Q: I’m currently planning a layout that features several railroads, including a mythical short line that has to use running rights with the larger railroads. How would these running rights work in regards to timetables and train orders? And how would clearance cards be issued? Would there be a clearance card issued by each road, or would one suffice? — Ethan Amstutz
A: Running rights are called trackage rights. The rules and timetables of the larger railroads govern the employees of the mythical short line when they’re operating over that trackage. Employee timetables state this explicitly, for example: “Conductors and Enginemen when operating over foreign roads will be governed by the rules and regulations and provide themselves with timetables and books of rules of such roads.” Mythical’s crews would also have to pass Largers’ rules examinations and qualify on Largers’ physical characteristics.
Similarly, Largers issue train orders and clearances. This doesn’t mean, however, that orders and clearances are always received at Largers’ locations. My October 2023 On Operation column “Hat Tricks” describes how different railroads often cooperated on this.
For more information on this topic, check out Carl Swanson’s article “Trackage rights: Same line, two railroads” on Trains.com.
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