Track warrants

[Warren]

I have a dumb question. When I listen to the dispatchers give out track warrants I hear them say at times, "this warrant has two boxes checked box 7 and 6" or other boxes. What do they mean when they say that there are boxes checked? :-\ ???

[stillbre]

The form that the track warrant is written on has a series of boxes that are checked off per order of the dispatcher.  Box 1 is usually verifying that the previous warrant is void.  Box 2 is proceed from point A to point B.  I think Box 3 is work between point A and point B.  There's also a box for "do not foul limits ahead of...." as well as any other instructions that the dispatcher may need to give the train or trackman.  I forget how many boxes there are and what they all say (got all that info at home somewhere).

[Railroad80]

As of 2003 there were 12 boxes on a standard NS track warrant form. you are correct on 1-3, 4.this authority exspires at aor pm, 5 not ineffect until the arrival of : a space for 3 engine numbers to be written, with the  "at" location. 6. hold main track, 7. do not foul limits ahead of space for 3 engine numbers, 8. Clear main track, 9. between blank station and blank stationmake all movements at restricted speed, limits occupied by train or engine, 10. between blank station and blank station make all movements at restricted speedand stop short of men or eguipment fouling track, 11. protection not required against following trains on same track (this is used in dark territory)12. other specific instructions, then a place to write the ok time dispatchers initials, then a line to be signed by the person who copied the warrant, there is 5 places at the bottom to record a "OS" location,date, time, and  by, and last but not least Limits reported Clear at  a or pm and by whom.
the form number is11369
oh i forgot the top, it starts with no. meaning track warrant number, date. next is the engine number at (location)
hope this helps
Randy

[Hoydie17]

I have a dumb question. When I listen to the dispatchers give out track warrants I hear them say at times, "this warrant has two boxes checked box 7 and 6" or other boxes. What do they mean when they say that there are boxes checked? :-\ ???

If you listen carefully, after the DS reads off the header info for the Track Warrant, and actually gets to the "meat" of the thing.  They'll normally say, "Check Box 2, operate in ***** direction from milepost ***.* to ***.*, Check Box 6, Do now foul limits ahead of Train *** with engine #**** (They may also indicate a Maintenance vehicle)" 

At the end whe he says, "This Track Warrant # *serial no.* has two boxes checked, number two, T-W-O and six S-I-X." it's a redundancy check to make sure whoever is copying the TW understood which boxes needed to be filled in. "

The rest of what was described in previous posts is accurate as well.

[Warren]

Thanks guys.  ;D

[Michael Knight]

NS still has many places where the standard track warrant forms are used. However, at least on portions of the Piedmont, Georgia, and probably other divisions, NS now uses a "Track Authority Form". These track authorities are similar to track warrants, but appear also to have provisions for the 23 A work limits.