Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Extinction Looms Again for the Complete CPL

Once again it appears that the Complete B&O CPL is one again headed for extinction.  These most rare of signals is the B&O style CPL with all 6 orbitals and a complete central target with all 4 lamp pairs (G,Y,R,LW).  As far as I could ever determine there only used to be 2 of these, one in Curtis, IN and the other in Laughlin Jct, PA.  The first bit the dust ~2000 when the B&O Main Line to Chicago was re-signaled in the wake of the Conrail merger.  The second then fell in 2004/5 when Glenwood interlocking was removed from service on the P&W. 

Then in 2007 a miracle occurred.  A capacity improvement project at West Baltimore triggered an upgrade of the 1992 installed westbound CPLs at CARROLL interlocking with one main track getting a plus up to 5 orbitals and another to 6 and like the coelacanth, the B&O complete CPL was back from the dead.  Unfortunately, a short 5 years later CSX abandoned all efforts to reuse any old signaling hardware, even if it was not life expired and in the case of the Capitol and Metropolitan subs had no incentive to do so as it was awash in stimulus money to upgrade the MARC commuter rail service.  The result is a brand new, modern and recently upgraded CPL signal now facing retirement and forcing the complete CPL back into extinction.  What a fucking waste of tax dollars.


As far as I can tell the next best CPL is a 5-orbital model in Hamilton, OH, although the head lacks a Lunar indication.  If anyone reading this knows of anything better let me know.


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