Passing manual train orders

[DELETED-aYx9Q4SYwhiI2h6]

My layout is a rual US route set in the late 40' early 50s and is a non signalled route.

And I can remember a small rural station where the train master had a long "Y" type stick where he attached the train order accross the "Y" and held it up so when the train went by the engineer could grab the train order.

The station master also had a holder (or stand) where he could put the "Y" stick in it so he didn't have to hold the stick.

I'm looking for something like this for my route. But I don't know what it's really called. The "Y" stick is what I call it.

I'm looking for one that is stand alone or attached to something (like a station?). Does anyone know if there is anything like it and what it's call?

Thanks for any help you can give me because I don't even know what to start looking for.

Dave

 

[stagecoach]

Dont know what the stick might be but in the UK the item passed to the train would be called a token. It was handed to a driver over single lines and only the train with the token could pass along that line. Sometimes a passing loop in the middle of a single line would need the drivers of two passing trains to exchange tokens inorder to continue along the next section.

 

[289v8]

Train Orders

Post Deleted.

 

[Dap]

The Train Orders would be rolled and/or folded into a small packed and tied with a loop of string. This string loop would be held by the Y stick. THe engineer would lean out the window of the engine and make sure arm was headed for the center of the Y loop. The string loop would pop off the Y stick. The station agent or operator would then throw it down the empty Y stick, pick up the second loop and hope that the conductor in the caboose would get his arm through the second loop. If either the engineer or the conductor failed to catch the written train order on the move, they would have to stop the train and back up to get a hard copy of the order.

The other half of Train Order operations was the Time Table. Most trains ran according to a published timetable. All operating employees were supposed to carry an employee's timetable. This would give them a reference as to when to expect a train. A train could not leave a station before the time stated in the timetable.

I use this method to coordinate the running of multiple trains in some of my Trainz operating sessions.

David

 

[railsong]

My layout is a rual US route set in the late 40' early 50s and is a non signalled route.

And I can remember a small rural station where the train master had a long "Y" type stick where he attached the train order accross the "Y" and held it up so when the train went by the engineer could grab the train order.

The station master also had a holder (or stand) where he could put the "Y" stick in it so he didn't have to hold the stick.

I'm looking for something like this for my route. But I don't know what it's really called. The "Y" stick is what I call it.

I'm looking for one that is stand alone or attached to something (like a station?). Does anyone know if there is anything like it and what it's call?

Thanks for any help you can give me because I don't even know what to start looking for.

Dave

Yeah, I worked as a telegrapher/clerk for the UP on the main line back in the early sixties. I have used the hoops many times. They are called train order hoops. We had both the manual ones and the ones that we put on a steel pole that was put in a cement base with a hole in it to put the pole in. I didn't like the manual ones as you had to be too close to hand it up, as the trains were going by at 50 to 60 MPH. As was stated there were two hoops. One was up high for the engineer and the other lower for the conductor in the caboose. We used them more for messages to the train crew, as they had their orders and clearances when they left the main terminals. Well hope you find what you are looking for. Have a great day or night, in which case it may be......
Mel:wave:

 

[DELETED-aYx9Q4SYwhiI2h6]

Thanks for the information. I only saw it work once but as a kid it looked like something fun to do.

Now I now the purpose for them. I never realized the second hoop was for the conductor.

Very interesting.

Now I need to search for hoops and hope I find one or a station that has one already attached to it.

Thanks again

Dave

PS: Thanks for reminding me to make sure my trains run on time. I had forgotten about that.