RexHea said:
Kennedy,
Thank you. That operating procedure is exactly what I need to open my mind up better to what is going on. Lets see if I have it right.
(In MRR, of course) Without a dispatcher or CTC, it comes down to the hogger must take the responsiblility of knowing where the other guy is in the hidden areas to take the correct action by 'TO' and choose siding or no siding. RIGHT? i.e, The hogger in the yellow (drawing) would have checked the 'TO' at his last siding and 'eyeballed' the other guy to help see if he needed to go in or not. "...anybody thar?"
Not quite. I would think the only time when there wasn't a dispatcher was back in the days of The Best Friend of Charleston. If you had more than a couple of trains, there was probably some sort of dispatcher or instructions written for specific times. The latter presumes that the train was 'on time'; if it wasn't, Cornfield Meet!
The TO will give specific instructions to the hogger, but it should be generated by the dispatcher so he can provide the most current instructions to each train. He knows this because each depot on the line has a telegraph operator there to report back to the dispatcher office. The dispatcher then updates his daily track chart.
In your example, the Yellow hogger would have taken a siding and would not be allowed to leave until the Green train has passed. Since TO is not real time, nor are TT 100% accurate, the TO would account for this by providing absolute instructions.
HOWEVER! There are times that a TO would provide alternate orders if a train got somewhere early; they would be authorized to move to the next block safely. This is mainly when a train would finish switching early, and they're back on the line earlier than expected. They still have authority to be on the main, but they're just there earlier. In those instances, and since trains normally didn't run that far ahead of schedule, they might be able to make the next siding, presuming that the time the get there doesn't overlap the oncoming train's timetable. I say that because in the grand scheme of things, if the TT says a train is supposed to be at DEPOT A, at 9am, it won't go past Depot A prior to 9am. Note that timetables such as this doesn't mark a time to be at a siding (unless it's at a depot), So, the early train can move forward. I think that's how it works; I'm not fully conversant with TT/TO operations.
Just thinking a little more about this and what you said about the computer program: If I can set it up so that if GREEN hogger enters block C or previous block then the YELLOW hogger will automatically be routed to his last siding before the hidden area then it helps the safety issue. I want to stay away from too much automation, but if I would be able to setup individual situations for auto routing it would be great. I believe that I will look into that game and get a better understanding.
Probably. But, since you're not really running a dispatcher, you need to be more in tune with absolute track orders. That's the safe way.
PROTO Question: Circa 1950
If I were the local peddler freight making my rounds and using mainline trackage for my rounds, and I got delayed up at Peckerwood's sawmill in the boonies by having to do some extra spotting, how would I keep from getting ran over by the SOUTHERN CRESCENT when I started to return to the mainyard? Would I have to be on a schedule? Would I notify a dispatcher somehow? How would I notify the dispatcher from the boonies?
Your order would say that if you're not back on the main in time, you'd already been told via your TO to stay put until the SOUTHERN CRESCENT has gone by. Alternately, since the orders will also tell you to take a siding somewhere else down the road, if you think you can make it, you can try. But, the orders don't actually say that. It says you have to be in the siding by XXXX time and why; I think the Rules book may also specify some amount of time prior to that time you have to be in there. In other words, in there without fouling the main. The Conductor in the caboose would re-line the switch for the main, thus providing a Green block for the SC. Between the TO and the timetable, the crew should be able to make a decision.
After the SC has passed, the TO should provide instructions for the rest of the trip. Either way, the hogger should try to make up time so that he gets back on schedule.
In the TT/TO era, the telegraph operators at each depot will report the trains going by. Or, the dispatcher will ring up the depot: "Depot G, has Peddler gone by yet?" If the answer is no, then the dispatcher starts to look down the road to see what other traffic is going to happen, since Peddler is going to foul up somebody. He'd have draft orders ready if need be, so when Depot G reports him going by, he'll send them to the next Depot for pickup. Or, if it's too late, he'll tell the Telegraph Operator to set the signal that there will be orders to pick up. That order supersedes the first set, and takes into account all of things that are current. There have been many a time where Depot G said "No, he hasn't been by yet.", the dispatcher says "set signal for orders to be picked up.", and while the dispatcher is dictating, the train in question comes by. There have been times where the signal hasn't been set in time. Or, the train in question has had to stop because the dispatcher is still dictating. It's worse if he has to dictate more than one TO (for multiple trains). Remember that you have to hoop them up to the cab (for the hogger) as well as the caboose (where the conductor is).
Getting back to your other question, if you had a radio, you could tell the dispatcher what happened that way. If there are no further orders on the TO, you ask for them when you get to the next depot at the last destination. Dispatchers will always designate an endpoint at a location where the hogger can get a new TO. Only time that doesn't happen is if they're using a trackside phone and it's broken. The Rules book should have a contingency for this.
Kennedy