CP-SK Changes Its Spots

In 2020 I reported on some unsettling activity at CP-SK on the former Conrail Selkirk branch with new Darth Vader masts going up to replace the Conrail style target signals. CP-SK had been able to avoid the general Selkirk Branch and Chicago Line re-signaling efforts due to a very late 90's re-signaling and the ambient environment of both the former River Line and Boston Line territories holding onto Conrail type signal rules as opposed to Seaboard rules.  In fact the change point was just west of CP-SK at the western limits of the CSX era CP-12.

Well as I feared CP-SK was completely re-signaled and to make matters worse the previous western extent of Seaboard signaling has been moved east to the southern limits of CP-SK on the River Line and the Milepost 9 intermediate signal on the former Selkirk Branch, just east of the Alfred Smith Bridge.

 Although the Milepost 9 intermediate signal has been changed many years prior, it was "future proofed" through the use of Seaboard compatible Y/R/G Approach Slow instead of the NORAC exclusive Y/Y.

The old CP-12 was also made Seaboard ready through the use of R/Y/R Approach Medium (instead of R/*Y*) and extra lamp spaces in which to fit lunar lamps for Seaboard restricting.

In fact the northbound River Line mast at CP-12 seen here displaying a NORAC style R/R/Y Restricting, has that lamp color filter replaced by Lunar White (as visible in this article's first photo). An empty space on the signals lowest head indicates planning for use of Seaboard R/R/Y Slow Approach due to a short signal distance, but it looks like this upgrade was never carried out.

Likely as part of the same re-signaling project, the Conrail style small target searchlight intermediate on the Carman Branch was also undergoing replacement as of August 2022..

In related news CP-153 in Quincy, OH on the former Conrail Indianapolis Line has also seen new CSX signals go up.  The Indy Line has a crazy quilt of new and old signals so this is more of an FYI than a warning of a wide area replacement plan.