Part 3: Railroad Signals, reading and meanings. Diverging and Limited speeds, to and at signals

[@phillipmarlow5267]

I'd like to thank you for these video's. I'm in my 47th yr but almost all OCS and then some CTC signals (5) Now I have to learn all of them, and your video's are by far better than any rules instructor I've ever had. You would make a great R.I.

[@antidecepticon]

THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS, IT MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE WITH THE OPERATIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[@jonb23]

A superb informative video. I don;t understand why the crews don't use their route knowledge to know what speed to do.

[@southerncoloradorailfannin4027]

I was visting Canada to do some railfanning in Mississauga and there are Color light signals that have flashing green lights. I was confused at first but then i quickly learned that in Canada, a flashing green is equivalent to a flashing yellow in the states

[@tyfrank3427]

It's not totally fail safe. If the bottom head fails, a clear to medium may revert to clear if the bottom head stays red. I can't believe that they would use green on the high speed head in that case. They should be using yellow in that case on the top head indicating it's clear but stale. Then, if the bottom head fails, it will revert to a clear to stop. Much safer. Also, would you please do a video of all the signs the railways use? I really enjoy your videos.

[@electric7487]

The Clear To Slow indication in the CROR is: G R **Y** It really should be Y R G

[@enochliu8316]

The CROR has the standard form of clear to medium being, Y/G/R, just like asked, the G/R/G form is a alternative form. Simularly,the Clear To Slow is Y/Y/R, and there is a alternative form of G/R/Y

[@denelson83]

Basically if only the top light is red, you pay attention to only the two lower lights, and read them as top-to-bottom, near-to-far, with flashing green being limited, solid green being medium, and flashing yellow being slow.

[@IMRROcom]

What about ludicrous speed? By they way great video series and I learned a lot. Thanks for putting this up. Much appreciated. .

[@ianjuby]

We get in a lot of trouble going ludicrous speed.

[@Gacha-Central-Railways]

@@ianjuby I'd assume that Ludicrous speed signals would be "High Speed Signal color = Purple"

[@statusworldchanger595]

you usually see a flashing arrow, when your on a via train from the dome car on the "Canadian"!

[@bjjstudent4life]

Fantastic ❤ thank you

[@cateyes9484]

Hello Ian awesome vedio great share

[@csmart287]

At 5:07 you show the shape codes for plates. Model Power makes a signal number 1682 with a circular plate marked " C ". What might C signify?

[@dirt_lot_photography]

Charles Smart I cannot specify for Canadian railroads, but CSX uses a Red C on a circular plate to denote “stop and check”. Usually used for bridges over water, the light is interlocked to the bridge itself. If it is green, the bridge is down and the tracks are locked. If red, the train must stop, and a crewman must check the bridge for any faults (if the bridge is not actually in use). If all is ok, they may proceed at restricted speed until the next signal.

[@chaseyul3238]

13:16 rule 420 of CROR rule about limited to restricting do not show red over flashing green over flashing red. Does the CN do things differently ?

[@aperfectspongebobpopsicle2221]

The yellow green light in the US means Proceed, approaching the next signal not exceeding Medium Speed.

[@ukahone]

hello Ian, I'm in Calgary AB, is there a way to contact yo directly ? thank you for your videos

[@ericssmith2014]

I got lost first time through this (and I'm not claiming to understand perfectly now...) at 6:54. Is the colour of the light suddenly indicating speed? So at 6:59, "clear to slow," is yellow-over-yellow-over-red like a "yellowed" (so downgraded?) version of yellow-over-green-over-red, "clear to medium?" I guess I'm just surprised that "clear to slow" wouldn't be yellow over red over green, so that the slow indication continues to be given by the third head, as it was back in the good old days of parts 1 and 2. Instead the third head is still there, but now stuck at red (and, I bet, free to be deleted -- like they got this far and started regretting the expense of using position to indicate speed).

[@rajappanpk9569]

What about now every. Ludicrous speed? By they way quality really appreciate possible points.great video .

[@TrainmanSky]

Is there a such thing as advance clear to restricting

[@ianjuby]

Not that I'm aware of. On the CN subdivisions I ran, it would be clear to stop or advance clear to stop. On the approach signal (clear to stop, one signal before the siding) there would be a flashing arrow indicating we were lined into the siding. If that arrow wasn't lit, then we approached the next signal expecting it to be a stop signal. If the arrow was flashing, then that was like a "clear to restricting" signal, even though there is no thing. We knew we were lined into the siding and we knew we had a restricting signal entering the siding so we could approach the signal at 15 mph.

[@electric7487]

That would be Flashing Yellow, Solid Red, Flashing Red.

[@jamielacourse7578]

I often play a very realistic train game and to my irritation I keep drifting off mentally......a LOT.....does this happen to some applicants in real life?

[@johnellard2191]

Loved the video, but I am in the aviation business. Why don't railroads have a similar communications systems such as ATC which is the control tower etc?

[@ianjuby]

Actually, we do - however there are advantages to the signaling system. I've had more than one trip where we literally picked up the train and went the entire way without ever talking to RTC once. RTC knows where we are because of the detection system for the signals so RTC is sitting at a computer in Toronto, controlling dozens of trains by point and click on the the computer. They don't have to ever talk to us, though they try their best to give us a call and a heads up if we have a meet coming up. In non-signaled territory (OCS) it's all done with written clearance - very similar to ATC clearances, but it's "in writing" - they dictate the clearance over radio or telephone and we repeat it back verbatim. Once it's been read back verbatim, we each sign it and it is now called "in writing." But the OCS system doesn't know where the trains are - they have to call us and ask. The CTC systems have the advantage of also indicating what trains are where at any moment in time.

[@willbagthegreat]

What about slow to slow?

[@TrainmanSky]

IronW42 it said in the vid. It’s red over yellow over yellow

[@NWINWeather]

Most likely red over flashing yellow over flashing yellow

[@robertanderson5987]

I think it's better to have Red=Stop, Yellow= slow caution. Green= Clear TWC and Dispatch Communication should be mandatory. But soon enough trains will be pure AI and no crews. Like a model railroad.

[@electric7487]

I felt that Red / Green / Red should be _Medium to Medium._ Flashing the middle head or adding an [L] plate would make it _Limited to Limited._ Likewise, Red / Red / Green should mean _Slow to Slow._ Flash the bottom head or add a [DV] plate to make it _Diverging to Diverging._ I would make Yellow as the speed you should be travelling _AT_ while green is the speed you should be changing _TO._ So _Slow to Medium_ should be Red / Green / Yellow. And _Medium to Slow_ would be Red / Yellow / Green.

[@KapitanPisoar1]

Maybe in a perfect World, but railroad is everything but perfect, it will be decades before crewless trains....