Steam & Excursion > C&TSRR - Looking for signals

Sept. 2014 Advanced Engineer / Fireman School. I mounted a camera on 463's tender facing back so you can see the signals being used.

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff

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Roger,
As always nice video.

No criticism towards the fellow giving the signs, I realize he's a student repeating what he's been taught but whenever I'm around a tourist railroad or a museum I always see some odd hand signs being used. I know some signs vary by region and by railroad but I've sure seen some strange ones, ones I've never seen used on a class 1 railroad (I've been railroading for 30 years) and I wonder where they came from. His "half car" sign looks like an "go away" sign to me and his "stop" sign could be taken as a washout.

Of course, when I hired out, an entire day was spent learning hand signs and an entire second day just on learning lantern signs. Now I see new hires making up signs of their own. When I tell them that there's already a sign for that several have said they didn't receive any training in switchman's class, they were told they'd pick it up on the job. But from who? They're working foreman only and they're surrounded by more rookies that don't know any more than they do.

It occurred to me a while back that I was paying more attention to their body language than their actual hand signs.

crackerjackhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Roger,
> As always nice video.
>
> No criticism towards the fellow giving the
> signs, I realize he's a student repeating what
> he's been taught but whenever I'm around a tourist
> railroad or a museum I always see some odd hand
> signs being used. I know some signs vary by region
> and by railroad but I've sure seen some strange
> ones, ones I've never seen used on a class 1
> railroad (I've been railroading for 30 years) and
> I wonder where they came from. His "half car" sign
> looks like an "go away" sign to me and his "stop"
> sign could be taken as a washout.
>
> Of course, when I hired out, an entire day was
> spent learning hand signs and an entire second day
> just on learning lantern signs. Now I see new
> hires making up signs of their own. When I tell
> them that there's already a sign for that several
> have said they didn't receive any training in
> switchman's class, they were told they'd pick it
> up on the job. But from who? They're working
> foreman only and they're surrounded by more
> rookies that don't know any more than they do.
>
> It occurred to me a while back that I was paying
> more attention to their body language than their
> actual hand signs.



You are right just students and trying to learn.

Roger Hogan
Chama, NM
Train Stuff