Prototype Railroading: Track Warrants

As of this week, I am in the middle of on the job training.  We had one week of classroom training, which left us all overwhelmed and confused.  We were told repeatedly that everything would make more sense once we got on the trains and started doing it.  I think most of us were thinking, "How do you expect us to do it if we cannot even understand it all here?!"  Well, they were right.  I put myself on the west pool, which just takes trains to Forsyth, MT, and back.  On Monday night I reported to work and got on a manifest, or mixed, freight train to Forsyth.  I was hoping that the conductor would let me just watch what he does so I could see how everything is done before I had to do it.  He had other ideas though.  He had me get all the paperwork together and complete before we got on the train.  Once on the train, he sat me down in what would normally be his seat and he walked me through all the paperwork to do on the train.  He showed me how to line switches for the sidings when we had a meet, and what to look and listen for when inspecting passing trains.  It was still overwhelming, but at least I was no longer confused!

Once on the road, the paperwork continues.  The track we operate over is known as TWC ABS.  This means that the trains operate by Track Warrant Control.  The dispatcher cannot actually see where the trains are, but allows them to operate on sections of track by issuing a track warrant to the conductor.  The train can operate within the limits of that warrant, and must get another one to continue farther.  ABS means that the signals are Automatic Block Signals.  The let the engineer and conductor know what the track condition is ahead of the train.  They do not tell the crew anything about their authority, or the limits of their warrant, they only tell them if the track ahead is clear or not.

As a train leaves the yard in Glendive, the dispatcher gives a track warrant to the conductor.  Every conductor hopes for a warrant to CTC Forsyth, because that would mean they are not stopping anywhere, but that never actually happens.  Out here, you are doing pretty well if you go more than ten miles on a warrant!    The dispatcher gives the warrant, and the to and from locations, or the limits, of the warrant.  Then he or she also gives additional instructions.  The warrant may not be effective until after another train passes a certain point, usually the point you are waiting at.  It may also indicate that you have to clear the main line, or take a siding at the end of your authority.  As the train approaches the end of its authority, you hope the dispatcher gets back to you in a hurry for another warrant so everything can just keep moving.  That does not always happen though.

Now that this is all thoroughly confusing, let's try an example.  Just for the example, I am in Glendive, taking on an empty coal train ultimately bound for the Powder River Basin, in Wyoming.  From Glendive, the crews take it to Forsyth.  If I am sitting in the yard in Glendive, the conversation would go something like this:

"BNSF 6150 West to Forsyth dispatcher.  Over."

"Forsyth dispatcher BNSF 6150 West.  Over."

"BNSF 6150 West, Conductor Trainee Ogden looking for a warrant in Glendive.  Over."

"Okay.  Track warrant number 612 six one two dash 74 seven four to the BNSF 6150 six one five zero West W-E-S-T.  Check box two T-W-O.  Proceed from Yard Limits Glendive to East E-A-S-T siding switch Marsh.  Check box three T-H-R-E-E, clear at last named point. Over."

"Track warrant 612 six one two dash 74 seven four to BNSF 6150 six one five zero West W-E-S-T.  Check box two T-W-O.  Proceed from Yard Limits Glendive to East-E-A-S-T siding switch Marsh.  Check box three T-H-R-E-E, clear at last named point.  Over.

"That is correct.  Track warrant 612-74 to the BNSF 6150 West is okay at 14:32 one four two three AQE.  Over."

"Track warrant number 612-74 to BNSF 6150 West is okay at 14:32 one four two three, dispatcher AQE.  Is that correct?  Over."

"That is correct.  Over."

"That is correct, thanks.  Out."

What does all that mean?!  First of all, the track warrant is a predetermined form.  It varies a bit from one railroad to another, but it has certain boxes on it, followed by some preset instructions.  Some of those predetermined instructions have blank spaces in them where location names can be filled in according to the dispatcher orders.  When the dispatcher first contacts a train crew for a track warrant, the train crew must use their locomotive number, in this case it is BNSF 6150 (which I was on last night).  At the first contact, the person talking to the dispatcher must also identify themselves by their title and last name.  I am Conductor Trainee Ogden.  They must also tell the dispatcher their current location, whether it is a milepost, siding, or switch.  In the example, the train had not yet departed Glendive, so the location was simply Glendive.  Once that has been covered, the dispatcher dives into the track warrant.  And some of them can be jerks and will read it off faster than most people can comprehend, but you just do your best to keep up, and if they do that, you just ask them to repeat it as many times as you need to.  "Check box two" is one of those predetermined boxes on the warrant.  Before it is filled out, that section says, "Proceed from __________ to __________ on __________."  You simply write in the two locations and track in the lines.  In the example, the train was given authority to operate from the yard limits at Glendive, which is about two miles east of town, to the east siding switch at Marsh, which is about 20 miles east of Glendive.  The train is to do that on the Main track, which is the only track there.  The next part, check box three indicates that the train must clear the main line at the last named point, which was the east siding switch at Marsh.  That basically means the train must go in the siding, and chances are it will be meeting another train there.  Box three never changes, it always says, "Clear at last named point, but you still read it for clarification sake.  Once all the information is given, the conductor must repeat it back correctly, and then the dispatcher gives an okay time and his or her initials.  At that point the train has track.  You will notice that all the numbers and directions are spelled out the first time they are said.  This is just for clarification.

The warrant can be for as much or as little track as the dispatcher wants to or is able to give you.  Sometimes you get authority to use 40 or 50 miles of track, at other times, you are lucky to get 10 miles.  It varies a lot depending on the amount of traffic, and which direction it is all going, and if the dispatcher likes you or is paying attention.  Some days are better than others.