SECTIONS 7601-7614 - California Statutes

PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE

SECTION 7601-7614

7601. Except as provided in Section 7602 every common carrier by
railroad operating within this State shall maintain, on what is known
as passing track sidings, a signboard in connection with each
derailing switch or other derailing device, whether the derailer is
operated where located or from a distance. The signboard shall be
placed within 100 feet of the derailer and shall be constructed in
either of two forms, viz: board five feet high and 10 inches wide, or
sign constructed of two parts, one of which is an upright and the
other a transverse board, the upright to be of sufficient height to
securely fasten at the top thereof the transverse board, which shall
be not less than two feet three inches long and seven inches wide and
placed in such a manner that the upper side of the transverse board
is not less than four feet above the ties. The board shall have
painted thereon the word "derail" in large black letters on a white
background.
The commission shall enforce this section.

7602. Section 7601 does not apply to any track, siding, spur, or
other track owned by private persons for their own use, except when
the track, siding, spur, or other track is operated regularly in
connection with the line of a common carrier for certain periods, in
which case Section 7601 does apply. Section 7601 does not apply to
the placing of signboards in places where physical conditions of
track will not permit.

7603. Any corporation, company, or person, or any officer,
superintendent, manager, or other agent thereof, who violates any of
the provisions of Sections 7601 or 7602, is guilty of a misdemeanor,
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than
twenty-five dollars ($25), nor more than five hundred dollars ($500)
for each offense. Any failure, refusal, or neglect to provide any
such signboard at any derailing switch or other derailing device
constitutes a separate offense.

7604. (a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), a bell, siren,
horn, whistle, or similar audible warning device shall be sounded at
any public crossing in accordance with Section 222.21 of Title 49 of
the Code of Federal Regulations.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), a bell, siren, horn,
whistle, or similar audible warning device shall be sounded,
consistent with paragraph (1), at all rail crossings not subject to
the requirements of Subpart B (commencing with Section 222.21) of
Part 222 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(3) A bell, siren, horn, whistle, or similar audible warning
device shall not be sounded in those areas established as quiet zones
pursuant to Subpart C (commencing with Section 222.33) of Part 222
of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(4) This section does not restrict the use of a bell, siren, horn,
whistle, or similar audible warning device during an emergency or
other situation authorized in Section 222.23 of Title 49 of the Code
of Federal Regulations.
(b) Any railroad corporation violating this section shall be
subject to a penalty of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)
for every violation. The penalty may be recovered in an action
prosecuted by the district attorney of the proper county, for the use
of the state. The corporation is also liable for all damages
sustained by any person, and caused by its locomotives, train, or
cars, when the provisions of this section are not complied with.

7605. Every railroad corporation, or receiver or lessee thereof,
operating any line of railroad in this State by steam locomotives,
shall equip all steam locomotives used or to be used in the hauling
or propelling of trains over the railroad with a bell ringer
apparatus or device which, when set in operation, will ring and
continue to ring the locomotive bell automatically, and which is so
constructed that it may be set in operation from either or both sides
of the locomotive cab.
Any railroad company, receiver or lessee thereof, operating any
line of railroad within this State by steam locomotives, violating
this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred
dollars ($100) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each
offense.

7606. Every steam locomotive used upon a railroad in this State,
carrying passengers or freight for hire, shall be equipped with one
or more water glasses of the type known as the "solid water glass,"
the same being a solid piece of glass with open flutings at the back
thereof, which flutings will permit the raising and falling of water
in the boiler of the locomotive to be plainly visible from each side
of the cab without the use of a reflector. The glass shall not be
less than seven inches in length and one and one-quarter inches in
width, and five-eighths of an inch in thickness.
Any person, firm, or corporation operating any such steam
locomotive which is not equipped with one or more water glasses as
described in this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

7607. Every railroad corporation, or receiver or lessee thereof,
operating any line of railroad in this State, shall equip all
locomotive engines used in the transportation of trains over the
railroad with electric or other headlights which will project
sufficient light to enable the locomotive engineer to observe clearly
a dark object the size of an average man, at a distance of not less
than 800 feet on a dark, clear night while his train is running at a
rate of speed not less than 30 miles per hour.
This section shall not apply to locomotive engines regularly used
in the switching of cars or trains or used exclusively between sun up
and sun down, or going to or from repair shops when ordered in for
repairs, nor to locomotive engines used on short lines or local lines
where in the judgment of the commission, the headlight required by
this section is not necessary for the preservation of public safety.
Any railroad company, or receiver or lessee thereof, who violates
this section, is liable to the State for a penalty of not less than
one hundred dollars ($100), nor more than one thousand dollars
($1,000), for each offense. Suit shall be brought to recover the
penalty in a court of competent jurisdiction, in the name of the
people of the State of California, by the Attorney General or by the
district attorney of any county in or through which the railroad is
operated.

7608. Every railroad company, or the receiver or receivers of any
railroad, operating trains within this state, shall provide a first
aid kit containing written instructions for the use of its contents,
on each train or light engine, however propelled, for first aid to
persons who may be injured in the course of the operation of the
train.
The contents of every first aid kit shall be prescribed or
approved by the Public Utilities Commission.
The employee of the railroad in charge of the train or engine,
however propelled, shall report to the office designated by the
company whenever any first aid kit has been opened for use.
Any railroad company, or the receiver or receivers, or employee of
a railroad company, who fails to comply with this section is liable
to a penalty of not less than five dollars ($5) nor more than
twenty-five dollars ($25), and each day's violation shall constitute
a separate offense, except that the railroad company, or receiver or
receivers, shall be allowed not to exceed three days without penalty
to replace any item after the use of the item has been reported by
the employees in charge of the train or engine, however propelled.

7609. Every railroad company, or the receiver or receivers thereof,
operating trains in whole or in part within this State, shall
provide an emergency first-aid kit on each caboose, locomotive, motor
or diesel engine. The emergency first-aid kit shall be used only to
render first medical or surgical aid to injured passengers,
employees, or other injured persons requiring such aid at the first
possible moment.

7610. The employee of any railroad company, or the receiver or
receivers thereof, having charge of any passenger train, caboose,
locomotive, motor or diesel engine shall report in writing as soon as
possible to the office or officer designated by the company or
receiver for such purpose, whenever any emergency first-aid kit has
been used or has been found missing.

7611. Any person or any employee of any railroad company, or the
receiver or receivers thereof, who removes, carries away from its
proper place, or uses any emergency first-aid kit, except for the
purpose of administering first aid in the event of injury to any
passenger, employee, or other person, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and
is punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50).

7612. It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator of a railroad
running through or within the boundaries of the State of California
and engaged in the business of common carrier to operate for or
transport its employees in a rail track motor car which is not
equipped with a transparent windshield sufficient in width and height
to reasonably protect said employees, which said windshield shall be
of plastic or safety glass and such car shall also be equipped with
an electric headlamp of sufficient candle power as to render visible
at a distance of 300 feet in advance of such car under ordinary
atmospheric conditions, any obstruction, landmark, warning sign or
grade crossing on such railroad, and said car shall also be equipped
with at least one electric light on the rear end thereof with
sufficient candle power as to be visible at a distance of 300 feet
under ordinary atmospheric conditions, and such car shall also be
equipped with a suitable device that will remove rain, snow and sleet
from the windshield on such car. The head and rear lights provided
for in this section shall only be required in the hours between
one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour after sunrise.

7613. On and after July 1, 1954, any owner or operator of a
railroad running through or within this State as a common carrier of
persons or property or both, for compensation, which either operates
for its employees, or which furnishes to its employees for their
transportation to or from the place or places where they are required
to labor, a rail track motor car that has not been fully equipped as
required by Section 7612 of this code, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor; provided, that any common carrier that has not been able
to equip its railroad track motor cars as required by the provisions
of said section on or before July 1, 1954, may apply to the Public
Utilities Commission for additional time. Upon good cause shown, the
Public Utilities Commission is hereby authorized to grant additional
time by order to any owner or operator of a common carrier by
railroad in which to equip such cars, not to exceed one year from
July 1, 1954. When such an order has been granted by said Public
Utilities Commission to such carrier, the provisions of this section
penalizing such rail carrier which has not so equipped its cars shall
not be applicable during the period granted to it.

7614. It shall be unlawful for any owner or operator of a railroad
running through or within the boundaries of the State of California
and engaged in the business of common carrier to operate for or
transport the public or its employees in a caboose which is not
provided with flush-type toilet facilities, or chemical type toilet
facilities approved by the commission.