Introduction to railway signals

[SteakOplomb]

Hello everyone,

Although I'm a sim enthusiast, I'm completely new to the world of railroading. I was wondering if anyone could lead me to a comprehensive tutorial on how to decipher american railway signals (both lights and track signs), especially for CSX lines.

I could easily rely on the HUD and helps provided by the game to operate my trains, but I'd rather play with as little help as possible.

Thanks !

[topkek43512]

http://www.railroadsignals.us/basics/basics1.htm
This website is pretty good on getting the basics of general American railway signals and reading them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_railway_signaling
The major difference in signals depends on region where as some regions have not yet upgraded all their signals to a more modern type or some may prefer using their older types because only a single company uses that railway. They all share the block system of dividing the railroad into lengths of rail. Only one train is ever allowed in a single block at a time unless there are exceptions.
The Sand Patch Grade is using the most modern signal system there is as 2 major companies currently use it, CSX for frieght and Amtrak for passenger services.
The most simple way of reading them is:
Green means safe to continue.
Yellow means caution the next block after this will be occupied by a train, prepare to stop
Red means danger stop now as the next block is occupied.

[molir]

There is a guide for CSX signals on YT, it has several part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xgSuvh28XI

[SteakOplomb]

Well, looks like I have some reading ahead of me. :p
Thanks for the links man, much appreciated.

Cheers.

[Delfino]

USA and Canada signaling is so freaking difficult. I really try to find some logic in it but its hard. Generally speaking it's easy when only one signal is different from red. Then the rules are simple:

When the top aspect is different from red - maximum speed allowed.
When medium aspect is different from red - medium speed allowed (30 mph).
When lower aspect is differrent from red - slow speed allowed (15 mph)

Depenting on the color we read next signal:
If green - next is clear.
If yellow - next is red.

If the semaphor is missing some lights (it has two or one) we assume the missing ones below are red.

Now this is quite logical. But when we come to the mixed signals like yellow-green-red the logic seems to fade away. I'm still trying to figure out if there is some kind of logical rule or wheter it's assigned randomly...

[SamYeager270]

German PZB signalling may be logical but it's not the easiest to get your head around either.

[SteakOplomb]

Thanks again guys for the links. I still have to dig a little deeper and see again some of these to wrrap my head around some of these light signals, but I have another question regarding speed limits.

On some speed limit signals, on the side of the tracks, I noticed some of them have two numbers one on top of the other and,seperated by a dash. I figured the actual speed limit was the one on the lower part, but what does the upper number mean ? Is this just an identification plate, so we can figure out which track we are on, or our position ? I was a bit confused to be perfectly honest.

Also, I've been running a mile-long train, and I know that when you are granted a higher speed limit, it only applies when the train has completely passed the signal. How can you figure out when the tail of your train passes said signal ? Do I just guesstimate it, or do I have to use the on-board trip to mesure the distance covered by the engine relative to the signal ?

I know... Noobish questions, but I really like to know how things work and how it's done IRL :p

[Svedman]

Upper speed limit is for passenger trains and bottom speed limit is for freight trains.

[SteakOplomb]

Originally posted by Svedman:

Upper speed limit is for passenger trains and bottom speed limit is for freight trains.

Thank you good sir, I'll feel a little less confused now :D

[molir]

Originally posted by Le_troll_des_bois:

Also, I've been running a mile-long train, and I know that when you are granted a higher speed limit, it only applies when the train has completely passed the signal. How can you figure out when the tail of your train passes said signal ? Do I just guesstimate it, or do I have to use the on-board trip to mesure the distance covered by the engine relative to the signal ?

In real life you would know the route very well, so you would know that when passing some distinctive feature (rock, tree, bridge, signal, curve...) you can start to accelerate. Or you could be notified by somebody at the back loco perhaps. (I don't know US train operations that well).

But in this game you have the external cameras :) (key '2' or '3', when pressed while in the external view the camera should switch to the other end of the train)