(7)

Recommendations for Future Work

The Committee recommends that the incompleted subjects, Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 above, be continued and suggests that in addition, consideration be given to the assignment of the following:

(1) The preparation of plans for end, corner and gate posts of concrete and for a method of bracing same.

(2) That, if possible, arrangements be made for the test of line posts constructed in accordance with tentative plans of the Committee.

(3) Make a study and report on means used for preventing the accumulation of snow and for its removal.

CONCLUSIONS

Your Committee recommends that the statement in Appendix A relating to the location of signs be adopted and printed in the Manual. Respectfully submitted,

THE COMMITTEE ON SIGNS, FENCES AND CROSSINGS,

MARO JOHNSON, Chairman.

LOCATION OF SIGNS

G. N. EDMONDSON, Chairman; L. C. LAWTON, Vice-Chairman; ARTHUR ANDERSON, ARTHUR CRUMPTON, W. C. SWARTOUT, Sub-Committee.

In studying the location of signs, the Committee considered the safety of employees, visibility, uniformity of location, clearance and width of roadbed.

A circular was sent to a large number of railroads asking for information as to their general practice in locating signs, with the purpose of finding out if there were any unusual conditions which should be taken into consideration, also with the idea of avoiding a recommendation that would vary too much from present practice. The information obtained included the location of signs, with relation to the track; location with relation to the objects affected, and details of any local, State, or Public Service Commission laws or orders applying to the location of signs.

Summary of Replies to Questionnaire

Distances from the Track: The replies to the questionnaire show considerable variation in the distances used, but the majority are less than recommended in this report.

Distances along Track, from the object affected: In most instances, the sign itself indicates the location. Where it does not, varying locations are given in the replies.

Laws or Orders of Public Utilities Commissions: These affect primarily highway crossings, drawbridges and whistle posts. The questionnaire does not disclose any law or order which will conflict with, or vary much, from the recommendations of this report. If such variations do occur, the law, of course, will govern.

Safety and Clearance are naturally combined. This Association has previously adopted a clearance diagram applying to bridges requiring horizontal clearance of eight feet from the center of the track and signs should not encroach on this.

The Committee believes it would generally be better to adopt a uniform distance for all signs wherever possible rather than vary it for different classes of signs, the main consideration being safety for employees, which condition is controlled by distance from the track.

Roadbed width may also be considered important, and by roadbed width we mean the width of sub-grade. The Association has adopted a roadbed with a 10 ft. shoulder, where ordinary depths of ballast are used, and has also adopted a 11 ft. 11⁄2 in. shoulder where sub-ballast is used. Information acquired in March and April, 1921, from 34 different railroads shows the following widths of roadbed in use: