Nostalgia & History > Last use of train orders?

The discussion on the Western Board concerning classificiation lights made me wonder who was the last road to dispatch using train orders, and what district it might have been on. Anybody know?

I believe that the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge still operates on a timetable, so presumably it also uses train orders (probably delivered over the radio) to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. I don't know, however, which was the last common freight carrier to operate in that fashion; I would also be interested in the answer.

Waybiller Wrote:
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> The discussion on the Western Board concerning
> classificiation lights made me wonder who was the
> last road to dispatch using train orders, and what
> district it might have been on. Anybody know?


According to "Dots & Dashes", the magazine of the Morse Telegraph Club, Spring 2005 issue, the "last order" was sent between Dispatcher Fred Putnam in Missoula, MT to Agent/Telegrapher H.M. Drogitis in Whitehall, MT.
BNRR Train Order 117, May 6, 1982, TO:C&E Engine 1995. Engine 1995 run Extra Whitehall to Logan" Completed at 1:15PM.

Acording to the story, these two had been using the wire for about a year. When Drogitis returned to work the next week, the connection had been severed.

This story was first published in D&D in 1992, and no one has found a later order.

http://members.tripod.com/morse_telegraph_club

Ed Ryan/N7VEX
Peoria, AZ

Chicago South Shore still uses timetable and train order operation for its GP38-powered freights and electric commuter trains to this day, supplemented by Form 19 orders transmitted by radio and automatic block signals.

I have been told that a new dispatching system is in the works, though.

~~Pete

Long Island Railroad still uses train orders and class lights

<the "last order" was sent between Dispatcher Fred Putnam in Missoula, MT to Agent/Telegrapher H.M. Drogitis in Whitehall, MT.
BNRR Train Order 117, May 6, 1982>

I believe this may be referring to the last train order sent by telegraph, vs. telephone or radio (though this is a very interesting fact in itself, so thanks for sharing it). I can't answer when the last train order was used, but I do believe train orders were still being used for several years after 1982.

You'd have to clarify, dispatched by TT/TO only. NS still uses form 19R train orders today to run against the current of traffic in 251 territory. I don't know offhand of any 251 territory that doesn't also have automatic block signals though.

NORAC Rules still has Trainorders. The Form D is a train order form. Many of the Short line Railroads that use NORAC operate by Trainorder. Amtrak uses Trainorders to operate against the current of traffic in 251 territory every day.

A Form D is NOT a train order, train orders were done away
with when NORAC came into being. You will not find any
reference to train orders in the NORAC book.
s

Working as a brakeman out of Seattle in 1990, I was required to qualify on the Canadian Book of Rules prior to marking up to the extra board. BN still dispatched the line north of the border out of an office in New Westminster using train orders between Blaine, WA and Vancouver, BC when the rest of the BN had already switched over to track warrants for several years. I was told that the train orders were required by Canadian law and I believe they lasted for several more years.

By the way, is it "train orders" or trainorders"?

SW1200

I know the Katy used train orders on much of its mainline right up to the UP merger in August 1988. Until the two roads were fully integrated UP had to continue using train orders on several former-Katy lines for a short while; I've seen "Katy" train orders with dates after 8/12/88 (thereby technically making them "UP" train orders).

The correct form is "train orders."

JohnSweetser Wrote:
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> The correct form is "train orders."

and of course, this website has to be either "trainorders" or "train-orders",
since you can't have a space in the domain name :)

i know for a fact that the last train order dispatching on the Coast line (LA to SLO) was in 1984.. when the dispatching went to DTC .. we all called it ''death to the clerks''

What about the Long Island Rail Road.  I know they used them in the 90s, but what about now?

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
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> i know for a fact that the last train order
> dispatching on the Coast line (LA to SLO) was in
> 1984.. when the dispatching went to DTC .. we all
> called it ''death to the clerks''

Around December 11th, I recall

raytc1944 Wrote:
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> What about the Long Island Rail Road.  I know
> they used them in the 90s, but what about now?

I'd be astonished if LIRR uses train orders in regular service between NY Penn and Jamaica. Given the volume of trains in operation, that would be a monumental undertaking.