I have uploaded the P&R 1888 rule book to my Operations-Rule Books page on my web site :

https://wnbranch.com/home/operations/rule-books/

As far as operating rules go, the American Railroad Association, the forerunner of the AAR, came out with a Standard Code of Train Rules in 1887.

Before that there was mayhem. For example, some railroads used red for stop and green for proceed while others used green for stop and white for proceed and still others used red for stop and white for proceed. After 1887, there was controlled mayhem

There were some interesting rules, such as if an opposing train on single track is late at a timetable scheduled meeting point, the waiting train would wait a certain number of minutes and then occupy the main and proceed, watching out for the late running opposing train, which should have slowed down when it was determined that it would not be arriving at the scheduled meeting point on time. In the real world, the late running train would often speed up, trying to arrive at the scheduled meeting point before that certain number of minutes had expired. Most of the time this worked, but if it didn't, then things got messy.

Here is one of my favorites, from the Boston and Albany Rail Road, July 18, 1872:

"The Saxonville train, No.13, and Worcester Accommodation, No. 73, outward, will have right of way against all inward trains.

All inward regular passenger trains will have right of way against all outward trains except as above.

Inward regular freights will have right of way against outward freights but not against outward passenger trains.

Gravel and other Extra trains will use single track only under a red flag."

This is just a part of one train order, No. 411, signed by A. Firth, Ass't Sup't.

This was long before there were interlockings and wayside signals. The turnouts were controlled by switchmen, who had to figure out what was coming at them, a passenger or a freight or an extra, at all hours of the day and night and in all kinds of weather.

All the rules books back in that era used international cities.

Reading the 1903 P&R rules, they certainly ran trains to some distant locations!

EXAMPLES

(1) No I will meet No 2 at Bombay.

______________

No 3 will meet 2d No 4 at Siam.

______________

No 5 will meet Extra 95 at Hong Kong

______________

Extra 652 north will meet Extra 231 South at Yokahama.

(2) No 1 will meet No 2 at Bombay 2d No 4 at Siam and Extra 95 at Hong Kong

dave

Andre, I saved that ".doc" as a PDF, if that works better for you. Let me know.

dave

Bob:

Yup, the x-ing signal is indeed. I don't know when the "long/long/short/looooong" x-ing whistle signal started coming into use.

Andre

Yea, Thank you. The grade crossing seems different.

Bob

One hyphen is a short toot.

Two hyphens is along toot (because Word doesn't do a long hyphen/dash).

Evidently using the "o" for a short toot hadn't been invented yet.

Andre,

Do engineers still use the short/long whistle signal?

Scott

Bob:

I understood it that a single hyphen "-" was a short blow, and a double hyphen "--" was a long blow. Thus "- --" would be "Toot Toooooot".

However, there's always the remote possibility I'm wrong.

Andre

Dave, Thank you for sharing the Rule book. Interesting that the short/long whistle haven't evolved yet or did I read it wrong?

Bob

Hi again Dave!

It was probably originally written in MS "Word". Such .doc files don't always translate well in Wordpad. No biggie. Wordpad is the only program I have for opening a .doc file, so it 'tis what it 'tis!

No, I haven't read it through yet. Just browsed the general content, then made a copy, renamed the copy "C&P Rulebook", and started in creating paragraphs/etc as well as renaming officials and such to become my C&P "Rulebook".

"Special Orders" issued by the Gen Supt, eh? I guess that task will fall to the C&P's Gen Supt: Esa Blohardt.

Andre

Interesting, it wasn't written in Wordpad and I don't see any artifacts when I download it.

Anyway, did you catch that coal trains were limited to 6 mph in grade territory? Evidently train orders are used, called "special orders", and are issued over the signature of the Gen. Supt, Supt. or Gen, Dispr. (Chief Dispatcher). They don't list forms of trains orders yet.

Thanks so much Dave!

Downloaded the P&R 1876 rules.

Egyptian Hieroglyphics aside (Wordpad artifacts!) it's an excellent reference!

I will likely format it (remove the artifacts, create paragraphs/etc) for my software/printer combination and will very likely use a slightly modified version (any place names and such that will be found therein) as the C&P's "Official Rulebook".

Thanks again!

Andre

I uploaded the 1876 P&R train rules to my website.

Color signals are different, white = clear, green = caution, red = stop.

Whistle signals are pretty similar. Remember the trains don't have air brakes so whistle signals are used to tell the brakemen sitting on top of the cars to set or release the brakes.

https://wnbranch.com/home/operations/rule-books/