I received the following in an e-mail today. While I wonder about the last “Train Order” part (technically, a form D is a written train order, of sorts…) if it’s factual, it may represent the last of the Form 19 style train orders anyplace. For those running actual operations, I thought it’d be an interesting note.
Effective 12:03 AM , Sept. 4, 2012, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stopped using train orders. No other railroad in the United States and Canada uses train orders, so this is the end of a very long era.
The era began when Charles Minot, Superintendent of the Erie Railroad, issued the first train order at Harriman, NY in the fall of 1851.
http://www.telegraph-history.org/charles-minot/index.html
The era ended when the last order was issued to LIRR Train 8743 for a speed restriction over Ocean Ave in Patchogue, NY. The information came from this link:
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=102700&sid=acee70ad3af588cfb4a05857a547caf3
This is a link to a page by a dedicated LIRR fan with some of the details:
http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirrphotos/form19/form19.htm
Matthew (OV)
