# Whats it called?



## bvdrr (Jan 3, 2008)

I was thinking today about something I remembered from my youth. It was a cablle over the tracks supported by two poles,with ropes hanging down to warn the brackmen of oncoming tunnels or other obstacles that would knock them off the top of the train. Looking for the name of such,pictures or plans for same.
Thanks in advance Fred


----------



## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Fred -


I think the thing you're talking about was called a "tell tail" - for obvious reasons.


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I remember seeing those. Dad didn't know what they were for. When you're on top of the train, like trainmen used to do, and it slaps you, you know you better get down fast.


----------



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

"Telltales" are ropes suspended from a wire accross the track to give warning of a low bridge or tunnel. 

Here is a link to a court case from 1910 where the lack of Telltales were mentioned

http://books.google.com/books?id=g7...z-XUCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2 


Randy


----------



## Pete Chimney (Jan 12, 2008)

Fred

Others have supplied you with the name for these safety devides. 

But remember, telltales have not been used for decades. Most cars do not have walk ways across the top like you might see in rolling stock from pre-1950s. Some cars, such as covered hoppers still have walk ways but these are there to permit workers to open the top hatches. 

Today almost all railroads prohibit workers from being atop moving trains, a sure way to get fired from a railroad job is to get caught riding atop moving rolling stock.


----------



## bvdrr (Jan 3, 2008)

I want to thank everyone for the answers to my question.I did Google tell tales and got some pictures of them.So now I think Iam allset to build one or two for the layout which is set in the year 1938 and is all steam.  
Thanks again Fred


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm guessing those I saw were ones nobody had bothered taking down. 


I think they'd be appropriate for the 30s.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

FRA mandated that they be removed as mentioned as to dangerous and to many folks falling off ending in death or serious injuries. Later RJD


----------



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Telltales live on in the O gauge three rail world. The device that makes the travelling giraffe/reindeer/(your favorite critter here) duck its head usually has a mast with a crude representation of a telltale attached to the activating section. 

I seem to remember that at least one manufacturer from the glory years of the mid-1950s proposed an accessory with a brakeman on the roofwalk of a boxcar, who would flop on his face when the car passed one of those telltales. Can't remember whether it was Lionel, Flyer, or Marx. Also not sure whether it ever went into production, but it would have been fun to watch. American Flyer did sell a boxcar with a brakeman who paced back and forth on the roofwalk. It was powered with a vibrator similar to the Stockyard and the Animated Station.

There was also a special car that had a railroad policeman "chasing" a hobo on the roofwalk. Both figures has some kind of magnets on their bases. The car would go under something that resembled a signal gantry, and the 'bo would jump onto it first, then the cop would jump up - pushing the 'bo off - then when the car came back to that gantry, the cycle was repeated. I think it's operation was kinda shaky, so it may not have had good sales.

Yours,
David Meashey


----------



## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Dave 

Lionel made the "operating brakeman" box car. It was lettered for Wabash with the "follow the flag" logo. IIRC it came with a tell tale on the activation track. Lionel also did the "cop and hobo" car, a gondola I think. But they just chased each other around, No smashed noses.


----------



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim;

There are several versions of the gondola car, even with Haloween monsters. The other car I mentioned was a boxcar, and I only remember seeing it advertised one year. It may have been by Lionel, but I am not sure now. Anyway, I'm sure it was tricky in operation, which is probably why it did not get repeated for another year. The gondola chase has a lot fewer "bugs."

Yours,
David Meashey


----------

