Is there a lantern signal for " come back for pin " ? Or just " come to me ( F or R ) and washout ?

Question

For American RRs.

Thanks, Budgie. In Canada, do you have the same hand gesture where you make a fist with one hand and lightly tap it a few times with the palm of the other hand? I have been told this makes sense to some American engineers.

Answer 1

I can give you the Canadian lantern signals for what you've described, which are very similar or the same to the American ones.

The signal for "forward" is moving the lamp up and down, perpendicular to the ground. "Back up" is swinging the lamp in a circular motion.

To move in only a few feet for the pin, you hold your lamp above your head, and move it slowly, either up and down or in a circle, depending on which way you're going. To give the car(s) a kick ("give me the pin"), you hold the lamp about shoulder-head level, and move it up and down or circular very fast.

The washout signal is waving the lamp side to the side, parallel to the ground, wide and fast.

Answer 2

Conductor Budgie is right on the money.

It is important to understand that when using lantern signals, the signals are given relative to the direction the engine is facing, i.e., forward and reverse. Using hand signals, the information is simply "come toward me" or "move away from me".

The lantern signal for "give me a pin" is a small tight circular motion with the lantern winding up above the head. A similar motion, made at waist level with the final move toward the equipment indicates that the man is stepping between the cars to connect air hoses.

The tapping of the fist and the palm of the hand is indeed a signal, usually indicating the number of car lengths to a stop or a "joint". This is not the type of a joint you are thinking of. In this instance, a "joint" is a coupling to other equipment, aka "hook". There is a lantern signal equivalent, with elbow bent and lantern at shoulder level, the lantern is moved horizontally in quick thrusts. Three taps of the hand or three movements of the lantern would indicate "three cars to go".

There are many more hand and lantern signals as well. Though the radio is the preferred means of communication, a crew can work all day or all night long without speaking to each other. This is necessary when radio communication is poor, or intermittent. Other times, there is too much radio traffic to permit uninterrupted communication.