1963 What were the Steps to Stop Train?

Question

Yes one of my first Jobs Flag the Rocket .

Answer 1

Hhmmmm..........

Kind of vague, but since you have referenced "flagging" in your qestion, a rear brakeman was required to hit the ground, flag stick in hand, to protect against any following movement, even in block signal terrotory, whenever a train stopped on the main track.  In the 60s, it wasn't spelled out, and just stated the flag man would go back a "sufficient distance" to stop a train moving at "restricted speed."

Flag protection was also required by the brakeman on the head end of the train if in double track or multiple main track, if the train had stopped under circumstances that may have fouled the adjacent track(s), such as an emergency application of the brakes.  This was also required when on a work train with no Form "Y" protection when one of the other tracks was going to be fouled by work train activity.

The rule has been modified over the years, but when I left the service, flag protection was not required on block signal territory.  But, for a majority of my career, when flag protection was indicated, it required that an employee walk to a distance two miles from the rear of the stopped train (or ahead, if protecting from that direction) and place two "torpedos" on the rail.  A torpedo is an explosive device that ignites when a piece of equipment passes over it with a resultant "bang."  Then, the flagman returned to a point one mile from the rear of his train, placing two more torpedos on the rail, and remaining at that location until recalled by a member of his train crew.

Before we had radios, the recall came via whistle signal.

Was your "Rocket" the local called the "Rocklin Rocket"?  If so, we may know each other..................