The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-05-11
ROAD SIGNAL CODE
Very Few Passengers Know
Anything About Standard
Code.
cc'ors, Lights, Whistles and Motions
Each Have Peculiar Significance
Essential to Proper Move
ment Of Trains.

~
The greatest civilizlng agent in the
world, after the art of printing, is the
locomotive, and that term includes the
railroad and oil its appurtenances.
Without railroads, three-Quarters of
the United States would now be q will
derness, and the same is true of great
portions of other continents, observes
tie Philadelphia Inquirer. Everybody
travels in the railroad, and a railroad
train is a familiar sight that never
grows old.
But how many of the millions who
travel know what the railroad signals
mean? The majority do not bother
their heads about the matter, and Il
large minority vaguely wonder why
there should be SO much footing and
swinging Of lanterns, all of which is
no doubt essential, but at the same
time very confusing to the uninitiated
passenger.
Clears Up Mystery.
Perhaps this article may serve to
NSNoA VII tiS 40 ON
taken from the STANDARD Code" a
textbook for railway men.
Red signifies danger"
Green signifies "caution-go slowly"
White signifies safety"
Green and white signifies "stop at
flag stations for passengers or freight"
One cap or torpedo on rail means
"stop Immediately"
1.-Two caps on tOrpedoes on rail
means "reduce speed Immediately and
look ont for danger signal"
A train while running must display
two green flags by day and two green
lights by night, n on each side Of the
rear Of the train.
After sunset, OF when obscured by
fog or other cause, must display head
light In front and two red lights In
rear.
Two green flags by day and two
green lights by night, displayed In the
places provided for that purpose on
the front Of an engine, denote that the
train IL followed by another train run
ming on the same schedule and entitled
to the same time table rights - the
train carrying the signals.
Two white nags BY day and two
white lights by night. carried in the
same manner, denote that the train 10
an extra.
A blue nag BY day and 1 blue light
by night. placed on the end Of q car,
denotes that a inspectors are ut
work under or about the chr Or train.
and must not be coupled to or removed
until the blue signal Is removed.
Signals BY Lanterns.
Lamp signals are made ns follows:
A lamp swung across the track Is
the signal to stop.
A lamp raised and lowered vertical.
ly is the signal to nov ahead.
A lamp swung vertically In o circle
across the track when the train Is
standing is the signal to 0 buck.
A lamp swung vertically In a circle
Mt arms length across the track when
the train Is running Is the signal that
the train has parted.
A flag or the hand moved In any Of
the directions given above will indi-
cate the same signals as given by the
lamp.
The locomotive whistle signals ore
composed Of long and short, quick
sounds. In the following table o
means short. quick sound; - means
long sound:
Apply brakes. stop
Release brakes. sta y
BACK -
Highway crossing signal .................
VI ~
Approaching stations
Blast lasting B seconds
Call for sWitchmen ............ $40 y
Cattle on the k...........- =
Train has parted Q
tOr xu0J - ~ -
Fire alarm q q q
WIN take aidetrMck -