Wide loads

While you are talking about wide loads, that engine loaded on a flat car would probably be considered and excessive dimension load and have to be cleared, just like the Schnabel car.

On the UP the crews would be given a bulletin with all the close clearances and the speeds by them, plus opposing trains would be given a bulletin warning of the other train and giving a speed to pass by them.  Not suggesting anybody go to that level of detail, but it does have the opportunity for additional "play value" to give a message to the wide load crew and other crews to walk other trains by or to slow going over  or under bridges and by stationary objects, particularly on curves or turnouts.

As an aside, the UP had a project going to revise the clearance process.  They acquired a software company that did video games.  The UP had them design a "tunnel" that outlined the clearances over the whole railroad.  Then they could create virtual car with the dimensions of the wide load and run it through the "tunnel".  If the car touched the walls of the tunnel then the route was a fail and another route would have to be found.

Wide Load move request

Here's what the request from the BNSF looked like for the SONGS reactor vessel move Memorial Day 2020

RUN DATE:05/19/2020  BNSF FILE: 869145-0001-20  CREATE DATE:2020-05-19

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 1                     CARS                                   *

 ************************************************************************

 CAR NUMBER:     KRL  3600

 *******************   SPEED RESTRICTED TO 15 MPH   *********************

 ** CANNOT MEET OR PASS ANY OTHER DIMENSIONAL LOAD ALONG ENTIRE ROUTE ***  LOAD MUST OPERATE ON SPECIFIC ROUTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCHNABEL

     OPERATING PLAN

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 2                  WAYBILL INFORMATION                       *

 ************************************************************************

 ORIGIN:              SANONOFRE  CA

 DESTINATION:         ARROLIME  NV

 WAYBILL ROUTE:       BNSF - DAGGETT - UP

 SHIPPER:             ENERGYSOLLLC

 CONSIGNEE:           ENERGYSOLLLC

 CONTENTS:            REACTOR PRESURE VESSEL

 TYPE OF LOAD:        SCHNABEL

 LOAD LENGTH:       44  FT.  11  IN.

 OVERHANG LENGTH:   0  FT.  0  IN.

 WEIGHT:              NET:      1540000   GROSS:      2280800

 CAR TYPE:         FLATCAR, SCHNABEL TYPE

 LOADED CAR INFO:  LENGTH:         231 FT.  8 IN.  AXLES:   36

 LOADED CAR INFO:  TRUCK CENTERS:  165 FT.  2 IN.

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 3                DIMENSIONS AND CCG                          *

 ************************************************************************

      (BETWEEN TRUCK CENTERS)               (BEYOND TRUCK CENTERS)

 20 FT  4 IN ATR   0 FT  1 IN WIDE

 20 FT  2 IN ATR   4 FT  0 IN WIDE

 19 FT  7 IN ATR   6 FT  4 IN WIDE

 18 FT  7 IN ATR  10 FT  0 IN WIDE

 17 FT  6 IN ATR  12 FT  2 IN WIDE

 16 FT  1 IN ATR  14 FT  0 IN WIDE

 14 FT  4 IN ATR  15 FT  0 IN WIDE

 14 FT  0 IN ATR  15 FT  6 IN WIDE

 11 FT  6 IN ATR  15 FT  6 IN WIDE

 11 FT  2 IN ATR  15 FT  4 IN WIDE

  8 FT  6 IN ATR  14 FT 11 IN WIDE

  7 FT  6 IN ATR  12 FT  0 IN WIDE

  6 FT  6 IN ATR  11 FT  1 IN WIDE

  1 FT  0 IN ATR  11 FT  2 IN WIDE

            ***********************************************

            *     MAX HEIGHT OF LOAD = 20 FT.  4 IN.      *

            *     MAX WIDTH  OF LOAD = 15 FT.  6 IN.      *

            ***********************************************

  COMBINED CENTER OF GRAVITY ESTIMATED TO BE 105.15 INCHES ATR.

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 4               CUSTOMER/RR'S NOTIFIED                       *

 ************************************************************************

 ________________________________________________________________________

 PROTECT JOINT TRACKAGE WITH SDNR RWY BETWEEN 224.1 (FALLBROOK JCT.)

         AND 207.4 (COUNTY LINE).

 PROTECT JOINT TRACKAGE WITH METROLINK (SCAX) BETWEEN 207.4

         (COUNTY LINE) AND 185.0 (IRVINE).

 PROTECT JOINT TRACKAGE WITH METROLINK (SCAX) BETWEEN 185.0 (IRVINE)

         AND 175.2 (SANTA ANA).

 PROTECT JOINT TRACKAGE WITH METROLINK (SCAX) BETWEEN 175.2

         (SANTA ANA) AND 172.6 (ORANGE).

 PROTECT JOINT TRACKAGE WITH METROLINK (SCAX) BETWEEN 172.6 (ORANGE)

         AND 165.4 (FULLERTON JCT.).

 PROTECT JOINT TRACKAGE WITH METROLINK (SCAX) BETWEEN 5.5 (CP MAPLE)

         AND 0.0 (ATWOOD).

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 5             JOINT RR PROTECTION VALIDATION                 *

 ************************************************************************

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 6                      GENERAL NOTES                         *

 ************************************************************************

 **** NOTE: SHIPMENT IS CLEARED OVER PRIMARY ROUTE ONLY!

            CHANGES CAN BE MADE ONLY AT THE REQUEST OF THE

            GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT TRANSPORTATION.

 **** NOTE: IF SHIPMENT IS INVOLVED IN DERAILMENT OR DAMAGED IN TRANSIT

            HAVE SUPERVISOR OR CHIEF DISPATCHER SEND EMAIL NOTIFICATION

            AND DETAILS IMMEDIATELY TO: XXXXXXXX WITH

            PAGE IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

 **** NOTE: PROTECT ADJACENT TRACKS THRU TURNOUTS FROM

            POINT OF ORIGIN TO POINT OF DESTINATION.

**** NOTE: ALL ROUTES WITH ?SEE NOTICE BELOW? HAVE BEEN CLEARED

           FOR MOVEMENT.  THESE ROUTES CONTAIN PERTINANT INFORMATION.

           PLEASE REVIEW PRIOR TO MOVEMENT.

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 7        R E S T R I C T I O N   N O T I C E                 *

 ************************************************************************

       --- SCHNABEL---CAR---DATA ---

   CAR NO. KRL 3600         36 AXLES

   OWNED BY WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP

   24-IN LATERAL SHIFT     44-IN VERTICAL SHIFT

 **NOTE (LOAD MUST NOT BE PASSED BY ANY EQUIPMENT ON ADJACENT TRACK(S)

     WHILE SHIFTING LADING TO CLEAR AN OBSTRUCTION.

   ****SPEED RESTRICTION ANALYSIS****

   MOVEMENT RESTRICTED TO MAXIMUM SPEED OF  15  MPH (WHERE PERMITTED).

   ON CURVES AND TURNOUTS, REDUCE SPEED TO 10 MPH BELOW PRESCRIBED FREIGHT

   TRAIN SPEED AS NOTED IN TIMETABLE, OR REDUCE TO SPEED REQUIRED BY

   OTHER GOVERNING RESTRICTIONS, WHICHEVER IS MORE RESTRICTIVE.  SPEED

   SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 10 MPH UNLESS SO LIMITED.

 **FOULS CLEARANCE ENVELOPE ON CURVED TRACK **DEG OF CURVE = 4.8  **SYSTEM STRUCTURES KANSAS CITY APPROVAL REQUIRED

 *******************************************************************

 ** LOAD MUST NOT MEET, PASS OR BE PASSED BY ANY EXCESS DIMENSION **

 ** EQUIPMENT ON NEXT ADJACENT TRK(S) FROM POINT OF ORIGIN TO     **

 ** POINT OF DESTINATION                                          **

 *******************************************************************

 ******************************************************************

 * SPEED AND/OR STOP-PROCEED ON HAND SIGNAL RESTRICTION APPLY TO  *

 * THE ENTIRE OBSTRUCTION.  THIS APPLIES TO LOADS OR CARS MOVING  *

 * THROUGH BRIDGES AND TUNNELS OR MOVING PAST SIGNALS,POLES,ETC...*

 * MILEPOSTS ARE USED TO IDENTIFY THE OBSTRUCTION.  WHEN THE LOAD *

 * EXITS OR MOVES PAST THE OBSTRUCTION TRAIN MAY RESUME NORMAL    *

 * SPEED.                                                         *

 ******************************************************************

 ************************************************************************

 * SECTION 8            SEGMENT EVALUATION AND CROSSOVERS              *

 ************************************************************************

 ROUTE VIA**:

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 BNSF FILE: 869145-0001-20  FILE DATE: 2020-05-19

         ......BNSF RWY. CO...

Clearance Wire

On the UP we called that "clearance wire" (wire is an archaic term for a message, since messages were sent by telegraph/wire).

The UP also had track bulletins that covered specific locations where there were close clearances and the dispatcher's track displays showed locations where track centered were sufficiently wide to clear an excessive dimension load.