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.

Recent Posts

Out With the Old, In With the New

Though our layout is essentially shut down each year over the summer months (from mid-May to the end of August), it is hardly a quiet time for the CP Sudbury Division. The summer season is when layout expansion work, heavy construction and miscellaneous major projects can occur without the interruption of club operating sessions or open houses to get in the way.  

The summer of 2024 was particularly busy with a number of major projects including; a complete change-out of the turnout ground throws for Tortoise switch machines within our Copper Cliff / Creosote industrial area, CTC signaling and logic programming at Stinson siding, fluorescent to LED valence lighting replacement over many aisles, and the construction of a maintenance platform within our ‘sky helix’ that spirals between floors connecting Sprecher and Larchwood.

The ‘sky helix’ spiralling between floors connecting Sprecher and Larchwood. Preparations to finish the mainline required a maintenance platform be built to climb into this helix from the main floor.

Possibly the most exciting project of the summer was a complete clean-out of all the stuff we’ve stored for many, many years now on the top floor. Well, the actual cleaning part sucked as it was tough and took what seemed forever, but it was done to clear the way for our Cartier Sub mainline to finally be completed. As August ended, we had already begun the benchwork for Sturgeon Falls, and planning for the huge 14-track staging yard (representing the entire CPR west of Cartier ON) that will be built above it. That is the exciting part.

Autumn and colder weather also marks the beginning of another operating season for the CP Sudbury Division layout, with five op sessions and two dates where we’re open for the public. A number of operational projects also occurred prior to the operating season beginning, mainly involving the addition and preparation of new equipment (weathering rolling stock, DCC programming of locomotives, etc.) along with any modifications or updates required by our car-forwarding/waybill system.

Two strings of our new Rapido NSC reefers form a backdrop behind recently retired stand-ins. The three reefers in the middle are the first Rapido models we weathered. Though they served faithfully for nearly two decades, these old stand-in ‘foobies’ were never accurate models.

In addition to the usual operational projects, this summer also saw us replace an entire fleet of cars, and even a piece of office furniture. Replacements of car fleets are not common, as the vast majority of our rolling stock are high-quality models which fairly accurately represent their prototypes. But some of our freight cars are ‘placeholders’ so to speak. These are cars too important or iconic to not have within our operations, and so we utilize inaccurate models or ‘foobies’ (to use modeller’s jargon) that appear close enough. If or when accurate replacements become available then these foobie fleets get replaced, and we have blogged about this topic in the past.

Duelling CP 286381’s. Only a minority of CP’s 400+ fleet of 50ft mechanical reefers were ever repainted into the CP Rail scheme, so it shouldn’t be surprising that a road number Rapido selected would conflict one of our old cars. Rapido’s accurate model (left) versus an old Athearn ‘blue-box’ repainted version (right).

The mass replacement which occurred this past summer was our CP mechanical refrigerated boxcar fleet. These reefers were staples on CP’s hot transcon freights through the 1970s, with large blocks appearing right on the head-end of freights like #952. Our operations wouldn’t be right without them. So with the exception of a single 40ft kitbashed model of a CP 285600-series car, our entire fleet of mechanical reefers were stand-ins consisting of Athearn ‘blue-box’ models, and some Accurail outside-braced 50’ boxcar bashes. These were all retired thanks to a club bulk purchase of brand new Rapido NSC-built CP reefers.

Side-by-side comparison of an old Athearn ‘blue-box’ reefer (left) with a new Rapido NSC model (right). Though the Athearn cars represented another prototype (the Hawker-Siddeley smooth-sided reefer) they were all retired thanks to the Rapido car being a 100% correct model of an NSC-built outside-braced reefer.

Replacing office fixtures is even more uncommon than rolling stock retirements, since there are so few that we utilize in club operations. In fact, we believe this to be the first instance. Our venerable and iconic Crew Call Board, a grid-marked whiteboard employed since our first operating sessions began well over 20 years ago, had to be replaced.

As the layout expanded and new freights continued to be added to our operations over the decades, we’d been stretching the old board past its original capacities. Three additional rows were squeezed in over time. We even saved room by listing both the Montreal and Toronto sections of “The Canadian” within one line. However, we broke the board after our first nickel ore train was inaugurated (INCO Job 2), and had no room left when the time came to add hotshot transcon freights 901/902 to our operating scheme.

Comparison of our old Crew Callboard (as photographed in 2021) with the new replacement board ready to go for our 14 September 2024 op session. After adding transcon freight 949 and INCO Job 2 to club operations a few months ago, we ran out of room for trains 901/902.

With our resent summer work beginning the push to finish our Cartier Sub mainline from North Bay to Cartier staging, it wasn’t hard to think of building towards the future. So, we acquired a very large whiteboard and grid-marked it with 40 rows. All those rows will allow us to list every mainline freight and local that was ever run on a daily basis over the CP Sudbury Division, with accommodation for a few extras and second sections too. Our only worry now is will we have enough operators to run them all? Thinking back to our lean beginnings during the WRMRC’s fledgling years, that is actually a remarkable thing to have to worry about.

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