Buzzers

Which buzzing schemes are found in the rulebook? According to a MNRR worker, one buzzer is not in the rulebook. However, I think I remember an innuendo that one buzzer meant stop. Two buzzers mean 2 to go. Does it mean anything else? Is there a message for 3 buzzers or any other type?

4 has to do with a brake test (or at least that's when it's done). Some crews buzz the number of open cars, probably preceded by another pattern too.

If im not mistaken, Metro North has their own operating rules and instructions....

NJT is part of NORAC, Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee, and follows the NORAC rules, for the most part, with exceptions to the NORAC rules or any particular NJT rules put in NJT's Special Instructions Book.

The NORAC "communication signal appliance" rules are followed by NJT.

----- , Long o , short buzz

------ when running, stop at once

------ when standing, apply or release brakes

o o when standing, start

o o o when standing or running backwards, back up two car lengths

o o o when running forward, stop at next passenger station

o o o o when standing, brakes have been applied and released on rear car. Brake test completed.

o when spotting, switching, or making up trains, prepare to stop.

I THINK on LIRR, and probably MNRR too, they use 2 to stop, and 2 to go......but im not positive

Yep. Indeed it is 2 to stop and 2 to go for MNR.

Jtgshu wrote:o when spotting, switching, or making up trains, prepare to stop.

Plus, from what I've seen, in addition to the short single buzz when moving and spotting (which means prepare to stop), there is also the long buzz which means when spotting or when moving to stop.

Don't forget this signal..

--o-----oooooooooo-------ooo-o-o-----oooooo-ooo------oooo-oo-o-o-o-o---o

That is the signal the passenger gives when they realize they were standing at the center doors and have just missed their stop. That signal is followed with angry yelling from crewmembers and the engineer too.

Scott

Or it could be just the engineer trying pushing the buzzer from the cab just to have the crew make the "Attention Passengers: Do NOT tamper with any buttons on the train. Any passenger found doing this will be swiftly kicked of the train. Thank you" announcement.

HAHAHAHAH, thats it PERFECTLY Wpd!!!!

Nick, when spotting trains, for low level stops on the NEC for instance, most crews do a "one to slow, one to stop"....which is the bottom on that list, one short when spotting.........be prepared to stop, (we're getting close) and finally the long buzz when its time for the engineer to stop (we're there!!). Some engineers only want one to stop, it depends on the engineer.

Spotting trains on the NEC and at Broad St on the M and E is not an easy thing, as, at least on the NEC, the wooden platforms aren't much wider than both doors, so there is very little room for error. And in some stations, Metuchen for instance, you're in the middle of an interlocking, so you technically can't back up to respot that door if its a bad spot, or if the brakes decide to take a little longer than expected to hold.......

We had to low level last night in Rahway and Linden going east due to drilling work in Linden Yard.....always fun

Jtgshu wrote:Nick, when spotting trains, for low level stops on the NEC for instance, most crews do a "one to slow, one to stop"....which is the bottom on that list, one short when spotting.........be prepared to stop, (we're getting close) and finally the long buzz when its time for the engineer to stop (we're there!!). Some engineers only want one to stop, it depends on the engineer.

That's what I've seen (heard? ) done west of Raritan, usually when a recently qualified engineer hasn't fully become familiar with the precise place to stop to spot the single set of doors at the rear right over the 15 or so foot long low "plaform."

Appreciated by the passengers when not forced to detrain on the ballast.

Yeah, they do this with new engineers whenever needed.

When I was home over break, I rode the morning Gladstone MidTown Direct (7:04 out of Berkeley Heights) and one morning they had a new engineer. With the Gladtsone trains, they need to do things VERY quickly. Pulling into Summit, they ususually pull 4 cars ahead of the platform and the guy needed some help. So, the conductor gave him one buzz to slow him down (despite his uncertainty, he was flying into the station at normal speed to keep on time) and one long buzz to stop him and he stopped it perfectly. A tribute to effective buzzer communication and trust b/w a conductor and the engineer and to the engineer's abilities.

And the brakes!!! hahahha

Yes, stations are frequently spotted the same way for a new spot for an engineer to stop. We did it alot with the '46's because they are much longer than '44's and the engineer's spots for the 44's aren't the same if he is operating from a 46.

I rember a horn/buzzer signal system in the CSX Rule book. We used to use it when I was still working for Sperry Rail Service as I rember it the system worked like this:

= meaning short sound
O meaning long sound

= Stop.
== Forward.
=== Backward.
==== hold speed.
O== Train approching get off the rail.
OO=O standered railroad crossing warnings

when moveing in a reverse such as the car runing backwards the head operator would send a signal like this === to who ever was working at the outher end of the car who would pull the lever back to build up the speed once the desired speed was meat a signal ==== would follow meaning hold this speed. The same rules would apply if the car was going forward == followed by ====