Tuesday, March 3, 2015

RONDOUT Tower Closing and Other News

Well I have the sad duty to report that RONDOUT Tower in Rondout, IL will be closing on March 7th, 2015.  This tower was a former Milwaukee Road job, since taken over by Canadian Pacific and operated with the support of MERTA.  It's claim to fame is a 2x1 diamond with the EJE and features a US&S style unit lever CTC machine with local control of the relay plant.  The signals ans I suspect part of the interlocking logic itself have been updated with "modern" 1980 style searchlights and a recent search of the photo archive does not indicate that a re-signaling is in progress, only a transfer of the control to the CP dispatcher in Milwaukee.  I guess the value added of having eyes on the crossing was no longer seen as necessary.  Along with the re-signaling of Tower A-5 it appears that METRA is really trying to cut its cost on the Milwaukee division.


In other news some of the frozen-in-time ATSF semaphores are being replaced as the US&S T-2 mechanisms wear our beyond economical repair.  With capitol funding for this line still scarce no wide-scale replacement is anticipated.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=520104&nseq=395

NJT completed the installation of Rule 562 operation between DOVER and Lake Hopatcong on the former DL&W main.  This setup replaced a previous 261/251 arrangement that was in place to allow easy access to a spur track and crossover with the more lenient ABS rules on one track.  Here at Hopatcong we see 'C' boards up for eastbound movements.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=520081&nseq=418

You know it's examples such as these that makes me realize that there probably isn't exactly any specific malice towards old signaling when CSX is ready to replace a Darth Vader cantilever at FB interlocking in Fredericksburg, VA with a new Darth Vader cantilever, just because they can't be bothered to test signals in situ.  The real irony is that around 2005 the "old" canti replaced another modern type RF&P cantilever.  I guess money does grow on trees.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=519509&nseq=0

It looks like the joint C&O/SOU cantilever at Orange, VA is not long for this world.  In 2012 this canti lost the C&O facing entrance signal, but was given a reprieve due to the Southern RR entrance signal.  Is it just me or does the replacement Darth Vader appear to use C&O indications like its elephant eared forebearer?  I suspect it does!


Will the installation of a third track between CP-412 and CP-415 on the NS Chicago Line mean the demise of this classic NYC signal bridge?  Probably.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4071476

Last, but definitely not least it appears that NS is finally making its move to eliminate the Rule 251 operation on the Enola Branch between STELL and I assume SHOCKS (or WAGO).   NS caltilevers with Rule 562 'C' boards are up a STELL and the pneumatic point machines have already been replaced.  At some point since my 2012 visit a trailing crosover was installed at WAGO to ready it for regular use in bi-directional operation.

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