SAFETY IS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 212

has come Operation Red Block, an anti-drug and alcohol pro-
gram. It's run by the unions, supported by management, and
thought to be effective by all.
Also as a result of what railroad people now refer to simply
as “Chase, Maryland,” every American railroad must meet spe-
cific federal guidelines for the certification of engineers. Before
that accident, each company had its own standards and require-
ments for training, knowledge of rules, and physical exams.
Today, however, minimum standards are consistent throughout
the industry, and engineers are recertified every three years.
There are lots of other safety procedures unique to railroad
operations, but here are a few typical examples to illustrate their
variety and depth.
• When preparing to move a locomotive, the engineer will (1)
start the bell ringing to indicate a locomotive is about to
move and (2) blow the whistle to indicate the direction of
movement: two toots, forward; three toots, back.
• Whenever a “civilian”—meaning you or me—rides in the
cab of a locomotive, an additional railroad employee must be
present to minimize possible distractions for the engineer.
• Radio messages from the dispatcher to the engineer are
acknowledged and carefully repeated to be certain that every
detail of the message was understood.
• When a blue flag (or light) is placed at the front and rear of a
train to indicate that people are working under or around the
train, the only person permitted to remove the flag is the one
who put it there.
• When backing into a station, the train will come to a “safety
stop” 50 to 100 feet from the bumper post, then continue
backing slowly before coming to a final stop.