want the book definiation, its is a mandatory directive,issued to a specific person giving explict instructions which are not open to interpertation. So it says in our timetable. What it does is give a train the authority to occupy a speicfic portion of track, between two stated points, for a stated period of time to perform work. As an example, I want to go out on UPs main, to run around a cut of cars I just drug in a siding, I would contact their dispatcher, and request track and time. He, (or she) would request my engine # and my name, I provide both.
He then , via radio in this instance, would state,“Port Job 252, lead engine 9601, has authority to enter UP main 2 between mileposts 1234 to 1234.5, proceeding west to make a reverse move against your train”. I have to repeat this back to the dispatcher, word for word, no changes or ommisions. We have a book, with a form we must copy the info to. This becomes the warrant, written authority to occupy the main, in this case for as long as I need, between milepost 1234 and milepost 1234.5. In essence, I own that part of the main until I contact the dispatcher and release the track. If there had been a necessity for the dispatcher to place a time limit on my work, say he has a train he needs to run by me, he would have stated so, given me a timeframe in military time, and informed me that the warrant expires at the end of the timeframe. If, for whatever reason, I can not clear the main within the timeframe given,I have to contact the dispatcher, before time expires, and request additional time. This warrant also limits me as to what I can do. It only allows me to be between the two points given. When I get around my cars, and back against them, I can not leave the siding until I have obtained another warrant , again for authority to occupy the main from a certain point to a certain point, for a specified period of time. Say I was going to our yard off of the UP main from the siding, I would need to request a warrant from milepost 1234.5 to milepo
Go right ahead, its renaissance-man@sbcglobal.net.
a track warrent is a form authorization to use the main line outside yard limits. track warrents are given by the dispatcher. track warrent control is a method of authorizing movements or protecting men or on track equipment on the main track with in specified limits. track warrents never have nor ever will be used in yard limits. that is handled by a form 23a . and track warrents do not have a time to clear on them the remain in effect until the crew notifies the dispatcher they are clear of the limits, this may mean they have taken a siding or the rear of the train is inside the yard limits. or they have passed the limits of that warrent. ed train orders on class ones was done away with along time ago.
Tim, wabash is right, on class 1 road train orders and a thing of the past. But on some terminal raods, we still use a simplefied version…
Are track warrant proceedures standard to all railroads or are there small discepence’s between railroads? If there are difference’s would a engineer be qualified to run on any railroads track?
TIM A
Look at a track warrant as being a poor man’s version of CTC without all the bells and whistles…switches are hand thrown and you’ll never go faster than 49 mph in most cases unless you have automatic block signals.
Tim,
can’t say for all roads, but the GCOR is pretty standard. I would imagine that roads with shared track, in the case of say, UP running on BNSF tracks, I am sure that the crews and dispatchers worked out any discrepencies a long time ago. Most roads require a pilot if the crew from a “foreign” road is new to the territory, and if the crews have been working that run for any length of time, they are familar with the dispatchers and the terminology used. As for engineers being qualified? Well, each rr teaches its own engineers, and issues the license to operate a locomotive. It would involve a fairly standard test, and the license is valid only on the rr issuing it, but, rr that share trackage, use run through crews would have come to an agreement as to the rules they expect the engineers from both roads to know and follow. If your asking if some one who has a license from KCS can go to work for say, BNSF as an engineer, I doubt it, at least not on the PTRA, due to the fact that the seniority roster determines who is in line to be promoted to engineer class, and hireing someone from another road and placing them ahead of the others would cause some problems. The seniority is determined by hire date, so a newly hired person, even though they had a engineer license from their former employer, would have to start at the bottom of the roster, and wait in line with the rest.
I would imagine that most rr would follow the same pattern, althought I am also sure some “special” allowances have happened.
Ed
Track warrent procedures are the same on all roads the track warrent may be diferant but the wording is the same. i have seen some bnsf warents and they cover more things than the ns. if there is something our warrent wont cover it goes to special instructions and fill it in. as far as running on other railroads. i have a federal lic, that gives me rights to run trains anywhere in the country… if the bnsf needed engineers today me with lic could get a job. hired in as a engineer and start my senority on that date. now if they cut engineers off i have no senority to hold a conductors job and i be on the street. another way i could work for another road is when the up had trains (during their merger) laid down all over they got engineers from all roads to help move frieght, you do work under their rules and get paid by them. now with this being said, this is all after their roadforman qualifies me on their road.
Hello gang here is my shot to try to explain the track warrant there are two types of track warrants the first being the mechinical giving the crew the train now on most of the BNSF called a general track bulliten it listed all the form (As), (Bs) and (C`s) for the territory that the train would operate on or come close to the next track warrant is the paper type used to occupie the track i.e. the main track, main one, main two or main three and so on it starts with it being addressed to for example i will use the BNSF as that is what i use when i go on the road
track warrant # 500 December 11 2002
to the BNSF 9889 West at Galesburg on ottumaw sub
X in box two proceede from CTC CP 1705 to CTC Maxon on main one track this all gets repeted back to the dispatcher word for word spelling direction to be traveled and single digit # spelled out more than (1) digit # pronounce number for number then the dispatcher gives the ok time in the 24 hour format along with his/her initalls the conductor gives his/her name or initall to the dispatcher this remains in effect untill limits are reported clear to the dispatcher these are mostly used in dark territory where the maxium authorized speed is 49 mph they can be used in abs/twc territory where the train can run at a faster speed barring any speed restrictions in the train this can also be used in CTC in event of CTC failure meaning that all the signals have went out to keep traffic moving there speed will only be 49 mph here in Galesburg road crews get a tast of all CTC, ABS/TWC and just plain TWC dark. Rodney Beck Conductor/Switchman BNSF Galesburg
Hey, T,
yer brain fried yet?
When all this is done, Tim can mark up!! gdc
Sorry guy’s, me not being a railroader I have to read this info a couple of times before it sinks in. (Plus I’m trying to keep notes.) I did not realize that engineers had so much responsibility or so many rules to follow. What is a dark area?
Dark area (Dark Territory) is unsignaled track
regardless of the condition of the track
speed is limited to 49 MPH, also you might
sometimes hear a track warrant refered to as
a “track permit”,jackflash
Hey jack, you forgot to give him the information overload of rule 99 flag protection not required and all the details… and i agree when this is over he will be as good as any new hire out here… but there is one thing that never made sense to me in dark teritory the max speed was 49mph for a regular freight train and 50mph if it was abs teritory. then again when us railroader figure out the rules of the game they change the rules.
If hes printing all this, he ought to end up with a really weird copy of the GCOR…
What does GCOR stand for? Is that a standard rule book? Do railroads get together and have a sit down to decide these rules? Are you required to keep a copy with you when operating a train? Can the railroad or Foremen overide any rules?
TIM A
No the roadforman nor the trainmaster can overide the rules. these rules is what they twist to the favor of the carrier to fire the employee. the rules are written by the goverment and are from injuries substain in the past. and rules tried and true in operating trains. you can bet there will be a rule writen for all carriers to abide by after the mess in baltimore from the csx train and the fire in the tunnel this year. and the mess from the ns train in the derailment in knoxville also. just another way to slow traffic down more.
Hi Tim,
GCOR stands for General Code of Operating Rules.
And your right, it is the standard “rule book” you hear about. It is a standard set of opperating practices and rules adopted by most railroads, Class 1s, Short lines, most terminal roads like mine and any railroads that fall under the jurisduction of the FRA. It is in it’s fourth edition, effective april 2, 2000. It was written by a committee made up of saftey officers, FRA employees, and the AAR.
It covers everything from how close you can stop the train from a switch lined against you, down to the conduct of employees. It is used in conjunction with the timetable of your railroad, which is itself a set of rules and practices for your particular railroad, and differ from railroad to railroad.
Most of the rules make sense, but there are a few which are so ambiguous as to make you wonder if the carriers didn’t put them in so they could fire you if they needed to. Case in point, rule 1.6
(this is a exact word for word copy)
1.6 Conduct
Employees must not be:
- Careless of the safety of themselves or others.
- Negligent.
- Insubordinate.
- Dishonest.
- Immoral.
- Quarrelsome.
or - Discourteous.
Now keep in mind if you are charged with a rules violation, the investigation is held by the officers of the railroad which charged you. No other parites are involved, and there is no governing practices or guidelines at all. Thats right, the officers who charge you, also decide at your investigation if your guilty of the rule violation they charged you with, and then they decide your punishment, from firing for a period, 30, 60, 90 or 180 days off without pay, up to a year in some cases. Totaly arbitrary decision are made at these kangroo courts. Disicpline is not what is excerisied, but punishment. If you have made a trainmaster mad at you, belive me the first time you screw up you will get as many days off as he can manage. There is not set amoung of "days
Ed if that was me fired for 90 days i would have sent the case to a nuetral and got my 90 days of pay back . if i am not anywhere near the actual infraction they wont burn me just becouse i am part of the crew. believe me i have been there already. fired couse the brakeman didnt tie hande brakes on a cut of cars. how about the new infration they are comming up with here on the ns if the engineet is tod the cut is made to take them ahead and the conductor never tied hand brakes that the engineer is fired becouse the ground people are not doing their job. its like this if i have doubt that the conductor secured the train i must ask or go look for myself, i must tie all engines down Fra requires 100% hand brakes on engines when nobody is on them.(how the remote control is exempt is beyond me) get down and see that he has done this. then go back to the engines knock off the brakes and do my job then.