RR Signage Question

W is whistle. Different shapes are for different railroads. P is usually passenger speed limit. Not sure about S and X.

"S" is for switch or siding.

I believe "S" mean for station. "X" mean road crossing. Those symbol used on C&NW.

S is the whistle sign for stations which was placed one mile in advance of the station.  In days before radio communication, the Engineer of a train approaching an open telegraph office was required to sound the whistle one extra long, when passing the whistle sign for stations, to alert the Telegrapher:

• that the train was approaching and to check and be sure the order board displayed the proper indication to advise the train crew that there were orders to be received, and get out onto the platform with the order hoops or forks to hand up orders on the fly, or
• if there were no orders for any train at that station in that direction, the Telegrapher would, upon hearing the whistle and positively ascertaining the direction from which the train was approaching, cause the order board to display an indication that indicated no orders were to be received at that station.
• In modern times, on portions of the railroad without any block signals or switch indicators other than the target on the switch stand, the S sign is sometimes used one mile in advance of the switch which a train would use if required to take siding at that station.  This is not a universal practice, and is only used, with some reluctance, when authorized by the General Manager of that portion of the railroad.  I had an experience with this on the Plainview Subdivision of BNSF.  The Union came to us with a request to place S signs because of the number of newly hired employees working that territory in the fog.  We agreed that it was reasonable, and requested authority to have the signs made and placed, and it required about two months to be completed.  Railroads are reluctant to use S signs except where there is a special need, and the fog was the basis for giving authority to use the S sign.  Normally, crew members should know the territory well enough to find the switch.  Signs have a risk factor, because they can be knocked down or removed, placing the railroad at some liability if a train over-runs a heading-in switch due to a missing sign.

The S sign, when attached to a switch stand, indicates that the turnout is a spring switch, which means that a train or engine may make a straight-through, trailing point,  movement through the spring switch without stopping to align it.

The W sign and the X sign are both whistle signs for highway crossings.  In the southwest, Santa Fe used W signs, while the SP and UP both used X signs.  I believe the WP also used the X sign.  Beyond my home territory, I don't know which railroads used W's and which used X's, but they mean the same, and are typically placed 1,320 feet (16 rods, one quarter mile) in advance of the road crossing, and in most states, indicated the place at which the Engineer should begin sounding (and repeating or prolonging) the crossing warning whistle signal.  Idaho had a different law that required the whistle to be sounded for a prescribed number of seconds -- 20, I believe -- instead of a distance, before occupying the crossing.  In modern times the FRA has become involved in this, and has complicated a simple rule, something FRA excels at.  Now, in the U.S., trains are required to sound the whistle for not less than 20, nor more than 30, seconds before occupying a crossing, but the crossing whistle signs remain in place at their standard location to remind the Engineer that the engine is approaching a crossing and to figure out when to begin the whistle signal, based on the train's speed.  This Federal law is a delight to plaintiff attorneys.

The P sign, when attached to a block signal mast also bearing a number plate, indicates that it is a Permissive signal.  Normally, a signal with a number plate, when displaying a red aspect, requires a train to stop, and then proceed at Restricted speed to the end of the block or to the next governing signal.  However, some railroads use Grade signals (with a G sign on the mast) or Permissive signals to allow a train to pass the signal without stopping and proceed as otherwise required by a Stop and Proceed signal.

Since railroads have quite a bit of autonomy in the design and placement of their right of way signs, there could be other uses, on a specific railroad, for these signs, but the above information is common practice.

thanks

As an added piece of info, the Lackawanna had whistle post castings made with the W on one side and an R for "Ring" (Bell) on the other.  The side not in use would be painted completely black. Did any other railroads have "ring" signs?

Where I work, was Missouri Pacific, now UP, "SS" is Spring Switch,  "S" was used on the Cotton Belt for Switch One Mile in advance of a siding switch. (Not used now that UP runs things!)

As stated above, "X" is a road crossing whistle sign, and "W" is also a whistle sign that we have in advance of tunnels. Both are a Long, Long Short, Long horn sequence.

From the current General Code of Operation Rules, April 7, 2010.

Rule 5.8.2 Sounding Whistle 

item 7 "When approaching public crossing at grade with an engine in front, sound the signal as followed,

A. At speeds in excess of 45MPH start signal at or about the crossing sign but not more than 1/4 mile from the crossing.

B. At speeds of 45MPH or less, start signal at least 15seconds, but not more than 20 seconds, before entering the crossing.

C. If no crossing sign start signal at least 15 seconds, but not more than 20 seconds before entering the crossing but not more than 1/4 mile before the crossing.

D. If movement starts less than 1/4 mile from the crossing, signal may be sounded less than 15 seconds before crossing when it is clearly seen traffic is not approaching the crossing or when crossing gates are fully lowered."    

(I can tell you this, we have some 70MPH freight train track speeds down in southern Illinois and the time the horn blown from the whistle board is about 12 seconds, so I usually start before the sign even though not required by the rule! Of course catching a train that will actually do 60-70MPH is a rare occasion!)

Dan

Tom:

Thank you for the excellent write-up.

Regards,

Jerry