Forward Horn/Whistle Signal

One observation I make is that every engineer has his own versions of sounding whistle signals. Several books I've read indicate that dispatchers, signal men, etc. could tell the engineer by his whistle technique. So wether or not the forward signal is perceived to be 2 long or 2 short, there are no definitions for long and short as practiced by railroad engineers.

For what it's worth, the length of the whistle/horn blasts for "Forward" and "Reverse" can very greatly, depending on who the Engineer is signaling. For example, back in the steam days, the Engineer might use two long blasts, after having called in the Rear Flagman, in order to let the people on the caboose know that he was then beginning to pull on the train. On the other hand, say a light engine move, the Engineer might just blow two quick short blasts.

The point is, there is now real "right or wrong" policy for the length of the blasts, as it all depends on the circumstances at the time. Thus, in my opinion, MTH DID get it right.   

 A couple more  

 o o       Answer to any signal not other-wise provided for...   (or in my opinion" signals understood")

ooo    when train is standing---- back  ( Answer to back up signal)

ooo    When train is running... answer to communicating signal  16 (d) .( I think 16 d is a flag stop)

Forward is two shorts.

Reverse is three shorts.

OGR Webmaster posted:

Forward is two shorts.

Reverse is three shorts.

I always thought it was as well but checking my rule books and a UP rule book 2 shorts is ...       Answer to any signal not other-wise provided for...  You won't find 2 shorts for forward in any rule book.

So maybe if you really want to get picky MTH has it wrong .  And Of course it depends on who's  blowing the whistle as HW mentioned.

Trivia:

The Connecticut Company, who ran trolley service in its namesake state, specified four short bells (or whistles) as a reverse move signal, instead of the more typical three.

The Shoreline Trolley Museum (operating on former ConnCo trackage in East Haven/Branford, CT)maintains this reverse-move signal in their rulebook. Everything else (to the best of my knowledge) conforms to typical railway signaling.

---PCJ

Thanks. What documents are those two scans from? The first one seems to be signals signaled by the engineer. The second seems to be signals signaled by the conductor.

When I was motoring, we learned two shorts for starting, three for reverse moves, one for stopped safe to disembark from car, the two longs short and long held until trolley entered the crossing.

I didn't see the one short on the above lists or is it not used for RR train service?

SanDiegoMark posted:

Thanks. What documents are those two scans from? The first one seems to be signals signaled by the engineer. The second seems to be signals signaled by the conductor.

Exactly. The second scan is communicating signals from conductor to engineer.

The first scan shows many of the signals as adopted on November 17, 1915 as Rule 14 of the Standard Code of the American Railway Association (except for the grade crossing signal--which used to be two longs and two shorts: — — o o).

And yes, RRMAN, Rule 14 included a single short whistle blast that indicated "Apply brakes. Stop."

Gregg posted:

OGR Webmaster posted:

Forward is two shorts.

Reverse is three shorts.

I always thought it was as well but checking my rule books and a UP rule book 2 shorts is ...       Answer to any signal not other-wise provided for...  You won't find 2 shorts for forward in any rule book.

So maybe if you really want to get picky MTH has it wrong .  And Of course it depends on who's  blowing the whistle as HW mentioned.

So... responding to a go ahead from the conductor with two shorts is not "answering a signal not otherwise provided for?"

Rusty

SanDiegoMark posted:

Thanks. What documents are those two scans from? The first one seems to be signals signaled by the engineer. The second seems to be signals signaled by the conductor.

Norfolk & Western Book Of Rules

So... responding to a go ahead from the conductor with two shorts is not "answering a signal not otherwise provided for?"

Rusty

 Of course it is...