Caboose #22 on EB Port Jefferson freight catching orders at "DIVIDE" Tower Hicksville, NY - 1949
(John Krause photo, Dave Keller archive)

FM CPA20-5 #2002 eastbound Port Jefferson train catching orders at "DIVIDE" Tower Hicksville, NY - c. 1955 (John Krause photo, Dave Keller archive)

FM #2006 Orders at Montauk

FM H16-44 #1507 hoping orders at DIVIDE Hicksville 1955 
close-up Archive: Dave Keller

FM  H16-44 #1506 Crew Deer Park 1957 Photo: J. P. Krzenski photo

Engineer of RS3 #1559 westbound with Patchogue-Babylon “Scoot” getting orders from operator Ed Sorensen at PD tower, Patchogue 8/1971  Photo: Dave Keller
 

Engineer Becker with C420 #226 on eastbound Montauk train #4 getting orders from operator Ed Sorensen at PD tower, Patchogue 1971 Photo: Dave Keller 


LIRR MP15AC's #164, #155 ballast train hooping orders at PD, Patchogue 10/22/78
 

DK Deer Park Orders 1975
Photo: Tim Darnell

The fellow on the ground in the white shirt and tan pants is Dick Ifferte.
He was the first trick Agent-Operator at DK. I think he remained there until
the job was abolished with the electrification to KO. Info: Jim Gillin

MP-15ac  #152 with Rick Walters, first trick Agent-Operator Deer Park, 
giving the orders to train RF-61. 4/1978 Info/Photo: Jim Gillin

J. A. Gillin 2nd trick Agent-Operator Deer Park [DK] handing up orders to RF-59
late afternoon in Jan, 1978.  Photo: by G. P. Lind Archive:  Jim Gillin

Montauk bound train receiving Hooping orders at  PD Tower 12/1997 
Photo/Archive:  Bob Bender

Nassau Tower Orders 1976
Photo: Tim Darnell

Ronkonkoma Orders 07/1975
Photo: Tim Darnell


Ronkonkoma KO  Orders 1976
Photo: Tim Darnell

Eastbound LIRR #211 at B Tower, Bethpage receiving orders 
3/06/1976 Photo: Rich Taylor

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Eastbound LIRR #4202 at B Tower Bethpage receiving orders from Sal Valenti, Block Operator 1/1979 Photo: Jim Gillin
 

B Tower hooping orders to the Engineer c.1987
Photo/Archive: Bill Mangahas

B Tower hooping orders to the Conductor c.1987 
Photo/Archive: Bill Mangahas

Train 4202, on its way to Greenport, gets its K-Cards "on two sticks" at B Tower in Bethpage from Operator Bruce Conger. The train's Engineer is snagging his copy off of the first stick as the photo is taken. The train's Conductor, we can just see his right hand in the vestibule, will get his copy off the second stick in Bruce's left hand. When approaching the Tower, train crews would often inform the Block Operator by radio if they wanted their paperwork on two separate sticks, or all together on one. Either delivery scenario was fine, and it was totally the choice of the train crew. May, 1985. Photo/Archive/Info: Jay Bendersky
 

Eastbound train receiving orders at PD Tower, Summer 1980. Photo: Jack Deasy

LIRR #262 PD orders 9/18/1998 
Photo: Joe Saullo

Chris Soundy hooping orders to the Engineer at PD
Photo: Pat Masterson 5/04/2006

Chris Soundy hooping orders to the conductor at PD 
Photo: Pat Masterson 5/04/2006

FORM 19 - TRAIN ORDER FORM

LIRR Form 19 Train 2716 on 07/20/06 at Babylon Collection: Nick Kudreyko

The Form 19 was a train order given verbally via the dispatcher in Jamaica (Room 204) to every block operator on the system as it pertained to his individual section of track, etc.

The operator would answer the dispatcher's phone (or in the days of telegraph, he would hear his call letter tapping over the line, and sign on: "PD" would have been .....   -..)

He would take a blank From 19 pad, insert carbon paper to get the required amount of copies and a hard backing so as to provide a hard writing surface and copy the order, by hand, from the dispatcher. 

He would then repeat the order back to the dispatcher.  If all was correct, he would put the superintendent of transportation's initials across the bottom of the order, "make the order complete", sign the order and put the time it was made complete.

He would then take the top two copies and put them on the order hoops or "Y"s, holding one up to the engineer and the other up to the conductor.  This procedure was also done to freights. (The office copies were put on a hook on the wall.  At the end of the month, they were bundled up and tossed in the attic of "PD". 

Also included in with the order may have been various forms of clearance cards (ex: "K" card, "C" card, etc.) Research: Dave Keller

Here's another Form 19 from Patchogue before the days of "PD".  The block station call letters were "PG" and was located in the depot. When "PD" cabin and later "PD" tower opened, the station retained "PG" as their telegraphic call letters for station business and "PD" was put in use for the block business. It reads:

Train Order No. 29                                         Apl 4, 1906

For:  PG              To:  C/E            Of: No. 504

No. 503 five hundred three will meet No. 504 five hundred four at Oakdale.

                                            F.H.W.

Rec'd: 1:07 pm     Made:  Complete 1:11 pm     Rec'd by: Webb, Opr.

You'll also notice that the orders show the use of the old train numbers (500 series) prior to the days of Montauk trains having single digits and Speonk trains having double digits (except on weekends and holidays where they became 4 digit numbers). You'll also notice they're written on Long Island Railroad Company stationery. (Railroad as one word!!)   Research: Dave Keller