Good day Steve,
Latinic characters is available into all the computers, luckily.
Last the "brake van"on the USSR Railway was used 1950 - 1960. The
compressed-air brake be use after 1960.
The Russian signal system is big a topic, named "SCB" (ru: СЦБ). It
use the bug torch, be controlled from the automatic controls on the
relay and electronics unit. The bug torch is shown on photo (the
real and my a miniature
.