Joe Cullum Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How do railroads determine when it's the time to
> write a new Employee Timetable and what is the
> proper procedure?

Timetables used to reflect changing schedules and often came out at Daylight Savings changes but could come out at any time. The all important schedules in the days of TT and trainorder operation could be modified by general orders but I imagine most railroads preferred the life and death schedules to be correct in the latest timetable.


> Do they have to submit the new timetable to FRA
> and wait for their approval?

I can certainly understand non railroaders thinking the FRA runs the railroads in every detail but the reality is that the FRA makes rules and enforces laws governing railroads. If it's not in the law or rule the FRA has no business in the railroads operations. While the special instructions may contain rules that are based in FRA rules the RR may publish what it wishes and the FRA certainly has the right to disagree with the RR's interpretation. For example if a RR listed a 60 mph speed limit for unsignaled track the FRA could impose fines for each violation.


> Do they have to reissue one every couple of years?
> It looks like current employee timetables are
> everything but that. It's more like Subdivision
> specific rules... And directory for management...

At one time the timetable and special instructions were separate books on most divisions. Nowadays the timetable is simply a table. A list of stations with siding lengths etc. Therefore the special instructions are issued with it as a single document. Timetables no longer give authority for a train to operate on a main track. Consider it as a booklet of information. There is little need to issue a new timetable until enough of the instructions listed and modified by general orders become cumbersome and it's all "cleaned up" in a new issue.

There is a lot more to all of this than I've addressed here but I hope this clears up a few things. I am always fascinated by other RR's timetables and have quite a collection but I have little interest in anything that post dates the transition of track warrants replacing timetable and train order operation. CTC and TWC are like 1st grade compared to Harvard when you get into the endless details of TT and TO operation. It varied greatly from road to road and even division to division. And from dispatcher to dispatcher and day to day. Nowadays the only challenge to over the road operations is to stay awake. It is 90 percent of the job.