Speeding

[buzz456]

I have a question for you real railroad guys. Do you get in trouble for going 1.1 mph over the speed limit?

[JohnS]

I have a question for you real railroad guys. Do you get in trouble for going 1.1 mph over the speed limit?

No. Up to 5Mph speeding is a talking to especially if you make no effort to slow down. 10mph and over with no immediate action to correct the speeding is de-certifiable.

[JohnS]

Cab signal territory with speed control gives you about 2mph before the alarm starts going off and you need to slow down at or below the signal speed

[JOHNtheREDNECK]

Just another reason why career scenarios are useless for their point scoring system!

[TheTeenageFoamer]

How do you know when the next speed decrease/increase is? Do you have to study a timetable or something of that nature?

[JohnS]

How do you know when the next speed decrease/increase is? Do you have to study a timetable or something of that nature?

Well most routes have a "Maximum Authorized Speed" then they put speed restrictions in the time table or Operating bulletins. When you qualify a route you have to take a test written and/or verbal showing you know the route. Signals will govern your routing and depending on the signal rules for your route also the speed through turnouts. Cab signals can further cut blocks into smaller chunks. The cabsignals can change when passing a signal other than green or change in the middle of a block if so equipped. When they change and you are over the speed required by the signal an alarm sounds and you need to 2 things. Acknowledge the change by pressing a button and putting the train brake into "Suppression" to silence the alarm. You can not release the brakes until the speed is below the requirement or the signal goes more favorable. This is when the engine is equipped with Speed control.

[BNSFdude]

For western roads, BNSF in particular, knowing speed limots is based on territory knowledge. We also have our speed restriction boards 2 miles in advance of the restriction itself. The only route that's got that correct is Stevens Pass. The others have them far too short (quarter to a half mile)

[buzz456]

Another reason I run mostly free roams and QDs.

[ex-railwayman]

I have a question for you real railroad guys. Do you get in trouble for going 1.1 mph over the speed limit?

Errrrr, no, on the contrary in fact, it has been an instruction for late running trains since the 1920s over here, to my memory, and it certainly featured in Working Timetables for Railway Staff for the whole of the British Isles, and can be found in nearly all WTTs that are available even today, and I can quote the general instruction, if you so wish. This is for Freight and Passenger trains, for drivers, firemen, secondmen, guards, and signalbox staff.

Recovery of Time.

When trains are running late, every endeavour must be made to recover time, subject to the strict observance of all speed restrictions, both permanent and temporary.


I can give you the URL of a WTT from 1959 for the Birmingham area of British Rail for your perusal, the same wording features in all different regions of BR as it was standard practice across the industry, and still is, as fas as I am aware, even today, nearly 100 years later.

http://www.michaelclemensrailways.co.uk/?atk=585

Download the pdf on the right hand side.

Cheerz. Steve.

[BNSFdude]

In the US side, too, you can find yourself 2 under the speed limit and have the train run in and now you're 2 over. If railroads were to punish engineers for this consistently they'd have no one left to run them lol.

[NStrains]

Buzz I'm glad you posted this question! I have always been curious myself and figured there had to be SOME leeway in the speeds.

[katyusha454]

How is speeding normally tracked? Do railroads use GPS or on-board recorders or what?

[JohnS]

How is speeding normally tracked? Do railroads use GPS or on-board recorders or what?

Major carriers use a combination of the two. Little shortline railroads don't use either because of the cost and low operating speeds. The only requirement that I can think of is for a shortline or major carrier that has any train traveling at or over 30mph is required to be equipped with an event recorder and a functioning Alerter of some type.

[JohnS]

For western roads, BNSF in particular, knowing speed limots is based on territory knowledge. We also have our speed restriction boards 2 miles in advance of the restriction itself. The only route that's got that correct is Stevens Pass. The others have them far too short (quarter to a half mile)

We are lucky here if they put them up. We have plenty of boards available but it seems our MOW doesn't want to measure the 2 miles.

[buzz456]

Has anyone ever looked into if it's possible to change the setting somewhere to give us more leeway on career scenarios? I suppose not or we would be cheating on the points thing. I am going to try to run one going five under and see if I get penalized for taking too much time.