Pacific & American Railroad

erdnay · Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 9:10 pm Post subject: Is this legal?

I'm stuck behind a slow-moving train. Mad

Is it legal to just follow him restricted speed (20mph)? I'm climbing the Mojave side of the Tehachapi escarpment.

It's sort of like being stuck behind a tractor pulling a hay wagon on a busy two-lane highway.

L&N · Joined: 30 Aug 2004 Posts: 249 Location: Etowah, TN

Alex,

I would say it depended on the RR. We used to have trains on the L&N that would go through the narrows North of Knoxville right on the heels of the one in front. With the dispatchers permission of course and at restricted speed. Especially when we held them up with a Form W.

Jay

Turbo Bill · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:52 pm Post subject:

If it's a stop and Proceed red signal then it's OK but I think they'd frown on tailgating that close.

On the RW railroad I ran we would have joint TRack Warrants that would allow two trains in the same territory behind each other. As long as we were in contact with each other anything went. We had to crossover the UP mainline to get into our yard. If I would come in behind another WPRR train waitng to crossover, I would just couple iinto the rear of the preceding train and extinquish my number board. When the preceding train would get the OK to cross I would just tool in with him and just away as soon as my engine got across the UP main. I would then cruise into my receiving yard track. The UP would be none the wiser. If I didn't do this little trick, I would sometimes wait up to two hours before getting an OK to cross. First couple of times the lead hogger didn't know I had coupled in until he saw us cruising up the yard track next to him.

Chase · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:27 pm Post subject:

here on the Georgia Division, when trains derail or something causes delays, trains run about a mile from each other just because of the terrain and so many trains pass through here a day. Its non-stop talking on the readio though, so I would imagin that it would depend on the situation

mmartin51 · Joined: 17 Sep 2004 Posts: 100 Location: Galesburg, Iowa

Alex, one must remember the 3rd law of nature:

If it is fun, feels good or tastes good, it is either illegal, immoral or fattening.

rlduncan · Joined: 16 Jul 2005 Posts: 176 Location: Southwest Oklahoma

In 1998, following the old US 66 (and therefore the ATSF mainline!) I observed trains stopped this close after a grade crossing incident. There were at least 3 westbound trains stopped within sight of each other. I don't know what the resolution was, but Needles yard was filled up that afternoon. Stopped is probably a different situation than running.