Glue signals (NW Mailing List)

[NW Mailing List]

No, a controlled signal is only one that is directly controlled by thedispatcher. Note that their 'control' is limited mostly to lining switchesand requesting a permissive (non- stop and stay) signals in a directionthrough the plant.
  Just a little information regarding a "line-up" at an interlocking.  The dispatcher or operator/
  leverman must 
  FIRST - line the turnouts (if necessary)
  SECOND - turn the lever governing the home signal permitting the train to pass.

  The interlocking will NOT permit giving a signal first, then lining the turnouts.  If there's
  a change of mind, FIRST - the lever is restored and the home signal drops to STOP.
  Before the turnouts can be re-lined, there's a "time-out" feature (usually three to
  five minutes) to allow the interlocking to recover.   Some manipulators (Abe
  Burnett for one) know how to over ride the "time-out" feature, but no one ever taught
  me.

  Fifty-three years ago this month,  I found out some of the features of an interlocking.
  About one of every three coal trains for Lamberts Point first went to Sewells
  Point on the former VGN.  When Lamberts Point could accept coal,  a two-unit FM set 
  ran light Lamberts Point to Sewalls Point to drag 180 cars back for dumping. 

  The big "hang-up" on Norfolk Terminal was road crossings.  In an era before all the
  under and overpasses, stopping a train over road crossings caused real chaos.  In one
  instance, a train on the Sewells Point Branch was slow to clear Granby Street.  A fire
  truck responding to a call at Ocean View was stopped.  After that, Norfolk imposed
  a curfew.  There were only certain times a day N&W could run long trains.  The 
  operator at Bridge 7 controlled a "HOLD OUT" signal west of MP N-10.   If Lamberts
  Point couldn't accept coal, the operator would hold the train until it could.  But once
  he mashed the "GO" button, there could be no interference for the 15-mile run --
  no draw bridges raised, no holding for a train to cross at Carolina or NS Jct.,  no
  set offs or pick ups en route.

  On August 12, 1960, the FM's had started back from Sewells Point with 180 loads.
  East of Tidewater,  the train had a CLEAR at the distant signal at Coleman Place, a
  CLEAR at the home signal, and I had cleared the train through Tidewater to run west
  on the westbound.  Maximum authorized speed was 20 MPH. West of Tidewater was
  the Ford Plant and then the Carolina interlocking.    The train had passed the distant
  signal for Coleman when the operator at Carolina called to say that the Belt Line had
  a "shut down" car for the Ford Plant and he wanted me to divert the coal drag to run
  west on the eastbound.  Had he talked to the Victoria dispatcher ?  That was com-
  pulsory.  "NO, no time".  Well he had more seniority than I did, so I figured he knew
  what he was doing.  He later left the railroad for a military career.  So I turned the
  signal lever, the home signal dropped to "STOP" and the drag watched as the home
  signal at Coleman Place dropped to "APPROACH" from "CLEAR" The drag had 1.2
  miles  to run before the "time-out" feature corrected and  I could line the crossover and
  give a signal to proceed.  The train had almost drifted to a stop when the signal cleared,
  As the engineer passed the tower, he made an obscene gesture, and then the
  Victoria dispatcher called to determine how the movement had taken place without his
  permission.  Operating a railroad isn't like running a Lionel.           Harry Bundy
   

     
   
  
  
   
   
     
  
   

 
 
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