Taking orders on the fly from both stationary and operator held order hoops or forks was still a common occurrence on when I started railroading in the '70's. There were several locations on the division where trains were required to receive orders (if nothing more than a Clearance Form A) by timetable special instructions. This continued until the late '80's when the Clearance Form A and Form 19 Orders were replaced by a computer generated Train Release Form and Train Bulletin.
On one of my first student trips I was taught that when "hooping orders", you place your glove on your hand, then form a fist with your gloved hand and place your fist through the triangle shaped opening formed between the order twine and the confluence of the fork as you pass, thereby snagging the orders, twine and all in the crouch of your arm and elbow, bringing them into the cab. It was explained to me that if you attempted to grab at the orders with your open hand, not only did you risk injury, you also risked missing or dropping the orders, thereby needing to stop the train and walk back to retrieve the orders, not only delaying the train but bruising your ego also.
Locomotive cabs and cabooses often had quite a few pieces of order twine hanging on whatever was handy. The Feed Valve/Regulating Valve on locomotive control stands and coat hooks near the doors of cabooses were favorite places. I recall a laborer who operated the turntable at an engine servicing facility, who gathered up all of that brown, rough, sisal twine and used it to mark his rows when planting his garden.
As for the original post, Lionel cataloged an animated Train Orders Building 6-14166 around 2008 or so. Somewhat hokie, but I enjoy it.
C.J.
