Last Manual Blocking of Trains on the N&W ?

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

ABE:
You musta worked for Computer Services.  The rank-and-file would go to  them
and ask if they could provide this.  After being bedazzled by their  lingo, 
they'd
reply, "NO! But we can gvie you this and this and this."  Then there  were the
"buzz words".  One of mine was "procedural methodology".  Now in  you post,
we have "A.C.T."  For the rest of us assistant-whatevers,  does  that have
reference to a train order conferring rights to a train to operate Against  
the
Current of Traffic ?  I've copied a few of those.  Kinda  lengthy:
Train Order No. 407  - To - ALL TRAINS EAST   At  TIDEWATER    April 8, 1961
 
BELT LINE EXTRA 114 WEST HAS RIGHT OVER OPPOSING TRAINS ON 
EASTWARD TRACK COLEMAN TO TIDEWATER.
                                                         
                              Com               12:37 PM
 
For the rank and file - that's an example of a train order for movement  
"A.C.T."
I think.
 
It's kinda hard to believe that PC, PRR, would issue 20-30 of those a  shift.
On the other hand, maybe the block stations fleeted the trains (means  all
trains one-after-another in one direction), or arranged to operate against  
the
current of traffic without the dispatcher's involvement.
 
N&W didn't have the flexibility of having open block stations every  nine 
miles.
In fact, crossover movements were performed at some rather  out-of-the-way
places - Juniper comes to mind.  When Louis Newton,   AVP-whatever, was
on the Scioto Division, he operated detours on the Tadpole. He'd leave  
Portsmouth
Sunday afternoon on a 1200 to be in place for detours on early  Monday.  He
put up at a boarding house in Crum for five days, then got to return  to 
Portsmouth for an abbreviated week end.   Like members in train  and engine
service, those outlying jobs were the pits.
 
"Huh ? , me." Well once I was on the business end of a detour Disputanta  to
Waverly.  My guess is that the last open office a dispatcher could  have 
issued
an "A.C.T." would've been Blackstone - 49 miles away.  A lot can  happen in 
the
time it takes a train to make 49 miles.  I might add that for one  eastbound,
I had the block tickets in the hoops for both ends - the crossover was good  
for
30 MPH.  Riding first out ahead of the caboose was a gond of  scrap.  The
conductor was on the rear end, arm outstretched to catch the ticket.  
Unfortunately,  what appeared to be a coat hanger snatched the string  first.
Thank goodness, he didn't pull the air to retrieve it and Maury. Anglin  never
found out.
                                                                      
What worked on the PRR might not be N&W's way of doing things,  thank
heavens.
                                                           Harry Bundy
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