06-29-2010, 06:37 PM
Standard crossing signal is Long-Long-Short-Long.
Two shorts= moving ahead
3 shorts= moving back
horn signals need not be used when radio communication is used. I.E. If your conductor says "PRR 6200 come ahead 15 car lengths to a coupling" you would either acknowledge with "PRR 6200 ahead 15" or with 2 toots of the horn, but not both. When switching using hand signals, you would acknowledge with the horn prior to movement to let the trainman know you understood his instructions.
The bell should be used whenever there could be people around that you want to know of your presence. Going through crossing, platforms at stations, through yards, when passing other trains, etc.
There are many more horn signals, and some railroads had signals specific to that road. For instance, on the PRR 4 track main line, there were DIFFERENT horn signals for each main line track. That way when more than 1 train was present and working with horn signals, the people involved could differentiate between horn signals for a train on track 1 as opposed to, say, a train on track 3 or 4. Very complicated indeed.
Two shorts= moving ahead
3 shorts= moving back
horn signals need not be used when radio communication is used. I.E. If your conductor says "PRR 6200 come ahead 15 car lengths to a coupling" you would either acknowledge with "PRR 6200 ahead 15" or with 2 toots of the horn, but not both. When switching using hand signals, you would acknowledge with the horn prior to movement to let the trainman know you understood his instructions.
The bell should be used whenever there could be people around that you want to know of your presence. Going through crossing, platforms at stations, through yards, when passing other trains, etc.
There are many more horn signals, and some railroads had signals specific to that road. For instance, on the PRR 4 track main line, there were DIFFERENT horn signals for each main line track. That way when more than 1 train was present and working with horn signals, the people involved could differentiate between horn signals for a train on track 1 as opposed to, say, a train on track 3 or 4. Very complicated indeed.
-Dave