signaling (was signal brackets)

[NW Mailing List]

Prescribed speed was the speed in the employee time table for that section of track.

Restricted Speed (not restricting speed although the signal name that told you to proceed at restricted speed is called Restricting) is defined in the rule book as “A speed that will permit stopping short of train, engine, obstruction, or switch not properly lined and looking out for a broken rail, but no exceeding 15 miles per hour.”

At least in my 1981 rule book, Medium Speed is not defined nor is it used. While many railroads include a requirement to reduce to medium speed (and define it as 30mph) when passing an Approach signal, N&W’s indication for Approach was simply “proceed preparing to stop at next signal."

My rule book did define Slow Speed (A speed not exceeding 15 mile per hour). That is probably because N&W mostly used route signaling rather than speed signaling (e.g. Divergring Clear rather than Medium Clear) but did have Slow Clear and Slow Approach signals defined in the rule book. On the former-N&W with position signals, Slow Clear and Slow Approach could only be found on dwarfs and all dwarfs were slow speed signals (not true in former NKP/WAB territory).
 
-- 
Larry Stone
lstone19 at stonejongleux.com





> On Mar 29, 2024, at 7:18 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Were the “prescribed speed,” “medium speed,” and “restricting speed” MPH values in the employee timetable? Were the MPH of those speeds system – wide (i.e., medium speed in Norfolk was the same as medium speed in Ohio), or did they vary by location? Thanks for your explanation.  Rob Doorack
>  From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
> Sent: Friday, March 29, 2024 6:49 AM
> To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> Subject: signaling (was signal brackets)
>  Mike, et al.,
> Thanks for your attachments.  Several years back, I went through a series of posts to try to explain to myself and others how N&W signaling was done.  I will try to present some of that information again and if you will ask specific questions, I will provide the best answers I can and hopefully others will join in the conversations.
> First you have the block occupancy signals also called intermediate I believer because they are intermediate to control points.
> These signals have a single arem and can display only three aspects:
>  CLEAR: both the block you are entering and the subsequent block are unoccupied.
> Indication: Proceed at prescribed speed
>  APPROACH:  the block you are entering is unoccupied, but the subsequent block is occupied
> Indication:  Proceed at no greater than medium speed, preparing to stop at next signal
>  STOP AND PROCEED:  the block you are entering is occupied.
> Indication:  Bring your train to a complete stop and then proceed at no greater than restricting speed being prepared to stop short of any other train or obstruction.
>  I think these are the easiest to understand and I have included some photos of this type of signal.
> Let me know  your questions/comments etc.
> Jim Cochran
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