New Year's Position Light News

 As 2020 winds to a close I wanted to share a few PRR Position Light related news items.  The first is that the Lebanon Mason Monroe tourist railroad in Lebanon, OH, had installed a semi-functional amber PL at the end of the platform at its Lebanon, OH depot.

Next, the LIRR has started to equip its legacy amber PL's with the same type of LED lamps that SEPTA first installed a decade ago at ARSENAL and ZOO.  With all of the reduced aspect signaling and tower demolitions, its nice to see that some of their PLs might have a brighter future. 

Speaking of SEPTA, I reported back in May that the PRR PL's at ARSENAL and WALNUT interlockings appeared primed for replacement, however during my annual winter SEPTA trip I was able to confirm that the signals at ARSENAL, WALNUT and the MP 1.5 southbound PL automatics are all still in place, however the northbound MP 2.0 automatics have both been replaced by color lights.

MP 2.0 automatic half way through replacement in 2019.

That wraps up my 2020 season.  Signal wise, it was not as bad as some other things.  Stay safe and join me again in the new year.

Don't Miss These Updates!

 As we approach the new year I wanted to call people's attention to some internet resources that benefiting from updated content.  The first is the fantastic North American Interlockings archive that I have have featured before, but until i few months ago I assumed it was a somewhat static collection of personal photos, similar to John Roma's.  Well I couldn't have been more mistaken as there are near daily updates.  New photos and text explaining them are linked, by month, from the site navigation column, with the last three months showing.  I tried direct linking to previous months, but those pages seem to be taken down. 😢

In addition to that, the Trackside Photographer, well known for its coverage of signaling and classic interlocking technology, has resumed operations after a brief haitus.  One of my articles, an update of one I posted here about railroad signaling being repurposed, for grade crossing protection, was one of the first of the new batch. 

Anyway, have a Merry Christmas and a great new year.  If you find yourself with some free time over the next few months, make an effort to get out and get some photos of something that might not be around for much longer.

WB Tower - Still Standing But At Risk

On December 9th, 2011, WB Tower in Brunswick, Maryland closed after more than a century of operation and in 2014 I posted a write-up on WB tower and its associated interlocking before it was modernized.  At the time the scuttlebutt was that the Brunswick Heritage Museum was interested in preserving the tower and adding it to its collection, something that would likely involve a move off of CSX property.

Well it appears that only part of this plan has come to fruition as the tower is still standing and has maintained many of its historic elements, but it is at risk of falling into neglect, disrepair and, the scourge of wooden towers everywhere, arson.

Upon visiting the tower the door to the relay room was wide open. An invitation to any local transient looking to get out of the elements.

Inside the relay racks were stripped of relays, but still wired up presenting a target for copper hunters.

On the upper floor an early pattern of US&S electro-pneumatic interlocking machine was still present along with the model board, representing a huge win for preservation, but the building was clearly no longer being used by CSX or MARC in any capacity.  The power was cut and the structure was in limbo, waiting for someone to care for it or someone to tear it up. 

Hopefully the Brunswick Heritage Museum can complete its mission to in some way preserve and protect the building.  If they cannot yet move it perhaps a better door, new locks and some lighting could make it look lived in. A modest fundraising campaign could probably bring back electricity as well as a connection for internet connected cameras that could serve the fan community as well as detect vandals.

Signs! Signs! Everywhere a Sign! - Western Passenger Roads

 It's been a while since my post on Western Freight Railroads, that that's due to the unfortunate situation that many of the commuter agencies that do operate track between Chicagoland and the West Coast put little or no effort into their interlocking signs.  This installment will attempt to cover the interlocking signs of Metra, the South Shore, Railrunner, Denver RTD, Coaster, Metrolink and Caltrain. 

Starting with METRA, it directly owns and operates those lines that were cast off from freight railroads where there was little or no freight service and/or a general bankruptcy and abandonment.  This consists of the Rock Island division, Electric Division and SouthWest Corridor. In all these cases it appears that METRA just stencils a barely legible name on the relay huts with black paint.



There is an exception to this on the Milwaukee District lines that are are jointly operated between METRA and Canadian Pacific. In this territory interlockings are provided with white on Metra blue signs.

In the Chicago Union Station area, Amtrak provides Conrail style white on blue signs, although the font isn't quite right.

One might have thought the Chicago South Shore and South Bend would use some sort of heritage inspired sign, however this is not the case with plain white black on white stick mounted signs located at the interlocking limits.

With its strong roots in transit instead of traditional railroads, Denver's RTD just labels its signals with a lever number and milepost.

Albuquerque RailRunner uses cute ATSF inspired  black border signs at interlockings as well as maintaining a few originals. 

 

 

While  LA Metrolink has gone in with the METRA style of not giving a damn.

However across the county line, San Diego Coaster has gone all in for a period correct ATSF black border type sign.

Last and least we have Caltrain that has gone in for the stencil method.  However the stencils are larger and more legible and Caltrain also provides secondary signs with the full interlocking name.arranged in a vertical format at every interlocking entrance.

Well that finishes my coverage of railroad "station" signs in the United States.  If I am able to get enough references I'll see if I can do the same for Canada.

What a Potential Guilford Sale to CSX Means

 I previously reported on how the eccentric owner of the railroad formerly known as the Guilford Rail System was calling it quits.  With the previous Pan Am Southern joint venture, NS was a likely suitor as it would complete its move into the New Englande market, however an independent operator like G&W or RJ Corpsman was equally likely given the generally declining freight and heavy industry scene in New Englande  and the cost advantages a non-legacy carrier would bring to the table.  Well, as you already know the first buyer to make a move was CSX, and although it faces potential regulatory opposition from both NS and a Biden administration looking to decrease corporate consolidation, we should take a quick look at what a CSX purchase would mean. 

As discussed in my two previous posts on the unique signaling quirks of the Guilford system, while the system isn't perfect it is at least different.  For example, while its commitment to target style signals outside of MBTA territory has been waning, it has remained committed to the bracket mast and offset signal heads on automatics.  Both of these can be expected to vanish under CSX Administration. 

The Guilford is also pretty lazy about demolishing disused signaling infrastructure like towers and old signal bridges.  CSX is far more proactive in this regard.  While the Guilford is slowly replacing old signaling where necessary, the CSX will likely embark on major re-signaling efforts that will zap large swaths of whatever heritage signaling remains, especially since, as a Class 1, CSX would be required to install PTC where the Guilford was largely exempt .  Of course when we're talking about swaths what remains to be lost pretty much only includes between the Mass Border and Portland, ME and  Andover, MA and Ayer, MA excluding the MBTA Lowell Terminal.  The couple hundred miles between Ayer and Mechanicsville, NY is part of the NS joint venture and might see a decline in investment due to CSX not wanting to help a competitor. 

Because of the cab signaled Conrail Boston Line, CSX has shown little interest in changing this part of its territory over to Seaboard style signals and this is likely to apply to the Guilford territory due to the new PTC related MBTA cab signaling projects on what will include parts of the Guilford freight main such as Andover to Haverhill (plus the reality of MBTA joint trackage). Still, use of lunar restricting and other Seaboardisms might become more common.  I would certainly expect the B&M heritage double green clear to vanish for good. One positive might be the more standard inclusion of a Restricting capability at all interlockings, something the Guilford tends to pass on (along with Canadian Pacific for that matter).

That's pretty much it, more darths, less brackets, PTC and more scrapage in general. The ideal buyer for the Guilford is a private party of existing Class II or III operator that will have limited capital resources of upgrades.  Even the garishly painted G&W would be an improvement seeing as how they have maintained B&O CPLs on their B&P property in Central Pennsylvania.

SEPTA to Retire Rt 100 Stop Request Signals?

 A unique operating practice on one of the last true Interurban lines may be on the chopping block because as of December 8th, the passenger operated stop request signals are being taken out of service with cars now required to approach every station prepared to stop.  This may simply be a temporary measure due to COVID related ridership declines, but we will have to wait until the crisis ends to see. 

The system works as follows.  Passengers on the platform are prompted to press this button to stop train.

This illuminates a single unit Safetran CRS-20 signal located at the end of the platform with either a white or lunar light.  Trains scheduled to make a station stop will look for this light and will make a station stop if it is lit.

The really clever part of the system is how the light is canceled.  Instead of using the track circuit or some unreliable sensor, a short section of third rail is provided under the platform.  Normally isolated from the traction current, when a train passes through the station the opposite third rail shoe will touch the isolated rail and energize it, tripping a relay and extinguishing the stop request lamp.

With low ridership due to COVID, trains could have been running far ahead of schedule and SEPTA might simply be looking for a way to slow them down.  However, it is more likely that the system was deemed to have outlived its usefulness and presents a significant maintenance item in an age of budget cuts.  The system probably only saved a few minutes over the course of a trip and may have confused new or infrequent riders.  Also, with smartphones giving arrival time info, trains that ran ahead of schedule could have been angering riders when trains arrived before the time indicated on their phones.

Regardless of the reason, its yet another instance of service being degraded from what was achievable during the "analogue era" of yesteryear. 

The Last New Old Stuff

Typically this blog tends to cover the last examples of one type of signal or tower or whatever.  As I have traveled around a different, yet related question has come up.  What is the last time some form of classic signaling or signaling equipment was installed new.  Now, I know there are many situations where isolated examples of old tech are refurbished and thrown in as a like for like replacement due to a sudden failure.  I am talking about identifying the last time someone opened a catalogue and picked out an older piece of equipment for a brand new project.  This is interesting as it can create an awareness of when a certain technology or feature might ultimately age out.

Now, I don't have rock solid evidence for most of the following examples, but I am fairly confident in many of them.  If any of you have better information please let me know and I'll make a followup post.  I am also keeping this limited to North American, or possibly just United States railroads and not transit.  

I am going to start off with candidates for the last new interlocking tower built.  Yes in theory nothing would be stopping the construction of new towers in the future, but I think the likelihood of that is pretty low. If we limit ourselves to traditional style, stand alone interlocking towers, I would put my money on HAROLD tower in Sunnyside Queens.  Built in 1986 and arguably still in service I am unaware of anything newer. 

What is unless you count bridge cabins at which point we have the LIRR's LEAD movable bridge built in 1988 and the Henry Ford rail bridge, in LA which I have some evidence of local control, which was built in 1996.  However, newest by a significant margin would be the St. Josephs Movable Bridge in  St. Joseph Michigan, which was built between 2008 and 2012.

Of course if you're willing the bend the rules a bit, the PATH installed a new World Trade Center interlocking tower around 2003 and the Staten Island Railroad built their new TOWER A at St. George in 2004.  Both are still technically railroads, although operated as rapid transit systems.

The next location wraps up three "lasts" up into one.  This would be the last "new" installation of  pneumatic point machines (not counting PATH), the last new installation TR type target signals and the last new installation of B&O CPL dwarfs.  This would be the Chicago Union Station re-signaling project of 1992 that closed HARRISON ST tower on the south end with control transferred to LAKE ST tower on the north end.  Although the CPL dwarfs were largely replaced by LED searchlights barely 10 years later, the pneumatic point machines are currently on their way out and the TR signals are going the way of the CPLs, I believe this project was the last significant use of all three.

Although the interlocking was always pneumatic, it's clear the 1992 project purchased all new parts and components, including pipelines.  Like the super power steam of the 1940's, this air plant used the most modern techniques and materials.

The style TR signals appear to be made from some sort of corrosion resistant metal.

CPL dwarfs were also installed at CNW's LAKE ST as drop in semaphore replacements, but like I said that was not a new project and doesn't count. Speaking of B&O CPL,s when was the last time such signals were used in a new project?  That would be the 1992/3 CTC projects on the CSX Metropolitan and Capitol subdivisions running out of Washington, DC.  These projects, partly funded by the state to increase MARC service, were immediately before the decision was made to switch the former B&O lines to color light signaling, with Viaduct Jct in Cumberland, MD being one of the first examples. I have a 1992 photo of the new CPL's going up on the Met Sub and of course Greenbelt Station and its CPL signaled pocket tracks entered service in 1993.

How about PRR position lights?  Well the last large project to use US&S PL-3 type position light lamps was the Secaucus Connection and Newark International Airport Stations on Amtrak's NEC in the 1999-2003 time frame.  From then on the PL-3 was dropped from the catalogue and Amtrak went to Safetran position light assemblies, which continue to be installed new to this day.

Alright, let's go a bit more mundane and look at the GRS D Type color light signal employed by the Southern Railway amoung others.  The latest major project I am aware of involving D Types was the NJT M&E re-signaling that wrapped up in the 1983/84 time frame.  After that the market quickly went to Safetran CLS-10 and CLS-20 signals.  I am pretty sure NJT was the last as the Southern had a number of split CLS-10 and CLS-20 mast locations on the Southern Main which would have been installed in the 84-86 timeline before left hand signals were allowed. 

For US&S H series searchlights there are a number of good candidates such as the 1986 Amtrak Springfield Line re-signaling, however I think the last H-2/5 searchlight project was the ATSF San Bernardino Sub re-signaling which I think took place in the early to mid 1990's, judging by the construction of the aluminum signal structures. 

I'm definitely going more out on a limb here because there is all sorts of stuff I can't properly investigate up in Canad, but the San Bernardino Sub US&S searchlights have a good claim as the last major install.  Moving to the GRS Model SA searchlights I have even less evidence, however a solid floor is the Conrail re-signaling of CP-HARRIS with SA searchlights in 1992.  If I had to choose something, I would probably choose the Guilford Rail System's Freight Main Line which appears to have gotten a post-1986 makeover, but I do not have high confidence, especially with Canada is taken into consideration.

If I had to speculate on the US&S N series color light signals and their associated "elephant ear" backings I would look to CSX in the late 1990's.  Both CSX and the RF&P installed new N series signals in the 1986-1992 time frame with CSX's Abbeville Sub being a specific example from the 1980's.  I really don't have enough information to go beyond there, however CSX did install some new elephant ear backings with US&S modular color lights on the A Line and on the old RF&P between RO and AF interlockings.  Regrettable, the latter were removed after just a decade of service with the AF rebuild and VRE/Amtrak Alexandria capacity expansion project of the early 2000's.

Well this is what I've been able to come up with for now.  If you have any requests for the "last new" install of something I'll give it a noodle, but be aware that I just don't have comprehensive information for the south, west and Canada.

Adjustments at Selkirk (CP-SK)

 Although the CSX routes east of Selkirk Yard in Upstate New York appear to be holding on to their Conrail style signaling, the same might not be true for their Conrail era signals.  CP-SK, the major interlocking at the east end of Selkirk Yard, was re-signaled late in the Conrail era and largely survived various re-signaling schemes in its vicinity.  Some of the Conrail signals were replaced, however the majority remained intact.  A few weeks ago new Darth Vader masts appeared at the east and southern ends of the interlocking for reasons unknown.  However Conrail signals at the west end appear to be unaffected.

Before

After

Not sure what the ultimate plan is, but I might need to stop by again after I had already visited the plant in 2019, to tie up some loose ends.

MG Tower Update w/ Photos

 A few months ago I posted about the impending demolition of AR and MG towers on the PRR Main Line Allegheny summit.  While I believe the more accessible AR tower was indeed demolished, the demolition of MG is on hold due to the remoteness of the location.  After the tower was no longer needed for air compression and 100hz power conversion after the interlocking was re-signaled in 2019, NS crews went about removing anything of value, leaving the tower open to the environment. 

MG Tower in 2018

Although MG is heavily patroled by NS police to deter railfan activity (MG, with its tower and PRR signals was a very popular photo location), a railroader and friend of the blog sent me some interior photos they were able to obtain on a visit in the October/September time frame, which contain some interesting revelations.

The all brick tower was built in 1943/44 as part of a WW2 capacity improvement program to install an extra crossover on the East Slope. MG stands for "Mid-Grade".  It's robust construction fended off the demolition and fires that befell the mostly wooden towers between Harrisburg and Altoona.

Here we can see what I believe is some of the old power equipment that would convert 60hz utility power to 100hz railroad power.  When I visited AR I noticed that this equipment was still in service and as both towers were closed and re-interlocked around 1994 I would suspect the power board seen above was in service through 2019.

Unlike most other PRR Main Line towers, MG had an external stairway which has since been removed or fallen down.  Therefore my agent was unable to verify the presence and condition of the Model 14 interlocking machine and other equipment on the operator's level.  Here on the ground floor we can see racks for the 1940's vintage plug in style relays, which were a step up from the shelf relays still employed by the PRR in the 1930's.

The Conrail era CP-MG relay hut is also still present and open to the environment.  The real surprise here is that this 1994 vintage interlocking appears to be relay based, using the same plug in style relays employed in MG tower some 50 years before.  While I am sure there were some modern/solid state components, the mid-90's was well into the era of microprocessor controlled interlocking technology that would eliminate most glass case railroad relays.  While the mid-80's signaling that went in between Harrisburg and Altoona was clearly relay based, I am surprised that Conrail would not have been faster in its embrace of solid state.

VIDEOS: US&S CTC Machine Operation in Amtrak's THORN Tower

The Union Switch and Signal CTC style unit lever interlocking machine was developed in the 1930's to serve as a user interface for relay based interlockings under remote or local operation.   Amtrak's THORN tower was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1937 as part of its Philadelphia to Harrisburg electrification project and sought to consolidate a number of manned interlocking stations into a single tower.  83 years later THORN tower remains in operation, although with a significantly reduced territory and gradually approaching plans for retirement.  I was able to obtain some video clips of the THORN's CTC machine in order to preserve some degree of its live operation for posterity and this post will use those videos to expand upon my existing coverage of the tower interior and THORN interlocking.  If you are unfamiliar with THORN interlocking I would encourage you to visit those pages first.

This aborted take provides a static view of the CTC interface as a SEPTA local has come to a stop or near stop within interlocking limits as it crosses from track #4 to track #1 to finish its run and change directions at the eastbound station platform.  We see the upper row with switch levers 41, 47, 49, 53 and 57 set reverse as indicated by the unit levers pointed at the "R" position and the associated yellow illuminated indicator lamps.  A red lamp above all switches aside from 43 and 61 indicates that those switches are currently locked for this particular extreme crossover movement. The lower row contains the signal and switch heater unit levers.  Currently all signals are locked in Stop status due to the extreme crossover movement.  On the model board a yellow track occupancy light (TOL) is illuminated by the 57 switch, indicating the approximate location of the SEPTA local.

Here the Train Director at THORN tower sets the route for the above SEPTA local.  The operator toggles the 57, 53, 49, 47 and 41 in the order the train movement would encounter them, although this is not required. After each toggle the operator presses the "code" button on the bottom row below each unit lever.  This transmits the state of the unit lever to the interlocking logic or code system similar to an "Ok" or "Apply" button on a computer GUI.  THORN interlocking is under direct wire control from the CTC machine and I was told that this makes it necessary to press the code button for each unit lever movement as otherwise the actions would take place immediately after the switch toggle, which was not considered desirable.  I believe a remote plant just needs one code button press to send all commands, however a signal command is always selected after the switch commands to avoid race conditions which might result in a mis-routing.

US&S 504B Code relay equipment.

After the code button is pressed the relays in the basement send a command to the US&S Style CP air-valve that then throws the Model A-5 pneumatic point machines.  Note at time 0:05 the sound of 49 switch throwing. As each switch throws the red switch lock light illuminates which the points throw and when the throw is complete the green "Normal" lamp extinguishes and the yellow "Reverse lamp is lit.  As no routes are set. the red lock light goes out.  The Train Director waits for the points to line and lock into the desired position, at which point he requests the 58L signal to display over the established route.  The interlocking logic determined the route is valid and red lock lamps then illuminate over every switch locked out by the new route, which in this case is all of them aside from 43 and 61.  When the interlocking logic has confirmed all the proper conditions are met, the signal displays in the field and the yellow 58L "signal displayed" lamp illuminates. Note, the red lamps over the signal unit levers indicate neither the L or R signals are displayed, but they sometimes go out so they might also represent some sort of locking condition.

 

58L signal displaying Restricting

Here we see a rogue TOL on Track #1 in the vicinity of the Whitford station.  This was intermittently caused by the actions of a signal maintainer.  The TOL on track #2 was a known fault, but may have been in the process of being remedied, however because track #2 is currently used infrequently it is not uncommon for track circuit faults to be left in place.  The Train Director presses the code button under a catenary circuit controller to trigger the CTC machine to send a supercilious command that will trigger the remote logic to reply with an updated status. The sounds are from relays connected to the US&S 504 code system. While the unit levers for THORN interlocking are wired directly to the relay logic in the basement, the UI elements for remote interlockings are connected to telecom grade relays in the CTC machine that store, forward and receive state from the 504 code system.  This works via telephone style code pulses on a shared "code line".  Codes have a station ID and a command or a status.  In the attempt to verify the status of a intermittent TOL, you can hear the CTC remote coding system going back and forth with status updates.  Note how lamps in the process of being updated briefly extinguish.

 In this sequence an eastbound Amtrak Keystone Train on track #1 travels through the CALN remote interlocking, traverses the 1-2 miles between CALN and THORN and then enters and passes through THORN interlocking all on a straight route with clear signals.  Note the relay sounds as the TOL on the approach blocks, CALN interlocking and the intermediate block change state.  The multiple approach block TOL's are holdovers from obsolete configurations of the interlocking that had a signal protecting some industrial sidings that was removed decades ago.  At 0:32 the train passes into the cab signal cut block/  This is an extra block that supports locomotive cab signals changing to Restricting in advance of a stop signal.  From this point no lamp changes generate audible relay noise as the lamps are cirectly wired into the shelf relay interlocking logic in the basement of THORN.  

The twin blue lamps on track #2 west of thorn represent current of traffic (and thus the reason for the name Centralized Traffic Control).  Although designed for bi-directional operation, the PRR was not a proponent and when installed in 1937 this CTC panel had almost no bi-directional trackage, with some segments only getting it years later as the physical plant was consolidated. 

 As the Keystone train enters THORN interlocking at 1:10, the 44R unit lever status changes from displayed to stop at 1:13.  A few seconds later the train passes by outside the tower and then proceeds to pass through the interlocking.  A major challenge of traditional towers such as this one is keeping track of train movements as there is no automatic train identification or labeling.  Tower operators used to pass "next train" information from one to another.  As towers became isolated islands they would rely on the dispatcher or data feeds via computer from the dispatching system.

Cab Signals Come to Boston's North Side

Well the mystery is over, it appears that at least some of the North Side MBTA lines (former Boston and Main) are not only getting the ACSES PTC system, but also the Rule 562 cab signaling arrangement that also comes with it.  Moreover it is triggering the replacement of searchlight signals that were considered safe only a year ago like those that used to be at WINCHESTER interlocking on the New Hampshire Route Main Line.  

At this point the cab signals are in service between some point north of North Station (likely SOMMERVILLE interlocking) and WINCHESTER interlocking in Winchester, MA.  While the MBTA has actually fitted some of its searchlights with 562 'C' boards, the ones in Winchester got the LED tri-light treatment. While this line segment had been recently re-signaled, the section between WINCHESTER and the Anderson Regional Transportation Center featured at least two locations with bi-directional, twin head searchlight masts that would display the rare Double Green Clear signal aspect. 

 The spread of Rule 562 across the MTBA North Side could mean the extinction of this once popular signal aspect.  The good news is that the joint Guilford freight trackage should preserve some populations of wayside intermediate signals and the MBTA has shown a willingness to preserve some legacy searchlights.  Fingers crossed.  I will hopefully be able to get up to the Boston area in the March 2021 time frame to document whatever remains.