Questions, Answers & Tips - 3
operators even if they have never run on the layout before. No
special instructions or handling for these push buttons.
For the more electronically sophisticated railroader, Alan of
offers and arrangement using SPST momentary
contact switches and an inexpensive latching relay.
You can have as many push button switches as you like for the
same Tortoise. Press any button and the Tortoise will throw com-
pletely, even if you only tap the switch. No need to hold down
the button and the Tortoise stays stalled, so no creep-back of the
points. The original post describing the circuit is here:
(see video on the prior page).
For more information, see the complete thread at
Modifying track warrants
Q.
With timetable and train order authority, if an error is made
with a train order, a totally new order is written. A train order
once issued can never be modified. A new order must be
written to amend an already issued one. Can a track warrant
be amended after it's issued? Why would the railroads have
changed that type of policy? It seems unsafe to modify a war-
rant once it's issued.
– Ken Leaver
A.
As always, the best answer depends on knowing the time
period, the railroad and the rule book involved. Several railroad-
ers offer answers from their work experiences.
Railroader Dave Husman said a "track warrant for bulletins" can
have the engine number changed. A movement track warrant can
have the limits reduced (a "roll up"). It can have a line voided.
Issuing a track warrant for movement and then adding an "after
arrival" later would be a rules violation on a real railroad.
Engineer Ken Rickman added, “The only modification I have ever
made on a track warrant was to OS by a location, thus reducing
the length of the limits. It could only be done on a 'Proceed' and
had to be a location at least 3 miles behind the engine, unless it
was positively known that the rear had cleared the location. For
anything other than an OS, a new track warrant would have to
be issued.”
In this case, an “OS” is reporting the train's position to a dis-
patcher; a “Proceed” is a standard one-direction authority that
allows a train to proceed from point A to point B.
Travis, who is “slow.track” on the MRH forum, explains the pro-
cedures. "A track warrant for bulletins is really just a way to get
the needed track bulletins to a train, and every train gets one
regardless of the territory. This grants you no authority, it's just a
cover sheet basically.
“A real track warrant is not in effect until it is correct with time
and initials of the dispatcher. If a correction needs to be made,
a complete new warrant needs to be issued and the new one
generally has the first line that states TW # _____ is void, and
then you would copy the rest of the authority. Once that is cor-
rect and OK it automatically means the previous that needed
changed is void and you have a new authority.
“The only changes that can be made without voiding is what's
called ‘rolling up.’ This allows the dispatcher to give larger chunks
of real estate at one time to following trains in dark territory.”
Let's look at the “track warrant for bulletins.” Some railroads
use this language, some don't. It's a confusing name because it
doesn't grant any authority to occupy track. Like a clearance card
under timetable operations, it lists special circumstances that a
train crew needs to know. The crew has to acknowledge having
received and understood this information before it can depart.
“Other railroads, however, give the crew a track warrant
MRH-Feb 2014
