Flags

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allanroy
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Flags

Post by allanroy »

Was watching the trains at lunch time and the guys are busy working on the tracks. When a train approaches they show a white flag what does this flag mean. The does not slow down at all, is it just to warn that there are people on the tracks?
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Mike Haslam
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Re: Flags

Post by Mike Haslam »

From what I remember, yes. The white flag is to warn the driver of workers near the track. The driver should sound his whistle in acknowledgment and also whilst passing through the work section. It is not necessary to slow down.

In addition a single detonator may be used to draw attention to the flag where necessary.

There are a whole bunch of rules for protection of workers, equipment, track and others, called train protection. These rules are essential knowledge for drivers.

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Kevin Wilson-Smith

Re: Flags

Post by Kevin Wilson-Smith »

Wonder why it is white?
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John Ashworth
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Re: Flags

Post by John Ashworth »

There are different coloured flags for different occasions. Red, green, yellow, black and yellow, white. Some are fairly intuitive (eg the first three), others were presumably just picked at random, I suppose.
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Steve Appleton
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Re: Flags

Post by Steve Appleton »

A white flag is also shown by a Train Control Officer - TCO (such as a Station Master or a signalman in the old days) to the driver to indicate to a train that it may depart. In more modern times, it seems that a friendly arm wave from the TCO is more usual. This is probably because most times such information is passed to the train drivers by radio rather than by flags (FOTR is not on the TFR radio frequencies). Indeed the other day, as the guard at the back of the train, hanging around at the Hercules yard control point, waiting for permission push the FOTR train out of FOTR's Hermanstad yard into Hercules station, the control shunter authorised by radio (and not a white flag) a local freight hauled by two class 35 diesels to leave the yard ahead of FOTR, after the position light shunt signal had been operated. This is one time when it is essential to be personally at the point of action and to be fully briefed because, by being there, I knew that the signal would be intended for the freight train to leave and not for FOTR! Otherwise a really potentially dangerous situation could develop - a race to the yard exit points!
However, the rule book and tradition is often observed at the Hercules yard control point, where, after the yard exit signal has been operated, the control shunter has waved a white flag at me! Having not seen such a thing in ages, first time it happened I was taken aback. I had to urgently refer to my memory banks for the flag's meaning whilst nonchalantly waving back to the shunter!
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Mike Haslam
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Re: Flags

Post by Mike Haslam »

Way back, when railways were in their infancy, after a few buffer bashings, it was soon found that a system of train control was required. Originally a policeman was given the job of train control (which is why you have a railway station, after police station) and the most visible way of authorising a train was with a white flag. Much later, signals with lights were implemented and the first lights (behind the semaphore) were white too. However, following the advent of electricity in the home, white lights became common everywhere and drivers found the white signal light to be lost amongst domestic lighting, thus came about the colour signal system we have today.

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allanroy
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Re: Flags

Post by allanroy »

Thanks for all the answers, I have noticed that all railway crossing are marked with white sign boards and the train sounds it hooter, so it seems if a train driver see's white he blows his horn. White = hoot
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Mike Haslam
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Re: Flags

Post by Mike Haslam »

These are called 'whistle boards'. There are actually two and the driver is required to sound his whistle/horn after passing the first board and before the second (closer to crossing) board.

Incidently (more history!), the whistle board originally had the letter W in the centre. This caused some Afrikaans personnell to complain as it was in English only, so to solve the problem the boards were made multi-lingual - the W was removed!

There is another white board, called the warning board. This is a large rectangular board, white and is used to warn drivers they are approaching a station. It is almost like a distant signal in areas which do not have signals. It warns drivers to have their trains under control and to be able to stop the train within 200m of the warning board (the place being marked by an upright pole or sleeper, also painted white).

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Christopher King
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Re: Flags

Post by Christopher King »

Back in the days when the trains run like trains (1950/60) and not conveyor belts the flags were:
Red Stop
Green Proceed past signal (In semaphore area
Yellow Proceed past signal ( In colur ligh area)
White Staion Foreman to Guard , Station is ready for you to depart
The guard showed a green Flag to the driver to start, and then when the train was underway and the guards van was following another green flag, Also known as second right of way in the Cape Western System
Jacob Ossebaar
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Re: Flags

Post by Jacob Ossebaar »

On the Dutch Railway on the Signalbook are spoken for flagsignals .
1= Yelow flag on a vehicle = donot ride or other things with the vehicle ,there are people on the vehicle .
2= red flag on vehicle =Special vehicle- or train .
3= Sweeping the yelow flag obove yuor had - slowing your speed .
4= sweeping a redflar around =danger stop
5= red flag = stop
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