Small Changes at Western Ave

While out visiting METRA TOWER A-2 at Chicago's Western Ave for the first time in many years, I noticed that the US&S H-2 dwarf searchlight signals at the adjacent TOWER A-3 interlocking had been replaced by L&W LED searchlights with a small backing target. It is unclear if this took place in conjunction with the 2019 removal of legacy PRR position lights at TOWER A-2. TOWER A-3 is remote from a panel inside the staffed TOWER A-2 and the interlocking's other distinctive features including gantry mounted main line searchlights and A-5 pneumatic point machines had been left untouched. You can see the difference between the old H-2 searchlights and newer LED dwarfs below.

  





An interesting feature is that the 6L dwarf appears to illuminate only with a route is lines (or I assume upon the occupation of adjacent track circuits). This signal is placed after a train exits the main line, but before it is routed to a yard track. I managed to catch the 6L LED dwarf displaying a flashing red "Restricted Proceed" indication for a yard move, in conjunction with a lunar white Restricting aspect on the 10L gantry signal. (Note the 10L signal displays "3rd head Restricting" with a phantom center head.)



I assume that the H-2 yard dwarfs always displayed R stop or L Restricting and the LED units changed this to *R* Restricted Proceed as is the style today. I guess its cheaper to have an LED unit with just a single color of LED's, but I will point out that Union Pacific did choose to use lunar LED searchlights at the nearby KEDZIE interlocking.