Large Scale Central

NORAC Operations Manual

Operations
#1

Neat browsing.

http://thebecketts.com/images/NORAC%208th%20Edition%20NJT.pdf

#2

Cool. Now I can be up on the rules for the local freights :slight_smile:

#3

For those who wish to know, or even care, the NORAC covers railroads east of the Mississippi, while the GCOR covers railroads west of the Mississippi. I think they are slightly different, but I’m more familiar with the GCOR.
Bob, I wouldn’t call this neat browsing, if it’s anything like my 20lb rule book I had to carry when I was working for BNSF! But it could be if someone’s never read it!
Craig

#4

tK’S BOB for post it… I 'ver been looking for that for yr’s. and never know how to find it on the internet.

#5
Craig Townsend said:
For those who wish to know, or even care, the NORAC covers railroads east of the Mississippi, while the GCOR covers railroads west of the Mississippi. I think they are slightly different, but I'm more familiar with the GCOR. Bob, I wouldn't call this neat browsing, if it's anything like my 20lb rule book I had to carry when I was working for BNSF! But it could be if someone's never read it! Craig
Craig.... I didn't know there was a difference rules for the west. Do you have a link like Bob did using a pdf file?
#6
Craig Townsend said:
For those who wish to know, or even care, the NORAC covers railroads east of the Mississippi, while the GCOR covers railroads west of the Mississippi. I think they are slightly different, but I'm more familiar with the GCOR. Bob, I wouldn't call this neat browsing, if it's anything like my 20lb rule book I had to carry when I was working for BNSF! But it could be if someone's never read it! Craig
[url=http://www.utu1904.com/files/Download/GCOR_6th_ed.pdf]General Code of Operating Rules(GCOR)[/url] At least it doesn't weigh 20 pounds. :P
#7
Steve Featherkile said:
Craig Townsend said:
For those who wish to know, or even care, the NORAC covers railroads east of the Mississippi, while the GCOR covers railroads west of the Mississippi. I think they are slightly different, but I'm more familiar with the GCOR. Bob, I wouldn't call this neat browsing, if it's anything like my 20lb rule book I had to carry when I was working for BNSF! But it could be if someone's never read it! Craig
[url=http://www.utu1904.com/files/Download/GCOR_6th_ed.pdf]General Code of Operating Rules(GCOR)[/url] At least it doesn't weigh 20 pounds. :P
Tk's Steve.. You ans. my question..
#8

The GCOR is only part of the rules. Airbrake and Train handling, Special Instructions, TY&E rules, Timetable, General Notices, Division Notices, System General Notices all make up the rulebooks. I believe that the GCOR is updated every 4 years by all the major railroads.
This is my favorite rule:
"1.11.1 Napping
Napping is permitted by train crews, except crews in passenger, commuter or yard service,
under the following conditions:
• The crew is waiting for departure of their train.
or
• The train is stopped enroute waiting to be met or passed by a train, waiting for track work,
waiting for helper locomotive, or similar conditions.
Restrictions are as follows:
• A job briefing must be conducted, with agreement reached as to who will nap and who must
remain awake. Each crew member has the right and responsibility to refuse to allow another
crew member to take a nap if doing so could jeopardize the personal safety of employees,
the train, or the public.
• One crew member must remain awake at all times.
• The nap period must not exceed 45 minutes, which includes the time needed to fall asleep.
The napping employee is relieved of all duties.
• Train must not be delayed for an employee to take a nap. When conditions allow the train to
move, the employee who is to remain awake must immediately waken the napping employee.
• Before napping, while waiting for the arrival of their train, employees must ensure all duties
have been completed. These duties include reviewing general orders and notices; securing
and reviewing track warrants, track bulletins, and other paperwork, if available.
• Before napping is allowed enroute, the employee in charge of the locomotive controls must:

  1. Make at least a 10-lb. brake pipe reduction.
  2. Place generator field switch in the “OFF” position.
  3. Center the reverser and remove, if removable.
    • The employee who is to remain awake must remain on the locomotive while others on the
    locomotive are napping, except when inspecting passing trains.
    • If waiting for the arrival of or make-up of train, one crew member must remain awake while
    waiting for their train’s arrival or make-up at their initial terminal unless arrangements have
    been made with a third party to wake up all crew members.
    All crew members that are deadheading or otherwise relieved of duties may nap."

Craig

#9
Noel Wilson said:
Craig Townsend said:
For those who wish to know, or even care, the NORAC covers railroads east of the Mississippi, while the GCOR covers railroads west of the Mississippi. I think they are slightly different, but I'm more familiar with the GCOR. Bob, I wouldn't call this neat browsing, if it's anything like my 20lb rule book I had to carry when I was working for BNSF! But it could be if someone's never read it! Craig
Craig.... I didn't know there was a difference rules for the west. Do you have a link like Bob did using a pdf file?
I don't think that the rules are much different themselves, but the format is different. Every railroad has to follow FRA guidelines so the two rule books are really similar, but things that apply to the East coast don't always apply to the railroads out west. And then each railroad adjusts the GCOR to fit what they want by issuing what is known as Special Instructions. Special Instructions correct errors in the GCOR (lots of typo's) and create and amend rules. Then division and subdivision specific rules are issued via a timetable.

Craig

#10

I have issues with section 5 A,B,C D,E,G,H and K

#11
David Russell said:
I have issues with section 5 A,B,C D,E,G,H and K
Now imagine entering a 18 week engineer program knowing that at the end of your program you have to pass 5 tests with a 90% or better, or you will be fired! Just a little bit of stress involved.

I noticed that the NORAC has an actual Rule “G”. Most old head refer to Rule “G” even though it doesn’t exist in the GCOR! Okay it does, but it’s some other rule number. I if remember the old heads at work told me that the rule book at one point in time was only a double sided piece of paper. Boy how times have changed.

Craig

#12

In 1987, I had a summer job with Conrail, C&S department. Initial training consisted, among other things, of two whole days spent reading the “Safety Rules” book out loud, one rule at a time, one person per rule, all day. This was, we were pretty sure, so that the company could demonstrate that every employee had heard every rule at least once (and was therefore absolved of “I didn’t know/I didn’t understand” in the event of action regarding a violation.)

After a day or so of reading every rule out loud (which is nearly as exciting as watching paint dry, or listening to dripping water…) we determined that the way the book had been made involved waiting for someone to get hurt, or an accident to happen, and then to make a rule against whatever someone had done (or not done) at the time, allowing whoever did it the next time to be cited with a violation (and for short timers like us, to be fired.)

This results in an odd collection of rules organized by category; for example let’s say a crew is assigned to replace a line pole (this was, after all 1987) and they find themselves with a hole in the ground, and a new pole lying next to it. Obviously, the pole has to be made to be standing in the hole. There are a number of ways to do this, all of which have the potential to cause injury if something goes wrong. There are probably twenty different ways to use the guy wires that such a pole might have to stand it up, resulting in a whole section of rules that starts out with the phrase “When using guys to erect pole…” In our class, on about the 19th out loud reading, somebody couldn’t take it anymore and burst out laughing, and the dam burst … the foremen present had to call a break to restore order from the general chaos that followed.

So every day, on reporting to work, one is required to memorize the “Safety Rule of the Day” and upon being quizzed about it by the “Safety Man” who roams around conducting surprise “Safety Inspections” one had better know it, or face a citation (and for we short timers, immediate termination) and “Thirty Thirty, don’t get Dirty” doesn’t cut it.

At least the operating rules seem to have some general relevance to what operating employees do on a regular basis.

Matthew (OV)

#13

Death by power point is what happens now!

Craig

#14

I have a Penn Central rulebook (paper!) from the late 1960s, its only about 20 pages long, and most of them are related to signaling. The rest can be summed up with “Be safe” and “Dont be stupid”.

#15

Cool!
I have a Penn Central first aid kit!!(seriously)

#16

I printed it out, to give the ““Dispatcher”” at Ric’s Ops Session some ammo & backup… hehehe

#17
Andy Clarke said:
I printed it out, to give the ""Dispatcher"" at Ric's Ops Session some ammo & backup.... hehehe
If nothing else it can ve use to hit people upside the head.
#18

Now why would someone want too do that?