Train Order Boards

Not to my knowledge any longer. There previously was a man in the St Louis, MO. area that offered beautiful Train Order Board kits. I have two on the layout, and they are also lighted and would be capable of functioning if one was to hook up an operating motor under the layout. I don't know what ever happened to the outfit, but I can go upstairs and find the name on the box if you are interested.

Got a picture to reference what these are?

Here's a photo I took last year of the former B&M passenger station in Ashland, NH, complete with train order boards like what I would like to model.

Ok, take a look at NJ - thought they used to sell something along those lines.

And I think that Grandt Line sells the parts to make one with some effort.

Sorry in advance, I have been skewered many times when asking something instead of just Googling it, but to me that defeats the purpose of following a forum.  So here goes.  

What is a train order board?

Go to this site and scroll down to semaphores.

http://njinternational.com/oscale.htm

Dave

Although involved with "Real Railroading", a Train Order was generally hand up to the locomotive crew and the caboose crew, as the train passed (freight or passenger). Train orders were used on railroad lines that were NOT controlled remotely by CTC (Centralized Traffic Control). A Train Order, for example might tell the "Engineer & Conductor of Extra 4960, west to meet Extra 4963 in Lincoln City."  additional information would be stated as to which train was to "take siding" and which was to hold the main track.

All this sort of information would have been sent to a Train Order Operator assigned at a specific station, by way of Telegraph (in the really old days) or by Telephone from the Dispatcher, who would have been located at a more central location on that RR line. 

Now the good part: Each Train Order Station (generally maned 24/7) had one of those "Train Order Board" signals, which would show GREEN  =  no orders, or YELLOW  =  pick up Form 19 orders "on the fly" for Engineer & Conductor, or RED = Stop and physically sign for Form 31 orders (these were pretty rare).

Does this brief explanation help?

Thanks Dave, but the NJI semaphore is not what I had in mind.

Correct, as it is not a "Train Order Board" type.

thank you Hot Water.  Until last year I paid no attention to trains.    There is a lot to learn. Also, such a nice response peaks my interest even more.  thanks

"The famous stories about Charles Minot on the Erie are evidence of this. Minot had seen that the Erie acquired a bankrupt telegraph line along the railway around 1850, and took advantage of it to begin using telegraphic messages to move trains. " J. B. Calvert

So, I googled today's lesson.    It fits right into my history train, as it is based in Minot, the town named by Jim Hill for his friend.  Looks like I'll be constructing telegraph lines!  

Good, telephone lines were used by railroads well into the 1960s, and early 1970s, prior to Micro-wave usage.

A Train Order, for example might tell the "Engineer & Conductor of Extra 4960, west to meet Extra 4963 in Lincoln City."  additional information would be stated as to which train was to "take siding" and which was to hold the main track.

not always. remember..  right class and direction?

Yes good information. There is lots of that here. I am in the same boat as you. I've watched trains all my life, but only in the last couple of years have been trying to learn how they operate and to tell one from another. It's a bit late now, probably won't live long enough to get it all figured out.

A really good introduction to train orders is the book "19 East, Copy 3" by Dave Sprau and Steve King.  More Info 

Just found this at the Mullet River site.

http://mulletrivermodelworks.c...&products_id=221

Unlike the NJI signal I posted above, this one being sold as a train order board.

Dave

That is indeed a true Train Order Board indicator, and one of the best examples I've see so far.

So was a train order signal physically different from a semaphore?

And regarding semaphore signals - what was the reason for upper quadrant or lower quadrant? 

Thanks Hot,

Another question - Why were the train orders 19 and 31? Why such odd numbers? Why not 1 and 2? 

And were the train order signal's semaphore or "paddle" always a different profile shape than a standard semaphore signal long the line?

What might be the average distance between two stations or places where orders might be provided? Was this the only communication that the engineer had between those points? No other signals of any kind?