A two track flat junction is actually a very simple affair to signal with only two levers needed for switches and another two for signals (at least under the US&S or unit lever systems). Built at the eastern end of the Reading Belt Line in 1900, the junction featured a mechanical lever interlocking until 1951 when the entire Belt Line was placed under the control of the CTC machine in Lebanon Valley Jct tower, which sat at the immediate western end of the Lebanon Valley branch's bridge over the Schuylkill River. Around this time the junction was also modified to neck the diverging Belt Line route to a single track as westbound traffic would diverge onto the Belt Line from Klapperthal Junction, while eastbound traffic would continue along the eastbound only "Turkey Path" track to join the main line at BIRD interlocking in Birdsboro.
The formation of Conrail saw the name eventually change to CP-TITUS and a general decline in freight traffic to Reading yard combined with the end of passenger service in 1983 led to the decision to single track the slow twisty route between CP-TITUS and downtown Reading. As a result, by 1987 Conrail had to modify the junction and being Conrail they chose the most "cost effective" method which involved shunting the westbound main track into a new single main heading west from the junction. Also at some point in the 80's or 90's the interlocking was re-signaled with Reading era hardware being generally replaced by contemporary Conrail equipment. What was left was a two track flat junction that had been converted into a scissors crossover. It might be a little hard to see in the diagrams, but the tracks interacting with the diamond are the crossovers while the two other tracks are the straights. Note that the old style US&S Numbering with Left and Right signals was retained after the Conrail modifications.
Since the 1951 re-signaling CP-TITUS has only had two signal "levers", 2 and 6, with the Right signals governing westbound movements and the Left signals governing eastbound movements. Here we see the high mast 2R signal for westbound movements and the dwarf 6R for reverse direction movements off the eastbound rule 251 #1 track.
The two head 6R searchlight dwarf signal existed since the 1951 re-signaling, however Conrail may have replaced the Reading era hardware with a new GRS model SA, which was still in Conrail's front line inventory in the 80's and 90's. Under the Reading the signal could display G/Y Medium Clear, Y/R Slow Approach and R/Y Restricting. Conrail changed the Medium Speed indications to NORAC (G/*R*, Y/*R*) and may have also added a G/G straight Clear for routes into the new bi-directional main track to Reading.
The 2R mast was modified from the Reading configuration to only give Medium Speed indications as the straight route to Reading was eliminated and replaced with a diverging route into the bi-directional single track. In another mix of Conrail and Reading practice the signal has Conrail US&S Model NR signal heads, but retains a dedicated third head to display R/R/Y Restricting.
The Reading used GRS Model 5C point machines in it's 1951 CTC project, one of which remained unaltered on the #1B switch. These are recognized by the square brake housing on the end of the motor.
In 1998 all of the point machines were listed as GRS Model 5C, but by 2018 3 of the five had been replaced by modern Model 5H dual control machines such as we see here on the 5B switch.
The Movable Point Frog was powered by a hybrid 5C machine that had been upgraded to the 5G standard. Movable point frogs have two sets of moving points that require a combined push and pull motion. The #1 switch MPF at CP-TITUS accomplishes this by means of a reversing crank.
Here we see the straight route through the Movable Point Front showing off the classic lines of the double track flat junction. Still, diamonds and movable point frogs are big ticket maintenance items compared to a stepped junction that rely entirely on crossovers. That style can be seen at CP-SM on the Boston Line and although it looks completely different, it supports the exact same mix of train movements.
I am not 100% sure if the relay hut is original to the Reading or a Conrail replacement, but I suspect the latter. The 1950's CTC projects tended to use concrete huts, some of which lasted until recently. It nevertheless appears to pre-date the Corten steel huts preferred by Conrail which appeared along with the NR style signal heads.
These cotton and tar insulated pole line signal cables certainly pre-date the Conrail era, although they are accompanied by PVC sheathed code line cables.
This power transformer is certainly of 1950's vintage, although a different pole mounted a newer transformer and i wasn't sure if the older one was still serving a useful function.
The most recent power modification was a small backup generator, possibly running off the switch heater propane.
West side of the CP-TITUS relay house, pockmarked by .22LR hits. If I had to guess I would say it was of 1960's or 70's vintage and replaced the concrete relay house possibly due to a landslide or derailment as the 1976 diagram shows the hut's location to be different than it stood in 2018.
The pole line was of the intra-interlocking variety and only connected the relay hut to the west end of the plant, passing over the diverging tracks.
The line terminated in this small cabinet near the #1A switch.
If there is anything MoW hates more than movable point diamonds it is curved switches and the 1A switch was located on the curve out of the junction.
The 6L mast off the Belt Line track had not seen much modification apart from newer model NR heads. Only one medium speed route is available and the three headed mast supports R/R/Y Restricting.
The 2L mast off the Main Line had literally undergone a change in name only as it was moved from the 6 lever to the 2 lever when the new 5A switch was installed to terminate track #1. The second 6L signal (the same unit lever can control two or more signals, differentiated by which route is available) offered a top head for straight Clear and Approach indications and then a bottom head supporting R/R/Y Restricting. When the line to Reading was single tracked track 1 was terminated and the 2L reverse direction dwarf was removed along with it and the free label was used to de-duplicate the 6L mast. Note the lack of a middle head as diverging movements over the 5A switch lead to reverse running DCS territory.
In 2018 the 5A switch featured another GRS 5H and was in the reverse position for a westbound freight to downtown Reading.
The route through downtown involves a number of close clearance bridges and a high car detector is placed after the start of single track.
Belt Line mileage is measured from CP-BLANDON north of Reading and CP-TITUS is technically located at Belt Line Milepost 13. However CP-TITUS is also located on Harrisburg Line Milepost 56 so the mile marker within CP-TITUS' limits is prefixed with an 'HP' sign to confirm it is the Harrisburg to Philly mileage.
Signals at CP-LORAINE, the replacement for CP-TITUS, imply that there are no intermediates between there and CP-CUMRU, however this new relay hut was in place for some reason or another.
Might have something to do with the old electrically locked switch into the Titus yard that served a now defunct coal fired power plant. The 8 minute unlock timer is pretty par for the course on a line with 30mph running times.
Well that's it for this exploration of CP-TITUS. The interlocking was ultimately removed in the fall of 2018 with CP-LORAINE, 1.8 miles to the east. This creates two 3 mile long jumbo blocks on each track, replacing a 1.8 mile block followed by a 1.2 mile block. In general NS has seemed fine with extending block lengths on it's less trafficked main lines, the Reading and Lehigh lines being two recent examples and the re-signaled Harrisburg Line between CP-TITUS and CP-FORGE appears to be no exception. if you are interested in seeing the full set of photos, they can be located here.
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