Emergency Brake (train) - External Signaling

External Signaling

The common signal to apply the emergency brake is to shake a highly visible object vigorously near the track. This can prevent a collision if the signaling person has had time to run some distance from the obstacle, giving more room for the train to stop. Penalties for misuse are the same as those for applying the brakes from inside the train.

In the US, the universally recognized signal to stop is a sweeping, horizontal hand motion, back-and-forth, at arm's length and perpendicular to the track (preferably in a downward direction, so as to distinguish it from a mere greeting). This can be done with an object (such as a light or flag) or an empty hand. In US railroad slang it is referred to as a "washout," or "washing out" signal, or a "signing down," and requires an immediate stop. If the engineer's vision is limited, or he feels it necessary, he will make an emergency stop. Engineers are trained to interpret any urgent waving or signaling by a person near the track as a possible warning of danger, perhaps requiring an immediate stop, depending upon the particular circumstances present.