CN Train Orders Online

Ken Secrest has put a number of CN train order scans online. They are for the northeastern US but feature a variety of CN, Central Vermont and I think Grand Trunk engines.

Train Orders Online

Ken Secrest has been selling train orders on eBay for quite some time. I know I've sent my fair share of money his way, purchasing orders from CN and CP and Devco. Ken has a web site listing some of the train orders he is selling. For example, you can buy CN train orders, CP train orders, Dominion Atlantic Railway train orders, and even train orders for Devco.

He has recently put some scans from his permanent collection online. So far it is mostly American content but there are some great Newfoundland Railway train orders to be seen.

I have some train order scans of my own online... for CN, CP, Devco and even a few Intercolonial Railway train orders.

OCS Clearances, Round 2

This is a followup to my entry about OCS clearances. I want to talk about proceed vs. work clearances, and rule 104.

The original, sample clearance was: "Item 1. OCS clearance #1234 to train CN 532, engine 2238. Item 5, proceed from Sparks to Andrews. Item 7, protect against Foreman Smith between Sparks and Andrews. Item 12, complete at 1225 RTC JBM."

Proceed versus Work Clearances
One point I made was that this is a "proceed" clearance, meaning the train* can only go in the direction indicated and cannot back up without getting a new clearance. A "work" clearance allows unlimited backup moves. Why wouldn't the RTC issue work clearances for every train?

Simply put, a work clearance gives the entire section of track to the train until the train crew releases it. This is fine if that train is the only one due to run on that section of track, but if someone else (another train, a maintainer, etc.) wants to use that section of track, they have to get permission from the first train.

Using a proceed clearance means the track behind the train is released as the train moves. If another train wants to follow the first train, all the RTC has to do is call the first train, find where their tail end is, then give a clearance to the second train up to the current position of the first train. As the second train approaches the end of its authority, it can call the RTC and repeat the whole process. This keeps more trains moving.

Rule 104
If you read the OCS clearance form, you may have noticed items 8 and 9.

Item 8: Rule 104(b) WARNING - You may encounter the following switch(es) lined and locked in the reverse position:

Item 9: Rule 104(b) PERMISSION - The following switch(es) may be left lined and locked in the reverse position:

I'm not sure why it says 104(b), because the CROR shows it as rule 104(i). It starts with "A main track switch may be left in the reverse position when;..." and has a list of conditions where it may be left in a reverse position.

Imagine you are the crew of a long, heavy freight train, say a loaded ore train leaving the Nepisiguit Subdivision near Bathurst, NB. You approach the switch at the east leg of the wye at Nepisiguit Junction and stop. The conductor dismounts and lines and locks the switch in the reverse position, allowing your train to proceed onto the mainline.

Without this rule, the conductor would have to wait until the train passed and stopped on the main line, then line and lock the switch in the normal position and walk the length of the train to the head end. Remember, they couldn't back the train up to pick up the conductor because they wouldn't have a clearance past the switch's mileage.

To save time, they are permitted to leave the switch in the reverse position. The next train to be given authority to pass that switch will have a note in their clearance that the switch may be reversed.

NBEC 1868 and the empty ore train are on the Nepisiguit Subdivision, having just left the main line

This was very common at Nepisiguit Junction, and likely still is. The empty train coming onto the Nepisiguit sub would put the switch in the reverse position and leave it reversed while the train went to Brunswick Mines, loaded up, and came back to the mainline. Because it was still reversed (assuming no other train went by in the meantime), the loaded train could roll right through without stopping. The next mainline train would stop and reline the switch before proceeding.

VIA 15 at Nepisiguit Junction, stopping to reline the switch.

The CROR are full of rules like this, used to protect the trains and also to help traffic flow easily and safely.

* I say "train", but strictly speaking I should say "movement" to be more general. What's the difference? Wait and see. :)

OCS Clearances

If you have a scanner, you may have heard the RTC (Rail Traffic Controller) give an "OCS Clearance" to a train. It might sound something like this:

"Item 1. OCS clearance #1234 to train CN 532, engine 2238. Item 5, proceed from Sparks to Andrews. Item 7, protect against Foreman Smith between Sparks and Andrews. Item 12, complete at 1225 RTC JBM."

What does all that mean?

First of all, OCS stands for Occupancy Control System in Canada. This is what is known as "dark territory" where there are no signals to govern train movement. All movements must be authorized by the dispatcher / RTC. This OCS clearance is the authorization for train 532 to occupy track on the Letellier subdivision.

You can read about OCS in the Canadian Railway Operating Rules, specifically the 300 series of rules.

In order to interpret the OCS clearance, you need to have a copy of CN's OCS clearance form (to know what the items mean) and a copy of the timetable for the appropriate subdivision (to know where the locations are).

Here's a blank OCS clearance form.


Here is the CN Letellier subdivision, from the August 1 2009 timetable.

OK, now we'll go through each item.
"Item 1. OCS clearance #1234 to train CN 532, engine 2238."
This is pretty straightforward. It identifies the clearance number for reference, and most importantly identifies what movement will own the clearance.

"Item 5, proceed from Sparks to Andrews."
There are three key items here. The two obvious ones are the bounds of authority, the timetable locations Sparks (mile 3.0) and Andrews (mile 36.2). There are no sidings listed on the Letellier subdivision, so the limits are the station boards at those two locations. If there were sidings, the limits would be just outside the fouling limits of the sidings (CROR rule 304.1).

The third key item is the word "proceed". This means that the train must go in the direction specified, and cannot back up without getting a new clearance. There are very limited exceptions, specified in CROR rule 308.1.

The RTC could have said "Item 6, work between Sparks and Andrews" instead and that would authorize as many backup moves as the train crew wished.

"Item 7, protect against Foreman Smith between Sparks and Andrews."
This tells the train crew that Foreman Smith is somewhere out there, and it is the train crew's responsibility to contact Foreman Smith and get permission to pass through. Foreman Smith may not even be aware of the train until s/he gets contacted.

"Item 12, complete at 1225 RTC JBM."
This shows the OCS clearance is complete and there are no further items.

Once the crew writes all of this down, they repeat it back to the RTC to confirm that they received it correctly. The OCS clearance does not go into effect until the train crew repeats the entire clearance including the last line.

That's enough for now. There are a lot of interesting variations possible but this gives the gist of the OCS clearance system.

EDIT: Added timetable page for CN Letellier subdivision.

Six Passenger Trains in Saint John

OK, it was 1980, but still... David Morris sent along the consists of 6 trains he and Bill Linley saw on December 20 and 21, 1980 in Saint John, all in 24 hours.

--December 20--

1. VIA #616
RDC-1 VIA 6105, RDC-2 VIA 6202

2. VIA #11 (First Section)
VIA 6775-VIA 6871-CP 8561
VIA 9645-5426-5409-5389-752
5722-5734-GREENBANK-RIDEAU RIVER-1369
BONHEUR-ELCOTT-EVANSTON-REVERSING FALLS-EXPLOITS RIVER

3. VIA #11 (Second Section)
VIA 6768-6628-6864
VIA 9636-5621-5405-5394-3035
426-5714-FORTUNE BAY-1374-CAPE TORMENTINE
GREENBUSH-GREENDALE-PYRAMID FALLS-FITZWILLIAM

4. VIA #615
VIA RDC-2 6211, VIA RDC-1 6107

--December 21--

5. VIA #12 (First Section)
VIA 6772-6634-6773
VIA SISIBOO FALLS-EXETER-EVELYN-HARMONIE-1348
ECUM SECUM RIVER-GREENLANE-5701-5733-765
5297-5306-5197-9646-BEDFORD

6. VIA #12 (Second Section)
VIA 6776-6865-6780
VIA 9627-5580-5407-3039-432
5702-BUCKLEY BAY-YUKON RIVER-1365-CAPE CANSO
GREENCABIN-GREENRIDGE-RAINBOW FALLS-RESPLENDENT

What's up with the first and second sections? This dates from the timetable & train order period. Scheduled trains like VIA 11 and 12 ran on the times from the employee timetable. Sometimes there was more traffic than could fit on one train, so the dispatcher would run a second "section" of the same scheduled train after the first section. The trains would be referred to as "first 11" and "second 11" to show there were two sections. There could be third, fourth, fifth, etc. sections too.

For example, a January 29, 1957 order to train 113 reads: "No 113 Eng MEC 711 Meet Second 68 Eng 5302 at Bailey". So train #113, led by Maine Central 711, should meet the second section of train #68 (led by CP 5302) at Bailey.

The second section would have the same precedence over other trains that the first section had, and nobody could run in between the two sections unless a train order overrode that. The lead engine of the first* section flew green flags to indicate a second section was following.

(more reading about timetable and train order rules)

* actually, the lead engine of every section except the last flew green engines to indicate another section was following.

Bilingual CN Train Order

This is the first bilingual train order I've seen.


CN Rail Formule/Form 19Y, Montreal, Feb 22 1978 #161

Pour trains facultatifs vers l'est Sub Sherbrooke Facultatif 4485 Est a Richmond
To eastward extra trains Sherbrooke Sub Extra 4485 East

Trains facultatifs vers l'est sauf facultatif 4485 Est attendront a Windsor jusqu'a douze trent 1230 JYL
Eastward extra trains except Extra 4485 East wait at Windsor until twelve thirty 1230 JYL

Repeated at 1020 Made ???? time 1021 opr Allard

Train-Orders.com

Some of you may know that I collect railway paperwork, including timetables and train orders. I recently became aware of train-orders.com, run by the redoubtable Ken Secrest. I've purchased a number of train orders from him on eBay and he has been excellent in every transaction. So, if you are looking for train orders, he has listed a number of them on his web site. Check them out!


EDIT: Gary Scott tells me the operator was Donnie Hillman. Ray Furlong was another operator at South Devon.

Cumberland Railway and Coal Company Train Order

I recently won eight blank train orders from the Cumberland Railway and Coal Company. Here's what they look like.


It looks like they were printed in November 1950. That would fit well before the closure of the railway in 1962. The CR&C operated near Springhill, Nova Scotia.

Anyone know what they mean by "Don't forget your cross... protect your train"? Is that the staff train order system that was in use on some railways? (Wikipedia)