More Bad Position Light News (both kinds)

Norfolk Southern is continuing its assault on the cradle of PRR Heritage and stands ready to replace the mast remaining PRR 3-track automatic signal bridge between CP-SLOPE and CP-MG. The 2384/3 automatic is the eastbound distant to CP-SLOPE and also near enough to a grade crossing to make it a popular railfan location. Well that is to be all wiped away when a new, ungainly 3-track cantilever mast is installed with Darth Vader type signals. What makes this especially disastrous is that the 2384/3 auto has unbacked lower heads to display Approach Slow on #2 track and both Approach Slow and Approach medium on #3 track. I predict about another month or two until it is taken down so get your pictures while you can. I am not sure what will come next as NS could skip the interlockings and continue with the automatics between MG and AR/UN or re-signal CP-MG or CP-SLOPE. Stay tuned.

Next up on the it sucks front, CSX is replacing the CPLs at DORSEY and JESSUP interlockings on the Capitol Sub in Maryland. While both interlockings are relatively new, DORSEY was installed with the expanded MARC service in the early 1990s making the removal of its CPLs completely illogical. JESSUP appears to be in for a complete re-signaling, while DORSEY does not. The interlockings were back to back with DORSEY having mast CPLs and JESSUP a pair of brackets. All the CPLs except the eastbound signals at DORSEY were 4 orbital units. So far DORSEY has all for Darth Vader masts in place and turned. JESSUP only has the westbound masts in place. As JESSUP is also due for re-signaling it should be some weeks before the replacement is finished, but DORSEY could be cut over at any time. I have previously surveyed these interlockings in 2009, but the lighting was bad so I am making an effort to go back and survey them again before the ax falls.  Again I have no clue why CSX is doing this as the new masts will display the exact same aspects as the CPLs.  In the case of DORSEY I see absomutely no reason why they would want to replace CPL masts of the newest kind that are barely 20 years old.