Rules for Movement by Train Orders

201. For movements requiring their use, train orders will be issued by authority and over the signature of the superintendent or designated train dispatchers and only contain information or instructions essential to such movements.

They must be brief and clear; in the prescribed forms when applicable; and without alteration, erasure, or interlineation.

Words or figures in train orders must not be surrounded by brackets, circles, or other marks.

The different forms of train orders may be combined in one, provided that every movement in such combination directly affects the train first named in the order.

202. Each train order must be given in the same words to all employees or trains addressed.

203. Train orders, except those relating to track or other conditions, must be numbered consecutively each day, starting at midnight.

Train orders relating to track or other conditions must be numbered consecutively, using a separate series of numbers, and re-issued if continuing in effect for a period of two weeks.

204. Train orders must be addressed to those who will execute or observe them, naming the place at which each is to receive his copy. Those for a train must be regarded as addressed to conductors, enginemen, and also to pilots or snow plow foremen, if any. Those addressed to yardmasters may used only by crews within yard limits. A copy for each employee addressed must be provided by the operator.

Train orders addressed to operators restricting the movement of trains must be respected by conductors and enginemen the same as if addressed to them.

205. Each train order must be written in full in a book provided for the purpose in the office of the train dispatcher; and with it recorded the signals and responses transmitted, the offices from which the order is repeated and the time, the names of those who sign for the order, the times at which the order is made complete, and the train dispatcher’s initials. These records must be made at once and never from memory or memoranda.

Additions to train orders must not be made after they have been repeated.

206. In train orders, regular trains will be designated by numbers as “No. 10 Eng. 756”, sections as “Second 10 Eng. 756” and those handling a snow plow as “No. 86 Eng. 756 snow plow”. If the number of the engine cannot be ascertained the word “unknown” will be used.

Extra trains, except work extras, will be designated by engine numbers and the direction, as “Extra 234 East”, “Psgr. Extra 234 East”, “Mixed Extra 234 East”, “Plow Extra 234 East”, etc.

Work extras will be designated as “Work Extra 234”.

Engines of other railways will be designated by their initials and numbers, as “Eng. ABC 234”, “Extra ABC 234 East”, or “No. 76 Eng. ABC 234”.

When two or more engines are coupled, or when a combination of units are operated in multiple service, the number of the leading engine or unit will be used in train orders, except when an engine or unit is placed on the head end of a train to operate over a portion of a subdivision only, the number of the engine operating through may be used.

To express even hours in train orders the word “oclock” will be used as “nine oclock 900 am (or pm)” and the words “noon” or “night” will be used instead of “am” or “pm” where midday or midnight is involved as “twelve oclock 1200 noon (or night)”.

In transmitting and repeating train orders by telephone, train order numbers, and the numbers of trains and engines in the address, will be pronounced and then spelled letter by letter. All stations and numerals in the body of an order must be first plainly pronounced and then spelled letter by letter, this: Aurora A-u-r-o-r-a, and one nought five o-n-e n-o-u-g-h-t f-i-v-e.

When train orders are transmitted by telephone, train dispatcher must write the order as he transmits it, and check and underscore each word and figure each time it is repeated. When transmitted by telegraph he must write it as it is being repeated the first time and check and underscore each word and figure each time it is repeated thereafter.

207. Before transmitting a train order, the train dispatcher must give the signal 19R or 19Y followed by the direction to each office addressed, the number of copies being stated, if more or less than three, as: “19R east copy 2”, or “19Y west copy 7”, and receive the proper response from the operator as prescribed by Rule 221.

208. A train order to be sent to two or more offices must be transmitted simultaneously to as many of them as practicable. When not sent simultaneously to all, the order must be sent first to the trains being restricted.

OUTSIDE ABS TERRITORY: The operator at the first restricting point (except initial stations) and at all meeting points must, when practicable, be made a party to the order on 19R, and must deliver copies to all trains affected until all have arrived from one direction.

In transmitting a train order of a previous date, the operator must be advised of the date of issue and when such order is repeated, operator will record the date repeated following the repeated order.

208A. OUTSIDE ABS TERRITORY: A train order must not be sent for delivery to a train at the point at which its right or schedule is being restricted by the order if the train order signal is located beyond the point where such train would be required to stop to permit an opposing train to clear, and at other points, except the initial station, such order should not be sent if it can be avoided. When a train order is so sent to a train, except at its initial station, the operator must be made a party to the order and the words “This order to ____ at ____” must be added, which is notice to an opposing train to approach that point at restricted speed. When Form A train order is used, provision must be made for the restricted train to hold the main track under conditions where such train would otherwise be required to take the siding.

209. Operators receiving train orders must write or typewrite them in manifold on the prescribed form during transmission. They must retain a copy of each train order. The word “complete”, the time, and the signature of the operator must be in his handwriting.

If for any reason a train order is to be rewritten, the operator must make additional copies from one previously repeated, and repeat to the train dispatcher from the new copy each time additional copies are made. The date of issue, repeated time, “complete”, and time must not be changed and the name of the operator who first copied the order will be shown with the initials of the operator who made the additional copies.

The train dispatcher must make record in train order book of each repetition.

When an error is made in transmitting a train order and before it has been repeated, all copies of that order must be immediately destroyed, the order marked “void” in the train order book, and if re-issued, given another number.

210. When a train order is transmitted, each operator receiving the order must, unless otherwise directed, repeat it at once from the manifold copy in the succession in which the several offices may have been addressed. Each operator receiving the order must, unless relieved of the duty by the train dispatcher, check the other repeats for correctness. If an operator is so relieved, the train dispatcher must make record in the train order book. An operator must not be relieved of this duty unless one or more operators who have received the order are required to check each repeat.

When an order cannot be simultaneously transmitted to all, or if the repeat from any office is delayed, or is again required, train dispatcher must, when practicable, require an operator from an office from which repeat has already been made to check the correctness of each subsequent repeat. The office checking such repeats must be recorded in the train order book.

210A. In issuing train order, 19Y may be used to restrict right or schedule of trains, except 19R must be used:

When a train carrying passengers is affected outside ABS territory unless the operator has been made party to the order as prescribed by Rule 208;

When an order is sent for delivery to a train at the point at which its right or schedule is being restricted;

When signatures are required as prescribed by Rules 217, 218 and 219.

210B.

210C.

211.

211A.

213.

214.

215.

216.

217.

218.

219.

219A.

220.

221.

222.

223.

Evolution of an Image – CP Freight Car Paint Schemes

Posted on January 21, 2026 by admin

Like any company or institution that’s been around for a long time, Canadian Pacific has gone through a number of image and branding changes over the years. This article will look at the various rolling stock paint schemes used by Canadian Pacific over the last century.

Early Block (<1951)

CP’s lettering standard from the early half of the 20th century featured the Canadian Pacific name in simple gothic block lettering. There were variations in how this lettering was positioned depending on the car type or era, but they all used the same stencils and this was more or less standard from at least the WWI through WWII periods.

CP Spans the World (1947-1951)

Starting in 1947, this “CPR Spans the World” herald and slogan were introduced by CPR’s marketing highlighting CP’s steam ship connections that connected the railway to Europe and Asia. A number of boxcars repainted during 1947-1950 received this herald prominently applied to the right of the car side. Otherwise, the lettering was identical to the previous standard “block” lettering scheme, just with the addition of the “Spans the World” herald.

Due to the size and prominence of the herald, this was only applied to boxcars, with no change to the paint scheme on any other type of car.

Stepped Gothic (1951-1962)

CP’s standard boxcar scheme throughout the 1950s featured the railway’s name in “stepped” offset rows on the right hand side of the car, with the “CPR” initials prominently emphasized. Even though unaffiliated with the CPR at the time, the Pacfic Great Eastern and Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo railways would also copy this idea, introducing their own similar lettering schemes with stepped lettering.

Like the late 1940s “Spans the World” graphic, this was only applied to “house” cars like box cars and refrigerators, with other car types like hoppers, gondolas, and cabooses continuing to carry the simple block lettering above.

A minor change to this scheme would come in 1957 when the horizontal white lines above and below the car number, previously an AAR standard, were discontinued.

The Script Era (1963-1969)

CP had used a version of script lettering in marketing logos going back to the early 20th century, but in the early 1960s the script lettering was revised and the railway’s image updated to make wide use of it as their primary branding, applying the new lettering to locomotives, freight cars, cabooses, ships and trucking divisions, and all company paper work.

Freight car colours remained the same: brown for box and other “house” cars, and black for open cars like flatcars, gondolas, and hoppers. Cabooses remained brown with red ends. Only the logos applied to the cars changed.

This lettering change was applied to most car types on the CPR except for flatcars, which continued to use the simple block lettering as the script lettering would not fit on this type of car. Also while some groups of new gondolas delivered later in the 1960s were delivered in the new script lettering, CP shops were loath to actually do any painting of the script lettering over car ribs, and there is little or no evidence of actual CP shop repaints of any cars with external bracing with script lettering.

A Colourful Introduction (1967-1968)

Starting in 1966 CP started to modify their script scheme for several large purchases of new freight cars in the late 1960s. The size of the reporting marks and car numbers were increased and the font modified slightly. They also introduced bold colour coding to several types of cars (mainly box type cars).

New mechanical refrigerator cars were painted silver with red lettering. Insulated heated boxcars were painted a striking yellow-orange with red script. And a large group of boxcars dedicated to paper service were delivered in a jade green scheme with a large pine tree graphic.

Cabooses also got a colourful upgrade, with several cabooses repainted during this period into a bright red with yellow ends. However due to the short-lived period these paint schemes were applied, no existing freight cars are ever known to have been repainted in similar schemes to any of the above cars. These schemes only appeared on newly built cars.

Flatcars, gondolas, and hoppers (other than a group of pressure-differential unloading hoppers which were painted in a silver and black scheme) remained black, but deliveries from around 1967 can be noted for the subtle change in the reporting mark/number font and size.

The CP Rail Era (1969-1987)

In October 1968, Canadian Pacific introduced their most radical rebranding in company history. All of the company’s divisions dropped the classic script lettering, and adopted a unified branding with a new name consisting of the parent company’s “CP” initials followed by the division name, and new logo called the “MultiMark”, with each division using the same logo but with their own colour. Canadian Pacific Railway became “CP Rail”, and adopted red as their primary colour. (The specific shade of red to become known as “Action” red.)

On the railway, this lead to a radical change in the colour landscape, with maroon and grey locomotives giving way to red (although note the black locomotive model in lead graphic in this section – this was the original proposal which CP management rejected) and brown and black freight cars shifting to brighter colours.

Locomotives and most freight equipment (boxcars, gondolas, and flatcars) was painted in the CP Rail “Action Red” colour which was adopted as the railway’s primary colour, matching the locomotives. The company’s bold new black and white “MultiMark” logo was applied at one end of the car covering the full height of the car side. (The paint standard had the MultiMark at the “B” (handbrake) end of the car, although many boxcar repaints just put it to the left of the car side as it was easier to mask over a pair of grabs than a full ladder.) Early box car repaints featured a contrasting black lower sill, which was dropped on later repaints which just kept the lower sill the same colour as the rest of the body.

Several other colours were used however. Following the colour coding introduced with the 1967 schemes above, paper service assigned boxcars received a green paint scheme, insulated heated cars as well as cabooses were yellow, and refrigerator cars were painted silver. Hopper cars were still painted black. The last two car types received a modified version of the MultiMark, with Action Red used instead of black for the triangle in the logo.

Interestingly, the “CP Rail” brand also started a trend among other unrelated Canadian Railways, with British Columbia Railway renaming itself “BC Rail” in the early 1980s, Canadian National briefly experimented with “CN Rail” branding in the late 1980s, and Ontario Northland introduced a bold new “ON Rail” image for their locomotive paint scheme in the early 2000s.

The Loss of the MultiMark (1987-1996)

The MultiMark logo lasted for almost 20 years before CP decided to remove it from their branding in late 1987. (The first locomotive to be outshopped in a new paint job without the MultiMark was in November 1987.)

While the “CP Rail” name and branding would still last another decade before reverting back to a version of “Canadian Pacific” branding, the MultiMark symbol was now a thing of the past. In the early 1990s, CP would modify their CP Rail logo to “CP Rail System” featuring a split Canadian and US Flag (known to railfans as the “Dual Flags” scheme), although this logo is not known to have ever been applied to freight equipment, only locomotives and maintenance vehicles.

The Return to Canadian Pacific (1997-2023)

In 1997 CP finally retired the “CP Rail” brand for good, moving to a modern interpretation of the Canadian Pacific Railway name and classic beaver herald. There would be some experimentation, with the beaver logo occasionally being dropped and restored and going through some minor styling updates, but this would more or less be CP’s branding until the 2023 merger with Kansas City Southern to form CPKC Railroad, which currently uses a modified version of the CP beaver logo with the CPKC initials instead of CP.

Waterloo Region Model Railway Club

Modeling CP Rail's Sudbury Division in the 1970s