by Arborwayfan
I guess this is a historical operations question.
Did crews have to give flag protection to their trains when they stopped unexpectedly in automatic block signal territory? Or would the automatic block signals themselves protect the trains?
I just finished reading Stephen W. Meader's The Long Train's Roll (a WW2 kids' or YA novel set around Altoona, which it calls Gaptown). The book refers to automatic block signals along the main line (of course the Pennsy would have had them, right?). Twice, the main character's train is flagged to a stop by the brakeman of another train, and the brakeman of the main character's train jumps off and runs back to protect his train. I have been wondering whether that's an accurate picture of operations in ABS territory or if the author either was mistaken or wanted to add a little drama and an opportunity for conversation between the crews of different trains.
(I bought this book at a train show in Mass someplace in the 80s. Before that it belonged to the Medford Public Library, so if any of you grew up reading this book in Medford, I have the copy you read.)
Did crews have to give flag protection to their trains when they stopped unexpectedly in automatic block signal territory? Or would the automatic block signals themselves protect the trains?
I just finished reading Stephen W. Meader's The Long Train's Roll (a WW2 kids' or YA novel set around Altoona, which it calls Gaptown). The book refers to automatic block signals along the main line (of course the Pennsy would have had them, right?). Twice, the main character's train is flagged to a stop by the brakeman of another train, and the brakeman of the main character's train jumps off and runs back to protect his train. I have been wondering whether that's an accurate picture of operations in ABS territory or if the author either was mistaken or wanted to add a little drama and an opportunity for conversation between the crews of different trains.
(I bought this book at a train show in Mass someplace in the 80s. Before that it belonged to the Medford Public Library, so if any of you grew up reading this book in Medford, I have the copy you read.)