signalling question

What type of signalling system is used on via rail?

I don't really understand your question. Are you asking about the type of trackside signals in use, the lights on front and rear of the trains, something inside the locomotives, or something else?

If you're asking about the trackside signals, then it's whatever the host railway uses. On most lines, it is the searchlight style with a single lamp per head indicating one of three colours (green, yellow, red). CN has started updating some of their operating signals to use a stoplight style with a three light green/yellow/red LED head.

As Ken said, signalling depends on the host railroad. VIA trains run in CTC and OCS(aka "Dark" Territory) territory.

In Atlantic Canada most, if not all, of the track VIA uses is CN track which is mostly CTC and ABS....very little dark track.

PS, drop by my signaling forum sometime if you have more questions.

CROR410 wrote:In Atlantic Canada most, if not all, of the track VIA uses is CN track which is mostly CTC and ABS....very little dark track.

Actually it’s about evenly split in Atlantic Canada: The Ocean is on CN “Signaled” track from Halifax to Pacific Jct near Moncton. Then it’s on the New Brunswick East Coast Railway “Dark” territory to west of Campbellton.

Looking at the whole route, the Ocean is on about 470 miles of CN “Signaled” track and about 370 miles of shortline “Dark” territory made up of the “New Brunswick East Coast Railway” and the “Chemin de fer de la Matapedia et du Golfe” to near Riviere du Loup where the CN route is rejoined.

Yes I see that now.....I found a map and then realized the VIA went more North and that the trackage is NBEC dark. You learn something every day but that means someone (the who told me) is/was wrong!

VIA runs on CTC and OCS.
There is no ABS on any CN track in Canda.

VIA does run on CP in a few places but thats just on short sections of track.

gp9rm4108 wrote:VIA runs on CTC and OCS.
There is no ABS on any CN track in Canda.

VIA does run on CP in a few places but thats just on short sections of track.

ABS is indeed included inside a CTC domain. YOu could have five ABS signals between two CTC controlled signals. Also, the ABS and CTC signals are interconnected of course.

You are right on that ... but true ABS is signals in OCS territory which CN has none of. ABS is no longer in CN's rulebook as the intermediates in CTC are ABS ... but they are not ... they are followup signals.

I asked that question in rules class about intermediates in CTC ... the instructor said although they act the exact same as ABS signals do .. they are not really ABS.

gp9rm4108 wrote:......they act the exact same as ABS signals do ..

Then they are ABS signals...there might be I/O from these to the CTC, the CTC operator might not be able to control some of them, some may automatically change as a 'follow through' from an 'upstream' CTC controlled signal that was controlled by the CTC operator, but they are still ABS. There are CTC territory installations where these signals have no I/O to the CTC system, they have their own logic system, they are not called ABS, but they are.

Automatic Block is a logic that can could be deployed in stand-alone 'islands' inside or outside of a CTC domain, or as well the AB logic can actually come from the CTC system....espescially the modern computer based systems.

Be careful what instructors tell you...some are invaluable, and others...well......

Yea, thats right.

CN's CROR is VERY different from CP's CROR.

One thing is that CN doens't have ABS, Cautinary Limits and Yard Limits or Electric Locks.