A Tower to Hunter: General notes on qualifying.
(With special thanks to Bill Guimes)
During the course of your qualifying with the Amtrak Rules Examiner, you must be conversant with the following:
1. Name the stations from the station page, identifying Interlockings, Control points, and stations from A Tower to Hunter, with their corresponding mileposts.
2. How many, if any, are back to back.
3. How are the tracks numbered from A Tower to Hunter?
4. What track rules in effect on which tracks, between which locations?
5. What are the speeds on which tracks at what locations?
6. Describe the signal configuration* at each interlocking as you would see them from each direction. *Where are the signals located, ground mast, in the catenary, are they color light, position light, or color position light, or dwarf (pot signal). Are there any non-conforming home signals, interlocking signals, or automatic block signals?
7. Describe the appearance, location, and indication of any non-conforming signals.
8.You must be familiar with the North River Tunnels: emergency evacuation procedures, phone boxes, fire extinguishers and etc.
The following questions will guide you through the qualifying process. You must be able to describe the physical characteristics of the railroad from both directions. The study guide below is a guide for traveling west. Change the direction, and do the same for traveling east. To ride from Penn Station NY to Hunter, take any NJT train that stops at Newark Airport. You will be able to make a round trip from NYP to Hunter in less than an hour.
Unusual track layout, unusual signals, extended interlockings from A Tower to Hunter traveling West:
BERGEN:
1. Who controls Bergen?
2. Describe the track configuration at Bergen.
3. Where are Bergen’s home signals? What is their configuration?
ALLIED:
2. Traveling West, where are Allied’s home signals? What is their configuration?
3. Describe the track configuration at the East end of Allied as you would see it traveling West.
4. Describe the track configuration at the West end of Allied as you would see it traveling West.
PORTAL:
1. Who controls Portal?
2. Traveling west, where are Portal’s home signals. What is their configuration?
3. Describe the track configuration at the East end of Portal as you would see it traveling west.
4. Describe the track configuration at the West end of Portal as you would see it traveling west.
5. What, if any special instructions apply to Portal.
SWIFT:
1. Who controls Swift?
2. Traveling west, where are Swift’s home signals and what is their configuration?
3. Describe the track configuration at the East end of Swift as you would see it traveling west.
4. Describe the track configuration at the West end of Swift as you would see it traveling west.
HUDSON:
1. Who controls Hudson?
2. Traveling west, where are Hudson’s home signals? What is their configuration?
3. As you would see them traveling West, describe the location and configuration of any interlocking signals within Hudson’s limits.
4. Where does track 1 come from? Describe the location and configuration of Hudson’s home signal on track 1.
5. Describe the location, direction, and the connections made by crossovers or switches.
6. Describe the location of the yard tracks within Hudson, including track numbers and the location of controlling signals.
7. Who controls the entrance and exit of the East end of Hudson yard? Who has authority over Hudson Yard?
8. Explain how it is possible for Hudson to have two mile posts.
Rae:
1. Who controls Rae?
2. Name the tracks North to South at Rae.
DOCK: Dock is the largest interlocking in terms of track and distance. It also has the movable bridge over the Passaic River and Penn Station Newark within its limits.
1. Who controls Dock?
2. Traveling west, where are Dock’s home signals? What is their configuration? Are they in the same location for each track, or are the Eastern limits of Dock “extended” on each of the three tracks?
3. Is Dock a complete or incomplete interlocking on the East end? If not, tell why.
4. Describe the location, direction, and the connections made by crossovers and switches. Where do you pick up track 4?
5. Describe Amtrak’s track configuration at the movable bridge.
6. Traveling west, for tracks 2, 3, and 4, where are the interlocking signals that protect the movable bridge? What is their configuration?
7. Traveling west, for track 1, where is the interlocking signal that protects the movable bridge? What is its configuration?
8. Traveling west, describe the location and configuration of the entrance signals to Newark Penn Station on each track.
9. Name the tracks in Newark Penn Station.
10. Traveling west, for all tracks, describe the location and configuration of all the signals at the West end of the station.
11. Is Dock a complete or incomplete interlocking on the west end? If not, tell why.
12. Traveling east, describe the location and configuration for the home signals for Dock on each of the four tracks.
13. Traveling east, describe the track configuration at the crossover where you pick up “A” track.
14. Traveling east, describe the location and configuration of any entrance signals to Newark Penn Station.
15. Traveling east, describe the location and configuration for any exit signals from Newark Penn Station.
16. What is the significance of the signal bridge with the signal “W93”?
CLIFF:
1. Who controls Cliff?
2. Traveling west, where are Cliff’s home signals? What is their configuration?
3. Traveling west, describe the track configuration at Cliff.
4. What is the significance of the W96/97 signal bridge?
HUNTER:
1. Who controls Hunter?
2. Traveling west, where are Hunter’s home signals? What is their configuration?
3. Traveling west, describe the track configuration at Hunter.
4. Traveling East into Hunter from High on tracks 6 or 7, or on track 5, where are Hunter’s home signals? What is their configuration?
5. Traveling East into Hunter, where are Hunter’s home signals on tracks 1 through 4 and A? What is their configuration?
6. Traveling east, describe the track configuration at Hunter.