Nostalgia & History > Watsonville 1960

5887 leads train 1-919 at Watsonville in 1960. The water column was still there at that time. How many other railroads put the train numbers into the number boards?

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photobob Wrote:
..... How many other railroads put the train numbers into the number boards?

Union Pacific was the only other railroad that I know of. I believe that this was a copyrighted system owned by the SP, useable by other railroads only by paying a fee. But there must have been other users. I cannot imagine running a railroad in pre-2way radio days without having this system of train ID in place.

photobob Wrote:
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> 5887 leads train 1-919 at Watsonville in 1960. The
> water column was still there at that time. How
> many other railroads put the train numbers into
> the number boards?


You mean those little doors into the number boards were for more than just changing out the light bulbs?

Seriously though, who was responsible for putting the train numbers in? And were there then big piles of train numbers at all terminals?

numbers were kept on the engines. They didn't need all that many numbers for most types of engine. Only likely to be used as "Extra Eng #" or a limited number of scheduled trains.

All of the Harriman RR's used the indicators, I doubt SP got any money for a patent.

photobob Wrote:
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> How
> many other railroads put the train numbers into
> the number boards?

UP, Alaska Railroad, and California Western, come to mind.

Waybiller Wrote:
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> who was responsible for putting
> the train numbers in?

Traditionally, the fireman, followed by the engineer, if there was no fireman.

topper Wrote:
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> Waybiller Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > who was responsible for putting
> > the train numbers in?
>
> Traditionally, the fireman, followed by the
> engineer, if there was no fireman.
>
>And bored hogheads in Oakland who search for spare numbers in the boxes. - Tony J.

The Sacramento Northern Ry. put numbers into their board at the head end of the interurban cars. I've seen many photos.

TonyJ Wrote:
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> And bored hogheads in Oakland who search for
> spare numbers in the boxes. - Tony J.

Which is how the CSRM's 6051 got its "X6051"s.

By the way, I've been remined by someone in Canada that many of the Mexican railroads used to display indicators, too.

The SP de Mexico used train indicators (part of the SP family) and the FC Pacifico contiued the practice. I saw Sonora Baja California F units with train numbers displayed, however I not sure of the uses on other power at that time and later only engine numbers were displayed.

They were used to identify trains in the days of timetable/trainorder dispatching so operators and towermen could identify trains.
'however most other railroads just used the fixed engine number as we did on NYC/PC/CR.