Ironman wrote:I am waiting on a REDI date. was not planning on killing myself before i got there was just wondering why everyone seems to ask " what signals i should study" if they are the same on the whole system?mikec1973 wrote: any idea what signals the albany div uses?CR-1277 to CR-1294a. The signs are same as anywhere else on CSX.
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CSX SIGNALS TEST!
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actually there are three different types of signal rules on the CSX system. those are Seaboard, Chessie, and NORAC (also known as former Conrail territory). the tests are different depending on the signal rules for the area you hired out of. NORAC is the hardest from what i've been told, though i got to learn Seaboard, which isn't that bad. I am out of Baltimore, but it seems most of the south is Seaboard system too. Good luck to everyone. and like it's been said a hundred times before, get signals done before the end of week four.
mmi16 wrote:No matter what legacy signals may be in place today - CSX is actively replacing legacy signals as they get ready to comply with the PTC mandate.The railroads just got a 5 year extension on implementing PTC till Dec 31, 2020. It was scheduled to be done by Dec 31, 2015. The cost to the railroads especially in this down market was the main concern which will exceed $2.1 billion.
The signs are the same system wide, not the signals. The CSX signals on the former Conrail are not all the same as NORAC signals. They are close to the same but there are some key differances in both the aspects and the indications on some. If you study NORAC signals you will just confuse yourself, you have to get the indications correct word for word on the test.
This is why people say don't worry about it until you get down to REDI and they tell you what signals you have to learn.
This is why people say don't worry about it until you get down to REDI and they tell you what signals you have to learn.
I'm starting on the 13th. I found this pdf online.
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pswag115 wrote:I'm starting on the 13th. I found this pdf online.That pdf is explaining the logic of the signal systems for new hires, which you learn during OJT, not at REDI. It does not really help for the test, and if anybody studied just that linked pdf, they would fail. I don't think the real CSX signal rules, right from the book, are online. I sure as hell wouldn't post them.
That said CSX CR-1291, Restriced Proceed is an example of what I was talking about. On NORAC territory if you saw that aspect it would be Stop and Proceed. That has a totally different indication than the CSX rule. CSX is NOT a part of NORAC, they have their own rules. You would fail the test if you wrote the NORAC rule on the test at REDI.
My advice is don't get ahead of your self and make things harder. They will tell you what you need to know to get through REDI when you get there, and people have been doing this signal test for like 10 years now. They are not looking to fire you down there.
COEN77 wrote:That bill has yet to pass in Congress and be signed by the President - and with this Congress there are no guarantees that anything can be passed - no matter who is backing it.mmi16 wrote:No matter what legacy signals may be in place today - CSX is actively replacing legacy signals as they get ready to comply with the PTC mandate.The railroads just got a 5 year extension on implementing PTC till Dec 31, 2020. It was scheduled to be done by Dec 31, 2015. The cost to the railroads especially in this down market was the main concern which will exceed $2.1 billion.
Until it is passed and signed, the 2015 deadline is still in place and the carriers still have to timeline their plans to the 2015 date.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
in this photo is a signal page!Give me a example of everything you need to know
of this page,that you will be quizzed on!How the three test are broken down?
of this page,that you will be quizzed on!How the three test are broken down?
sam7 wrote:in this photo is a signal page!Give me a example of everything you need to know1283 you will need to memorize aspect a, b, and d (the high and dwarf signals). You don't need to learn, for the test, the color position or semiphore signals. You will have to memorize the name of the aspect and memorize the indication word for word (you can't miss or add an extra "the". You will need to do this for every signal. But 1283 is seaboard you may need to learn conrail, so don't worry until you know for sure.
of this page,that you will be quizzed on!How the three test are broken down?
The three tests, when I was there were Wayside signs, just need to know the aspect and name, not indication. The others were Aspects, they will give you one of the 56 (I think) aspects, you will have to build the name by clicking the parts of the name in order such as clicking Medium then Advance and finally Approach. The last test is indications, they will again show you one of the 56 signal aspects and you have to click on words and phrases that make up the indication for that signal. They do not give you the name of the signal, so in theory the indications test is both an aspect and indication test (once you leave REDI the indication test is a little easier). So from memory you would have to identify one of the 3 apects for Approach as approach and then click to build the indication word for word not missing anything.
Proceed prepared to stop at the next signal. Trains exceeding medium speed must immediately begin reduction to medium speed as soon as the engine passes the approach signal.
There are some indications, at least in conrail signals that switch between "at next signal" and "at THE next signal", get it wrong and you miss it.
Proceed prepared to stop at the next signal. Trains exceeding medium speed must immediately begin reduction to medium speed as soon as the engine passes the approach signal.
There are some indications, at least in conrail signals that switch between "at next signal" and "at THE next signal", get it wrong and you miss it.
On my division I have had several QUALIFIED conductors that did not know their signals! They all had the same excuse.. At the REDI center they only taught Seaboard signals... Well we are on the former conrail! IMO the REDI center either doesn't know what signals to teach to new hires or they simply just teach Seaboard since they are in Atlanta. But how did these conductors make it through OJT and still not KNOW their signals where they work?!! I can only assume it's because the conductor training them has a year or less on the RR and experienced the same thing. And before that group.. I just don't know. Lack of training and question asking on EVERYONES part! Unless you know someone working on the territory you will be working on. You will probably not get an accurate signal chart to study. Do whatever you need to do to pass whatever tests they give you at the REDI center. When you get to your home terminal, find out what you need you know and learn from those that know! I see alot of new hires being content to have made it to their OJT and not learn their territory. Don't be lazy! Don't be happy you have a good carreer started, don't be happy you got your childhood dream job! Don't rely on your engineer to get you through your run. He may have 15 years or more time or less. Doesnt mean he knows what he's doing. It's YOUR life out there and everyone elses life you can have potential impact on. Your studying and learning isn't over after the REDI center. It's just beginning. Don't clog your head with the hundreds of safety rules Csx tried to teach you. Start with common sense! Years ago you hired as a brakeman and had years to learn your job and understand how things worked. Now you get 3-4 weeks classroom, 9 weeks OJT. That's one reason there are 4 times the saftey rules. Figure out who the knowledgable "old heads" are in your terminal and get on their jobs. Learn from them! Even if they break one or two or three of csx's saftey rules. Learn what they know because they learned it from experience. Experience goes a LONG way on the RR. Something you learned from them may save your life or job one day. Doesn't mean you have to do it daily. But learn how to "railroad". Recognize what safety really means. And most importantly, don't ever come out here thinking you know everything. YOU DON'T! Again experience will tell you that. Good luck to all of you new hires. Learn your job, just don't do whatever to just get by. Railroading is serious buisness.