The Expanded Railroad Glossary Part 1 in Tales of the Jointed Track

I have been told … I need to understand what you are talking about.

• CTC Centralized Traffic Control. The Dispatcher lines routes and authorizes trains to proceed on “Signal indication”. Authority to occupy track, is the signal indication. Any other changes, will occur via track and time.

• Track and time. You could at one time in the CTC Train Order days get a verbal time on the mainline. An example at Denver 31st St yard. To get to the Coal tracks you needed time on the mainline from the 31st St Operator. The CTC started at the Denver Union Depot and went all the way to McCook, NE and beyond.

The operator at 31st St was, at that time dispatching the track from the DUT, (Denver Union Depot) to the east switch at Irondale. The BN Dispatcher took over eastbound at Irondale to the rest of his territory. At east Irondale, both the Operator and the DS had to key in the authority. This was a fail safe that one did not line into the others jurisdiction, causing problems.

So if you bringing a out a whole consist or one unit from the round house, to add on to the coal tracks, or say Train 100 was running via the mainline to the other end of the yard, the following would be issued.

BN 5014 granted time on the mainline, from the “Junction Bridge crossover” to Coal 2. After stopping at the RED Signal west end Coal 2, BN 5014 has authority to pass Red signal west end Coal 2 and proceed looking out for train ahead or standing equipment. Time is from 2137 to 2200. Instructions repeated and and OKAY time given by the Operator. No it won’t take that long, but a time duration must be specified.

Or for Train 100’s power. BN 6542 East granted time on the main line from the “Junction Bridge crossover” to the CTC Signal main line. Proceed on signal indication. Time is from 1703 to 1730 pm.

Or for a set of lite helpers heading toward the depot: ATSF 8128 granted time on the main line from the “Junction Bridge crossover” to the CTC Signal Denver Union Terminal. Time is from 0830 to 0845 am. Contact me when clear of the limits.

• Track and time part 2:
  Now under the GCOR, the Train crew, Switch crew and Engine crew are required to have a written form, in their possession, that gives the starting limits and ending limits. Also, if it is “joint”, with another train and / or men and equipment. This is repeated back to the DS, and an “OK” time given followed by the Dispatchers initials.

Below is an actual track and time that was issued to us on the Big Lift local at Colorado Springs.

This is how it reads:
Box 2 PROCEED ON AUTHORITY GRANTED ON SIDING BETWEEN SO.(south)
XO( crossover) SWITCH. SWITCH “NO”. AND SOUTH SWITCH COLORADO SPRINGS
SWITCH “NO” TILL 1400. “JOINT” WITH WINSTON JOHNSTON
OK at 1157 DISPATCHER DLK

Okay, you are probably scratching your head, and saying how do you proceed on this instruction?

The scenario. The old Rio Grande upper and lower east yard is next to the CTC Main line and siding at Colorado Springs. We made up our train in the lower East yard. I would guess we would have cars for the Colorado Springs Gazette, Lime for Kelker and maybe DOD flats too. Sand empties for Silica Sand Co. and empty Gons for Western Scrap. The train was made up, and verbal authority was obtained to enter the CTC siding between Bijou and Cimmarron, and occupy our portion of our track and time. Before we could enter those limits after contacting the DS, we had to contact Winston Johnston as well. Why? because we were “joint authority” with him. When Track welder Johnston took his track and time, the only word, along with the prescribed limits was the word “Joint”. That allowed the DS to bring other trains or men and equipment into his limits. Winston Johnston was contacted, and he gave his authority to enter the track and time as well. He was getting in the clear, for our passage, and would continue to grind the newly welded in road crossing at Sierra Nevada Avenue. The signal CTC at Cimmaron was red. Due to being within the limits prescribed, we are allowed to proceed without stopping, per operating rule. We use bell and whistle past, Welder Johnston and his crew. He was notified that we had work at the connection to the Gazette at south Springs, and should clear him. He acknowledged and said to let him know, when we cleared the limits. We also said the standing portion, would be left in the siding. We did our work and coupled back onto the rest of our change. The ETD sounded off, and an air test was made. DS-16 was called and he lined the switch and signal went flashing yellow at the south end. We called Winston back and said we are physically clear of the limits. We called DS-16 and asked if he wanted the track and time back?,or to hold onto it? We were asked to release our track and time and another one would be reissued if needed.
That’s how that works.

• GCOR: General Code of Operating Rules

• DS: The abbreviation for a Train Dispatcher. On the sub division I worked the Dispatcher was DS-16.

• Goat: A slang word for a switch engine. Can be a dedicated locomotive, ie; a switcher, or a unit used for switching. An SD-40-2 or a C-44 or even an SD-70-MACE could be a goat. Psstt don’t tell anybody, I have used these as a switcher …HAARRR !!