Switching Action at Mountain King Potatoes

[Tom]

49CFR Part 218 describes Railroad Safety Procedures for men working on, under or between railroad rolling equipment. Basically it is the railroad industries version of "lockout-tagout". There's a lot more to it than that, but in the model railroad world at least (as far as your industries is concerned) except when railroad trainmen are going into the foul while performing train service duties (except to test or arm an EOT device) all personnel going on under or between any rail equipment need to protect themselves against movement into that track by lining and locking the switch away from movement into that track, a derail may be placed, and a blue flag MUST be placed at all entrances to the track to be protected.

Blue signals may only be removed by the craft, class, or group of workmen for whome the protection is being provided. So, on the layout, a blue flag sign stating "MEN AT WORK", "SAFETY FIRST" or the like between teh rails, or clamped to one rail and extending over the track while your LPB's are loading/unloading cars on your industry spurs or mechanical forces are working in your yard, locomotive repair facilities or RIP track (car) facilities.