Switch Terminology

[NW Mailing List]

Carl Woods wrote:
> Thanks.  That confirms what I thought.  I remember hearing "closed" and
> "open" used elsewhere and some other terms that I can't recall.

You will hear "open" and "closed" used over the radio when talking
about switches, just not when directly refering to the route lined.
For example, the dispatcher may say "permission to open up the switch
and occupy the main" when talking to a local crew or maintenance
wanting to come out of a yard/siding/branch at an unsignaled switch
(meaning not a CTC control point). You will also hear a phrase like
'closed up and in the clear' when leaving a CTC track into a yard,
branch or siding. In this case, I think the terms may apply more to
the electric CTC circuits involved than the actual position of the
rails. It's all about context.

You usually won't hear switch crews talking about normal or reversed,
they usually just say 'lined to the main' or 'lined to the siding/
branch/track name'. Presumably because its more specific and avoids
any possible miscommunication about which route is considered normal.

The above applies to radio communication on modern day NS, I presume
it also applied to N&W as well since terminology rarely changes on
the railroad. Jimmy or another actual railroader, please correct me
if my presumption is incorrect.


Joe Shaw
Christiansburg, VA
http://www.krunk.org/