What's the difference between a Fusee and a road flare?
The name just stuck. There is no real difference between a fusee and a road flare. Our RR fusees used to have spikes in their end. Conductors/flagmen used to be pretty good at tossing off a lighted fusse and getting it to stick upright into a tie. Most RR fusees are 10 minute burners.
Train Signal Devices - Torpedos, Fusees, Flags - Trainorders.com
Re: Train Signal Devices - Torpedoes, Fusees, Flags. Author: CimaScrambler. Fifteen or twenty years ago the Lomita Railroad Museum down by the Port of Los Angeles was raided by the local Bomb Squad, who set up a full perimeter and then carefully removed the couple of torpedoes that they had in a display case.
Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Troubles - Trainorders.com
Date: 01/11/05 20:32. BNSF Troubles. Author: n6nvr. Did the BNSF lose a bridge or suffer some damage today around 1500-1600. I was driving on the Santa Monica Fwy and paying attention to that first and the scanner second. Heard the DS asking for engine numbers, train locations, names and phone numbers of company officers, names of othe company ...
Passenger Trains > Passenger Train Sections Question
Date: 04/04/03 08:10. Re: Passenger Train Sections Question. Author: oldrail. Following Sections ran "On the Block", of the first section. Blocks require 20 minutes spacing. Trains might be reported as: First Number 1 OT (On Time) Second Number 1 OB. …
Western Railroad Discussion > New 6.32.2 Rule - Trainorders.com
Date: 04/10/03 17:48. New 6.32.2 Rule. Author: surflinerhogger. Recently, the GCOR folks met and decided to change the crossing warning rule. They basically tightened it up. Now, you must stop and provide warning anytime you are advised that an automatic crossing device is malfunctioning, unless you are contacted by a signal person advising you ...
Nostalgia & History > Rule 99 - Trainorders.com
Brakeman was required to go 2 miles behind the train and leave two torpedoes and a lighted fusee. Turn around and return one mile from the rear of the train until recalled. During the day was a red flag , torpedoes and fusees. when a train is moving and making half the authorized speed lighted fusees where lit and thrown off the caboose.
Nostalgia & History > SP's Bill Lacy 1926 - 2005 - Trainorders.com
William J. Lacy. LACY, William J. - William was born in Winona, Texas on Nov. 27, 1926. He died in Burlingame, CA, surrounded by family on June 2, 2005. William was a Merchant Marine who served in WWII from 1944-1946 until he was honorably discharged. He began his career in 1944 as a telegraph operator for the Cotton Belt Railroad and retired ...
Railroaders' Nostalgia > Using the Feed Valve! - Trainorders.com
Easy way to become a conductors hero. We had to make do with what we had in those days. Everyone carried a screwdriver to force the Independent Brake valve cam over to force main reservoir pressure into the locomotive brake cyclinders to hold the train in certain instances. Fusees were used for a lot more than flagging. Sphogger
"Rail Torpedos" - what are they? When are they? - Trainorders.com
the rail vs set off by the train and on the train's. under-body. From that link: "One of the oldest safety devices used by railroads is. the track torpedo, a small dynamite charge that's wrapped. in paper (usually red), with lead straps to hold it firmly. in place on a rail."
Nostalgia & History > An ALCO Question - Trainorders.com
Flagsticks and fusees were already provided on-board, the joke being that the flagstick, torpedo, fusee holder was the emergency Alco tool kit. I swear looking back I’ve ridden more miles on Alco locomotives hanging off running boards or embedded in electrical lockers than anyone.