This move was then made without the flag protection required by the railroad's rules.

The train's crew had not used a flagman before, and while it was a prescribed practice, it had fallen out of use.

Instead, the conductor and the engineer worked in concert to back up the train, with the curve in the track partially blocking the view.

[1] Train 416 passed the automatic block signals, which cleared express Train 720, made up of more heavily constructed single level cars, to continue at full speed on the same track.

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