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Andy Sperandeo

The abbreviation OS is the old


telegraph shorthand for on sheet,
used when a telegraph operator at a
wayside station or tower had noted a
movement on his own train record
and reported it to the dispatcher.
When communication by telephone
replaced the telegraph, operators
kept sending the same message
verbally instead of in Morse code.
Because the time reported is usually
the time the last car of the train
passes the operators office, some
sources give out of station as an
alternative definition for OS.

In model operation. Since model


railroads generally dont have the
space or the numbers of people to
assign train-order operators to
every station, the convention most
often adopted is to have a member
of a train crew stand in for the
operators at the offices (stations or
towers) along the trains run. The
crew member temporarily shifts
roles when phoning the dispatcher,
delivering the OS report as the
Operator I.G. Barrett calls in an OS to the dispatcher from the Santa Fe train-order operator. Where there
station in Stratford, Texas. People reporting trains on sheet kept are yard and tower operators on a
dispatchers informed in railroadings classic era. J. David Ingles photo model railroad, sometimes theyll
make the report for the train crew.
OS-ing trains The dispatcher needs to know
where trains are to be able to issue
orders that both keep them apart
A sharp buzz alerts the dispatcher anyway, and how does any of this and assist their progress. When
to an incoming telephone call. apply to model railroading? Thats running a train in an operating
Pressing the foot switch that what Id like to share with you in session, I take it as a matter not
activates the microphone above his this first installment of a new only of expectation but of politeness
desk, he answers: monthly column, The Operators, to help out by making OS reports
Dispatcher. that will deal with various aspects when I should. Dispatchers usually
OS Beacon, the caller responds of model railroad operation. respond by helping crews who
through the loudspeaker in the make helpful reports.
dispatchers office. OS reports. The telephone conversa- The layout owner can help too,
The dispatcher has picked up his tion notified the dispatcher of the by making it clear where train
pen by now and holds it hovering progress of a train across his crews are expected to report. This
over the line for the station of territory. He used that information may be presented prototypically
Beacon on his train sheet. to update his record of train with notations on the timetable
Go ahead, Beacon, the movements and his mental picture schedule page to show which
dispatcher answers. of the railroad. The exchange stations have open offices as well
Extra 1414 East by at 8:42 a.m., follows a common prototype format, as what hours theyre open if not
the caller reports. even though its actually about a around the clock. A more direct
Fourteen-fourteen East at 42, train on David Popps N scale New approach that many find effective
thanks, the dispatcher replies, as Haven Naugatuck Branch. Beacon is to put prominent signs with the
he writes the time at Beacon in the is Beacon, Conn., and Extra 1414 letters OS on the layout fascia at
column hes designated for this East is the train-order designation reporting stations.
extra freight. Releasing the foot for symbol freight ND-2. The next time youre at an
switch, he ends the call. (Why ND-2 operates as an extra operating session, youll understand
So whats this exchange all with no timetable schedule is a what OS-ing is all about and be
about, what does OS mean subject for another time.) ready to play your part. MR

130 Model Railroader


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THEOPERATORS
Andy Sperandeo

Dispatcher and operator, part 1


Kosich Yard, copy two north on reads along in the order book
a 19. Thats the train dispatchers call and underlines every correct
over the train wire telephone line word or numeral to show that
alerting the train order operator at one the read-back was accurate. To
of the terminals on his district to make confirm that and put the order
two copies of a Form 19 train order for in effect, the DS says Make
a northward train at that station. order no. 2 complete at 3:39
Kosich Yard ready to copy, the a.m., LER, giving the current
operator replies. While speaking, the time and his initials once
op (operator) pulls a pad of train order more. The op writes Com-
forms with carbon paper set up for mak- plete and the time at the
ing three copies onto the center of the bottom of the form and
station desk. The DS (dispatcher) wants replies with Order no. 2
two copies of the order for the train, but complete at 3:39 a.m., APS.
the op always makes an extra station
copy to file. The completed order
has to be delivered with a
The DS continues by dictating the ad- clearance card listing all
dress of the order. orders and messages for the
Kosich Yard, this will be train order train, which because of
number two of August 9, 1948, to the order no. 2 is now identi-
conductor and engineer of engine eight fied as Extra 801 North.
hundred one, eight-naught-one, period. The op will ask the DS if
The DS says the word period to sig- there are other orders or
nal the op that the address is complete messages for the train.
and the body of the order will follow. By Dispatcher, Kosich
rule, the dispatcher must write the order Yard, anything more for
in the train order book as he dictates it, Extra 801 North? If not,
both to make a record and to control the the dispatcher will say
speed of dictation. Similarly, the opera- something like No
tor must copy word-by-word as dictated, more for that extra, Kosich
without relying on memory. Yard. The op then fills out the clearance This realistic train order from
Engine eight hundred one, eight card and calls the dispatcher again. Larry Buells HO scale Minneapolis,
naught one, run extra Kosich Yard, Dispatcher, Kosich Yard for clear- St. Croix & Southern RR helps to
K-o-s-i-c-h Y-a-r-d, to Davenport, ance. This alerts the DS to be prepared re-create the everyday atmosphere
D-a-v-e-n-p-o-r-t, period. Sign it LER. to enter the clearance in the train order of railroading under timetable
Again, the period signals the end of book, perhaps on a separate page listing authority. It also serves the practical
the order, and the signature is with the all clearances for the shift, or even in a purpose of accurately conveying the
initials of the DS (some roads used separate clearance book. When ready, dispatchers instructions to the model
the initials of the chief dispatcher or the the DS answers, Ready for your clear- railroads operators.
division superintendent). ance, Kosich Yard.
Kosich Yard clears extra eight hun- This kind of conversation is typical
The op has by now written out the dred one north with one, o-n-e, order, of whats required to transmit orders for
order as shown above, using approved order No. 2, and no messages. APS, timetable-and-train-order movement,
abbreviations and without punctuation. operator. After entering the clearance, and for model railroaders its part of the
Next the op will read the order back to the DS responds with Clearance okay enjoyment of such operations. The inter-
the DS for confirmation as follows: at 3:44 a.m., LER. The op writes the action between dispatcher and operator
Kosich Yard reads back order time on the clearance card along with re-creates everyday railroading as it used
number two, August 9, 1948, to the the dispatchers initials, and responds to be practiced.
conductor and engineer of engine eight Okay at 3:44 a.m., APS. The prescribed formats of these con-
hundred one, eight-naught-one, at Now the op can staple copies of the versations serve the same practical pur-
Kosich Yard. Engine eight hundred one, clearance card onto the copies of order poses of safety and clarity that they did
eight-naught-one, run extra Kosich Yard, No. 2 for the conductor and engineer as- on the prototype railroads. Next time Ill
K-o-s-i-c-h Y-a-r-d, to Davenport, signed to the extra. As Kosich is a termi- explain some of the rules and procedures
D-a-v-e-n-p-o-r-t, period. Signed LER, nal station, the conductor will come to behind them. Its well worth providing
operator APS. the office to pick up both copies and the jobs, facilities, and time to support
As the op reads back the order and deliver one to the engineer when the such communication if you use time
concludes with his own initials, the DS engine couples to the train in the yard. table authority on your railroad.
90 Model Railroader www.ModelRailroader.com
THEOPERATORS
Andy Sperandeo

Dispatcher and operator, part 2


When the DS first told the op at Kosich The body of the order is a typical
Yard to copy two north on a 19 in last Form G creating an extra train. The
months The Operators, there was no common practice is that a Form G
need for a train order signal to be set. must give both the trains initial and
Thats because Kosich Yard is a termi- terminal stations, in our case Kosich
nal station where even scheduled trains Yard and Davenport. Form G orders
require a clearance card to depart. If the arent issued to run to an intermedi-
order were being issued at an intermedi- ate station unless the train will
ate station, the op might have replied terminate at that station.
with SD (for signal displayed) north There are several reasons for
instead of ready to copy. That would this, including work rules defining
tell the DS that the signal was set to hold the crews workday. If ordered first
northbound trains until the order was to run to Galesburg and later to
complete and a clearance card okayed. go on to Davenport, the crew may
Rules varied on different railroads, be able to claim two days pay.
but many required that train order sig- For more on the forms of train
nals be set at stop whenever there was orders, see The Operators in the
an op on duty in the station. This is usu- October 2011 MR. For more on
ally impractical on model railroads, so extras, see The Operators in the
common practice is to normally display November 2009 MR.
clear and have the op set individual
signals to stop when an order is to be The clearance card serves
issued. (See The Operators in the August several purposes. When orders
and September 2009 Model Railroaders or messages are delivered to a
for more on train order signals.) train, they are always accom-
The DS addressed the order to the panied by a clearance card.
conductor and engineer of engine 801, The clearance states the total
indicating who would receive the two number of orders and messages
copies. On model railroads one person to be delivered and lists the
may take both roles, and the usual prac- orders individually by number.
tice is to make one copy for the crew. This allows the op and the DS to check
that everything addressed to the train is This is St. Croix train order number 2
When stating the engine number being delivered, and likewise lets the as shown last month, but now ready
the DS first pronounced it in words, crew see the delivery is complete. for delivery with a clearance card
eight hundred one, and then as Clearances are also issued to scheduled attached. The clearance here serves as
individual numerals, eight naught one, trains at their initial stations on any a receipt or invoice showing the train
using the word naught for zero. This is district or subdivision, even if no orders crew whats being delivered.
required by Rule 206 to prevent misun- or messages are being delivered. In this
derstandings, and also applies to train use the clearance serves as the trains DS keeps a record of clearances okayed
and engine numbers. When the number authority to operate on the main line as a check of what trains have been given
is a single digit, its first spoken and then under the particular schedule. what authority, but the op fills out the
spelled, as in engine 2, t-w-o. Clearance cards are also issued when form and calls the DS for the okay.
Similarly station names in the body a train that is not receiving orders
of the order are first pronounced and approaches a train order signal set for The conversations for issuing train
then spelled out, as with Davenport, another train. In that case, the clearance orders and okaying clearances can be
D-a-v-e-n-p-o-r-t. If a time is given serves as authority to pass the signal re-created with a high degree of realism
in the body of the order it is first pro- displaying stop. on model railroads, while they serve the
nounced, for example ten nineteen Finally, on two or more main tracks useful purpose of providing the train
a.m., and then stated in numerals, one operated under a current of traffic crews with accurate and explicit instruc-
naught one nine. Even hours, such as trains keep to the right (or left) tions. On smaller layouts the functions
10:00 a.m., are not used in train orders. clearance cards can authorize extra of op and DS are sometimes combined,
The DS would use 10:01 instead. trains or sections of scheduled trains. with one person producing paperwork
There are several versions of Rule 206, This is usually stated as a special rule in without any conversation. Using two (or
with differences in how much must be the employee timetable, and these clear- more) people for these functions is not
spelled, pronounced, and stated in ances must be numbered in sequence as only atmospheric but reproduces the
numerals. If your favorite railroads Rule well as okayed by the dispatcher. prototypes checks for accuracy and
206 varies from what Ive just explained, In all cases note that the clearance is correctness of form. It also allows the op
follow that by all means. initiated by the op, not by the DS. The (or ops) to learn the dispatchers job.
90 Model Railroader www.ModelRailroader.com
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