First up in another case of "thank god I got out there" NS did indeed replace the classic and easily accessible N&W CPLs at Shenandoah Junction. The opposite end of the siding had seen a new interlocking installed in a lengthening project, but for a while it seemed as if the Junction would be safe. Well no dice and another railfan hot spot bites the dust. Thank God I got out there for a full survey in March 2014. The new Shenandoah Junction has been moved slightly to exclude the grade crossing from interlocking limits.
The Indiana and Ohio regional line has been a bastion of old PRR PL signaling when the Class 1's have been ripping out everything under the sun. Well if one assumes that such lines do indeed lack the money for new signals you are correct. However they also lack the money for any signals what so ever and apparently the I&O is abandoning its CTC signaling in 2015. Click the image for more info.
Sticking with NS it appears that their Southern re-signaling project has reached Atlanta. Why would you give Southern caltilevers OSHA upgrades if you are just going to scrap it?
Keeping with the theme of railroad wastefulness, we return to Kennesaw, Georgia where new Darth Vaders have replaced some SCL elephant ears on a modern type cantilever. The signaling has not been completely cut over as the new heads are still turned. Would it really have been harder to retrofit the old hardware?
Anyway, that's it for now. Sorry to end 2014 on a down note, but I'm expecting more bad news in 2015 as well. Oh well, Happy New Year!
CSX is doing the same on the ex-Georgia Railroad. Some of the Seaboard elephant ears were replaced in the mid-late 90s with Darth Vaders, but the remainder are finally coming down including some searchlights at CPs Scottdale and Kirkwood. Some of the signals farther out from Atlanta are being upgraded as well, going from 3-light signals to 3 over 2, including at Scottdale. But I think the 13 miles of single-track from Scottdale to Lithonia will still be track warrant territory.
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