Central Buffalo Line Re-Signaling Due Soon

If you wanted a photo of the unique compact PRR position lights at CP-NORRY or just some run of the mill pics of the "downtown" PL's at CP-SF in Sunbury, now is the time to jump into the car and start driving because the word is that the Darth Vaders will be cut in sometime within the next week or so. 

Next Stop Ebay!

 Although the new signals only went up within the last few months, it looks like NS had put the pedal to the metal to get the project finished instead of letting it drag on for some number of years.  I don't know if the cut-over will extend all the way to CP-WYE at Rockville or just around the Sunbury area, but this is likely your last chance to get photos of some very accessible PRR PL signals, including the famous roadside ones at North Miller.

I did my photo surveys of the entire line last year, but the more photos the better.  get your ass out there before it all goes away!

For Good Signaling References Try Google Books

While doing some research I was reminded that a lot of really informative books and technical journals are fully indexed and available free on Google Books.  Typically, niche railroad signaling books are only to be found at train shows and have steep prices.  Google Books lack the tactile element, but have all the information as well as a better index.

For example, when searching for information on GRS's "Dynamic Indication" I found it discussed in this volume of  Railway Signaling and Communications.  Moreover, when researching Switch-Signal protections, I found information on that and a lot more in the book Railroad Signaling and railroad Operation.

NS Harrisburg Terminal Re-Signaled

So it appears that my prediction from two weeks ago was exactly flip-flopped.  Despite the 5-track signal bridge for CP-HARRISBURG remaining on the ground as of Labour Day weekend, it was the Harrisburg Terminal and not the old Middle Division that saw the new signaling cut over on the weekend of September 9th and 10th.  The affected interlockings are CP-HARRISBURG, CP-ROCKVILLE, CP-WYE, CP-HIP and CP-MARY.  CP-BANKS and CP-CANNON will be cut over in the next few weeks.

Ha ha, fooled me.

Coincidentally I just completed processing a photo set I compiled last October that documents CP-HIP and CP-HARRIS.  So click the link and take yourself back in time to August 2018 ;-)

Here is an official listing of the changes at CP-HARRISBURG, CP-ROCKVILLE and CP-MARY.  in addition the MP 107 automatic signals were removed from service due to the Rule 562 operation. 

1960's British Branch Line Cab Ride Films

So while this is a rail signaling blog and not a railfan video blog, sometime I like to highlight sets of videos that really show off the signaling.  Recently YouTube suggested a number of grainy 8 or 16mm film film compilations taken out the front of old school British DMU's running on long since defunct branch lines.

The videos were posted by the appropriately British sounding Alen Snowdon and were narrated by his wife.  Due to the limitations of old school home film recording, the clips are all about 3-5 seconds long and show only a fraction of the route.  However this fraction contains a large proportion of the signalboxes and signaling apparatus that the train passes.  It's sort of like one of those low frame rate fast motion videos, only the frames are a few seconds of every passing semaphore signals.



Not all of the videos are cab rides or even rail related, but the ones that are, are a wonderfun time capsule showing the anachronistic state of the British rail network in the 1960's.  Thanks to two World Wars even the main lines were stuck in he Victorian era, with very little power signaling and steam hauled trains galore.  Just before the infamous Beeching Cuts, the branch line infrastructure is absolutely decrepit, sort of like how the Amtrak Harrisburg Line and Conrail in general looked in the 1970's and 80's. 



Also worth noting is the astonishing level of employees needing to keep these old branch lines in operation with both signalmen and station agents working every 1-3 miles along the line.  It is interesting that instead of cuts British Rail didn't simply try massive cost reductions like CTC or even ABS!



There's even a little main line action out of london, although one would never know it due to the state of disrepair. Also note the high quality railfan view despite a full width cab. Anyway, enjoy the videos, they aren't hours long and the archive isn't intimidating.