It probably has to do with the holiday, but really, "men at work" does not automatically equate to "form B". For example, trackmen can sometimes be protected solely by track blocks granted by the dispatcher, e.g., track and time. They just have to be absolutely sure not to leave any men or machines in the foul of the other active track(s). Form B's are most common because they provide flexibility to both MOW personnel and the dispatcher (and the onus for getting authorization through the limits falls completely on the train crew).
In the case of major work, a combination of both Form B protection and Track & Time / Track Permit / Track Out of Service procedures is usually employed. This way, the track being worked on is blocked out on the dispatcher's purview, preventing any unwitting misrouting - and the remaining "active" track(s) remain usable to him. It would be a lot of work for the dispatcher to essentially re-open and re-close that "active" track whenever a train needed to get through, so the form B method allows him to leave it "open" all the time, and have the train crew deal directly with the foreman to get permission through. And of course, form B limits can be placed anywhere, whereas track & time can only be granted between controlled points.
There is a delicate balance to be struck for a foreman to determine whether or not a form B will be necessary to do his work. A lot of time, it is largely unnecessary, since his men almost always remain in the clear of the "active" track(s), and it ends up serving solely as a mechanism for him to know you're coming. (And to delay trains.) Therefore I find it to be kind of a breath of fresh air when work can manage to get accomplished, without the trouble of the engineer trying to make out a scratchy radio transmission from a guy who might barely speak English.
In the case of major work, a combination of both Form B protection and Track & Time / Track Permit / Track Out of Service procedures is usually employed. This way, the track being worked on is blocked out on the dispatcher's purview, preventing any unwitting misrouting - and the remaining "active" track(s) remain usable to him. It would be a lot of work for the dispatcher to essentially re-open and re-close that "active" track whenever a train needed to get through, so the form B method allows him to leave it "open" all the time, and have the train crew deal directly with the foreman to get permission through. And of course, form B limits can be placed anywhere, whereas track & time can only be granted between controlled points.
There is a delicate balance to be struck for a foreman to determine whether or not a form B will be necessary to do his work. A lot of time, it is largely unnecessary, since his men almost always remain in the clear of the "active" track(s), and it ends up serving solely as a mechanism for him to know you're coming. (And to delay trains.) Therefore I find it to be kind of a breath of fresh air when work can manage to get accomplished, without the trouble of the engineer trying to make out a scratchy radio transmission from a guy who might barely speak English.
hey there guy