Under Lock and Key
On prototype railroads, the train crew carries a railroad key to
access locked equipment along the line. These locks are owned
and installed by the railroad to prevent unauthorized access to
their equipment. Locks are generally placed on every switch
that is not under direct dispatcher control, such as powered
switches in a CTC OS section.
To throw a
switch, the con-
ductor must
unlock a large
padlock and
remove it from
the switch stand
to allow the han-
dle to be thrown
and the points
to move. Once
the crew is done
using the switch,
the points are
returned to their
normal position
and the switch
is relocked.
When trains
are switching
an industry, the
switch is gener-
ally left unlocked
until the work is
complete.
2: The lock is clearly visible on the
switch stand along the prototype
IAIS Grimes Line. Train crews
must unlock and remove the
padlock before the switch can be
thrown.
2
Locking up your layout - 2
MRH-Dec 2013
