Bye-bye NORAC for ex-Conrail lines?

New CSX rule book issued Oct. 1, 04 currently to take effect Nov. 1, 04,
The new rules are a meld of CSX and NORAC. Which ever they seemed to prefer for the circumstance.

Please don't remind me.

Haven't they ever heard the term "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?!?!?!?

Cab signals will not change, however the names of some signals will change, i.e. "Restricting" and "Stop & Proceed".

Not 100% sure of the new names....guess I should go review, eh? LOL

Also, NORAC rules will still apply to CSX crews operating on foreign railroads (such as Amtrak) which operate under NORAC Operating Rules

To my thinking, this makes absolutely NO SENSE.
Amtrak crews operating between Rensselaer and New York will now
operate under CSX rules from Rensselaer to Poughkeepsie, Metro-North
rules from Poughkeepsie to CP-12 and finally NORAC rules from CP-12 to
Penn Station, New York.
CSX crews over east get the business too, they will need to operate over
both CSX territory and NORAC territory.
My prediction, and I sincerely hope I am proven wrong on this one, is that
a major wreck will occur within a year somewhere on the territory involved in this needless change.
All of the northeastern railroads should be sitting down to develop one
rulebook instead of Metro-North, Long Island R.R., CSX, Norac and maybe more all going their separate ways. Signal conflicts could be
accounted for in the timetable if not in the rulebook and Metro-North's
unique signal system could be included too.
Let's see, an Amtrak active extra board engineer in Rensselaer now needs
to be qualified on at least five different rulebooks, CN, VTR, NORAC, MNCR and now CSX.
Even in my time years ago on the New Haven Railroad, the most we had
to do was four, L.I.R.R., P.R.R., N.Y.C. and of course N.Y.N.H. & H.
CSX "highballing to nowhere".
Noel Weaver

And they're supposedly still going to sell alot of areas east of Selkirk.

How will this work on the boston line, will mbta tracks (from framingham in) still use norac rules. and I assume CR trains will have to use CSX rules from framingam to worcester. Is there a big difference?

CRail wrote:How will this work on the boston line, will mbta tracks (from framingham in) still use norac rules. and I assume CR trains will have to use CSX rules from framingam to worcester. Is there a big difference?

CSXT operating rules will apply the entire way east to Cove Interlocking. I believe that you're forgetting that the MBTA does not own any part of the Boston Line.

CSXT operating Rules will also apply to Patriot football trains to Gillette Stadium @ Fox when operating on the Framingham Secondary between Walpole and Mansfield.

Will there be a change in the way crews call out signals over the radio? I know they don't do it in many areas but I'm wondering if these practices will be changed.

Thanks.

That will probably remain in effect for passenger train crews. I beleive that is only required in non-cab signal territory. (CP Cove to CP-21 on the Boston Line).

The announcing of train arrival and departure at each station will probably remain in effect too.

Regarding the Metro North signal system it is by far the easiest. It's basically go or no go. You operate by the cab signals unless your doing a pushing move and then you will get what is reffered to as and absoulute block. They use Form M's on the Waterbury and Danbury which are similar to a Form D on NORAC.

is there a new NORAC edition coming out this January? I have the NORAC from 2003

the new rules require signals and restrictions to be called out on the radio

as of right now for push pull trains "approach" and lower must be relayed to the conductor/trainman. This is similar to the DIB signs at trains stations. basically saying the previous signal still applies. This is because a Metro North engineer came up to an approach aspect and followed it until he came to the station. He pulled out of the station to normal speed and nailed the train in front of him.

CRail wrote:as of right now for push pull trains "approach" and lower must be relayed to the conductor/trainman. This is similar to the DIB signs at trains stations. basically saying the previous signal still applies. This is because a Metro North engineer came up to an approach aspect and followed it until he came to the station. He pulled out of the station to normal speed and nailed the train in front of him.

Actually it is for any signal less faborable than a Clear indication.



And as CSX Chris said, the new rules will require all trains, even freight, to call out signals on the radio...........just what we need, more traffic on the radio.

Thanks CSX, yet again, for the correction. gees, if i say black you say white. actually, its helpful and good to know, its like constructive criticism

Im not sure of the details on the crash, it was a long time ago i believe and i figure that the 2 trains were just in the perfect postioning to not have another aspect or something, but that is the reason for the rule.

Just remember, as Swedish Meatball mentioned earlier, Metro-North does not operate using NORAC rules.......they have their own operatig rules and signals, just like CSXT does (except former CONRAIL).

Basically Metro-North only has, that I have seen personally, 3 signals. Falshing green, flashing yellow, and steady red. (Basically Go, Slow, or No Go)

For more clarification on MNCRR's operating rules and signals, perhaps go to the MNCRR's forum.