lost art of railroad hand signals.wmv
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2024
- Modern railroading has placed a heavy dependence on radios for engine crews to communicate-- at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park we take pride in perpetuating many of the lost arts of railroading, including the tradition of using hand signals. Like the regional dialects developed in any language, there are many variants, but in this video, Tommy Johnson, Railtown Conductor and volunteer with over 50 years experience in railroading on the Santa Fe and Amtrak, demonstrates how they are done in Jamestown, California
I was a NS yard switchman and before walkie taklies we had hand signals for day time and light signals at night. for long distant work we would climb power poles or get on top of a boxcar to relay a signal, we had one signal that stands out in my mind used only when necessary. you would point at the employee then point at your lips then turn around and point at your rear end. it did not help move the rail cars but it got someone's attention
Glad I caught that era too, was good at one man dutch drops in 12 car lengths of track.
I’m part of the Nevada county narrow gauge railroad crew and we’re being out engine, Nevada County #5 to Carson City and this video helped me out so much with the proper signals. Thank you so much!
Worked the rails for 42 + years as a conductor and I will tell you many hand signals are unique to a rr, division, or even a yard. but some of the signals I saw in this video were never used on my RR's.
This is a great rendition of daytime hand signals used by western railroads (generally those west of Chicago.) Eastern railroads use hand signals similar to those found in the old AAR Standard Code of Operating Rules, which are identical by day and night whether given with hand, flag, or lamp. Many of the signals shown in this video can't be given at night because to do so would require the crew member to have a lamp in each hand - thus leaving neither hand free to pull pins, grasp grab irons, open/close angle cocks, etc. So at night the western roads use the same signals used by the eastern roads by day and by night. I agree with the commenters below that in many cases use of hand signals (where there is clear line of sight) is preferable to using a radio.
I worked as a Switchman and an Engineer for 48 years. The signals seen here are similar to what a new employee would give. Not good hand signals at at all. Good signals and passing on those signals was an art. Some people just didn't have it.
LOL! Looks like Al trying to help me back into the garage!!!! :o)
Nice ! A lot of the same signals are still used today.
I've never seen most of theses. Most I've seen involve one hand. Cool that they know their stuff!
I am a switchman/conductor in Amarillo Texas and we still use these hand signals daily! Radio traffic is not near as easy as using hand signals. Even in modern day railroading we use almost every one of these signals and we know many more than even shown on this video like in depth number counts! This is not a "lost art!"
Gabriel Carrier Exactly! A good crew uses the radio as little as possible. Some goober can't walk all over a trainman's hand signs like they can with the radio.
Gabriel Carrier yep, I see them in use all the time when they shunt cars in my town.
I retired in 2000 after 32 years Brakeman/Conductor our hand signs were different for directions. We would give a cut in sign when we went between the cars to make air joints. We used to lay over in our cabooses. Some Conductors were really good cooks. Nothing like a big plate of fried potatoes, bacon and coffee. The local Conductors cooked because there was no place to eat. We would eat after 9 or 10 hours and work for another 6 hours.
I work for the RR in the bay area and while working in the mechanical yard I would used just about all of these signals. Kinda makes me want to go back to switching cars
Good illustrations of hand signals used back in the day - very similar to those on CN.
I am a hog head with UP, and we still all of those signs on a daily basis.
R Johnson that's what I said....what region are you in, I'm in the southern region texas
@Train 2noplace I work for Amtrak now, and some of the hand signs are hysterical.
@@Prowelder21 I’m in Oregon.
This is a treat. Very informative!
Just like terminology is geographical. For instance we called Cabooses Way Cars in Kansas. So if they told you to get a way car, you knew what they are talking about. In Belen NM they would tell you to get a cab off the Cab Track.
New England, we still use hand signals day time for train movements and these are by NORAC
Thanks for showing a proven comm system that keeps radio chatter to a minimum - good hand signals can be read in the noisy environment of the railroad and not tie up the freq. Were I doing brakeman duty, I might have the radio volume cranked, in case Dispatch had an alert for us, but I'd stay off the mic unless I found a problem forcing cancellation of the run.
Nicely done! Signals vary from railroad to railroad and even region to region on the same or different railroads. Basically, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
heck we at the point now where we have lost (or are very close to losing) the condr himself... right along with the hand signals
It seems you forgot a few I have seen at others railroads. It equates tot the block head signal, only much more fierce! Nice video.
Sorry ... all FRA signals are done with one hand, since you're probably holding on to the side of some equipment with the other.
Most signals shown here are their own and are not transferable to other railroads.
pretty cool
This isn't a lost art!!! Much of this is still used today!
come forward is kinda same as an airplane couple on off like chocks removed set
We still use them at BNSF
whats the music?
Dave Rainwater- local musician
We still do these except block head and supply air everything else is what they taught us
we still use them just not as in depth. You can't beat good hand signals
SOME ARE RIGHT AND SOME ARE WRONG.
I was an Engineer,(Hog Head) to you Yanks, and these must be American Signals? Lots I see here are completely WRONG!!
Seeing as how different Railroads have different hand signals no..they are not wrong..just different
Also funny how you think they could be anything other than american hand signals when the video is filmed at the Sierra Railroad museum