The famous DOSWELL bracket mast is probably on the top-10 list of vintage signal survivors and 20 years after the re-signaling project that probably should have doomed it, it appears that time has run out. Located at the RF&P's HN interlocking in Doswell, VA, the Doswell bracket governed southbound movements on main track #3 and the adjacent controlled siding across the former C&O diamond crossing and associated crossovers. Forcibly merged into CSX in 1991, the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad was one of CSX's odd ducks with cab signals and more northeastern oriented aspects. In the early 2000's, CSX embarked on a realignment campaign to eliminate the non-seaboard signal aspects and replace signal logic where necessary.
In the ~2003 program of signal alignment DOSWELL (HN) also got a full signal logic replacement. However because of the southbound bracket mast's location in the middle of the Buckingham Branch's yard and transloading facility, CSX was content to swap out the bottom yellow Restricting lamp with lunar white and call things a day. In 2012 CSX implemented a second round of re-signaling to eliminate the remaining RF&P era relay interlocking logic, however since DOSWELL had been re-signaled in 2003, no changes were necessary and the bracket stood.
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| DOSWELL bracket in 2012 |
The DOSWELL bracket consists of a Y type mast with two US&S N-type signals with elephant ear targets. There may have been some paint applied back in the 2000's.
Meanwhile, down on the NS Altavista District, new color light signals have been dropped at DOGWOOD interlocking, continuing with gradual re-signaling efforts on the old Virginian main line, similar to those on the Hagerstown District.
Since both of these projects will likely involve only signals and not the interlocking logic, they are likely to move faster than one might expect. If you are within driving distance of either, consider scheduling a summer road trip.
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