Vermonter Route Signaling Report

I recently completed a trip on Amtrak's Vermonter all the way to White River Junction, which covers all of the signaling on the route.  The Vermonter passes through three signaling regions each with their own unique features, the Amtrak Springfield Line, the Boston and Maine CT River Line and the New Englande Central main line.

 

HAYDEN interlocking northbound.  Start of Rule 261 territory.

The Amtrak Springfield Line has made headlines with a recent 110mph upgrade programme and support of the Hartford Commuter Rail line.  This involved restoration of the double track south of Hartford and Rule 562 signaling (cab signals w/o wayside signals).  However one might not know that the Rule 562 only extends to HAYDEN interlocking about 6 miles north of Hartford where beyond that trains still run under Rule 261/CSS.

New Unilens signals at CP-98

At the Springfield the signaling is much the same since I was last there, but I can confirm that the US&S 3 lamp modular and N-2 dwarfs are still in place at SPRING interlocking.  On the former Conrail Boston Line, CSX has indeed replaced all of the SA searchlight dwarfs at CP-98 with Unilens dwarfs.  CP-97 was previously re-signaled with 3 and 4 stack Safetran modular dwarfs.

New and classic signals at CPF-385

On the CT River Main Line, which was rebuilt and re-signaled around 2014, standard modern Guilford signaling applies with 3-head home signals and offset heads on two head intermediate signals.  Single Green clear is in use as opposed to double green.  The one exception is at the junction with the east-west freight main line at CPF-385 where the Freight Main Line signals remain B&M searchlights.

Budget bracket mast at Putney.

On the New Englande Central part of the line things get a bit odd. Leaving the CT River Main and its CTC at East Northfield, the line is run under TWC through Brattleboro to the siding at Putney where CTC begins. North of Putney all controlled siding and diamond crossing interlockings are equipped with searchlight signals except for the south end of the Putney siding that has Vader type color lights and a strange budget southbound bracket bast. Much of the block signaling south of Windsor is still searchlight, but the blocks seem very long with some stretching the entire distance between sidings with a single direction distant mast.  North of Windsor the CTC was a recent TWC upgrade with color light masts and what felt like 3 mile blocks.

TLDR the important thing is the searchlight interlockings on the NECR.  Safe from the Guilford sale to CSX, but still targets for potential infrastructure spending.  If you are in the area, check them out and take photos.