Some Apalachian Signal News

We first head to the N&W H-Line where ARCADIA interlocking is the next to get hit by the replacement ax. See my previous report for a more detailed status of H-Line signals. This location seems to be pretty accessible for anyone traveling the I-81 corridor this holiday season.

Next comes news from the CSX Big Sandy Sub in eastern Kentucky, known for its surviving C&O signaling. Due to declines in coal traffic, CSX has been removing or shortening passing sidings in a bid to save costs (and sometimes having to restore the sidings in a bid to set money on fire). Anyway while this didn't matter much on the re-signaled main line, its now affecting the classic signaled Big Sandy so expect interlocking removal/automatic downgrade to follow track removal at locations like SK Cabin in Thelma Kentucky. 

Most worrisome is the fate of the milepost 55.7 two track intermediate signal gantry on the other side of town. Although the situation has persisted for the better part of a year, this absolutely constitutes a railfan emergency.

 Finally in another "whoops I missed it" moment, the often photographed "modern" style C&O bracket masts adjacent to US 23 south of Catlettsburg, KY were replaced sometime in 2023. Likely installed in the CSX era, the replacements are typical color light masts displaying the same C&O signal aspects.

Wish I had some better news, but the wins are few and far between.

The Final Months at AC Tower

Looks like the Railroad Media Archive has done it again with a video covering the last few months of operation at the former Erie AC tower in Marion, Ohio from November 1994 to just before its closing on January 18, 1995. AC tower was located at the crossing of the compass east-west Erie and Big Four (NYC) with the compass north-south N&W and C&O.The Erie and Big Four alignments would be merged into Conrail and eventually became the Indianapolis Line on a largely Big Four routing with the Erie RR main being largely abandoned. By the mid-90's it was finally time to retire the old Taylor Model 2 machine.

In the video the things of note are the various communications duties of a tower operator and the lever manipulation sequences, specifically the use of crossing lock levers to set the direction of travel through a diamond. 

AC Tower model board and manipulation charts as preserved.

Although the tower was closed in 1995, it was moved to the nearby station grounds and preserved as a semi-restored museum. Hopefully they will get the expertise to restore it in a similar fashion to HARRIS. Because of the "lateness" of the conversion, the N&W and C&O signals were retained on the two non-Conrail routes until about 2012.

Caught on Camera: The US&S M22

The Union Switch and Signal M3 series of switch machines (including the M3, M23 and A and B models of both) is so ubiquitous and has been around for so long that one might assume the model spring fully formed from the head of George Westinghouse. However it is important to remember that the "M" is the family, not M3 and unlike General Railway Signal, where their switch machines Models 1 through 4 were radically different than the Model 5, the US&S Style M has remained fairly consistent since its introduction in 1918. In fact one of the reasons its easy to assume that the M3 (or M23) has been around far longer than its actual introduction date of 1951, is because the M22 is similar enough that both times I encountered one in the wild, I only noticed the machine was actually an M22 when I was performing unrelated photo research years later. 

To review, above is an US&S M23 switch machine as previously installed on the former C&O Washington Sub near Charlottesville, VA. Below is an M22 switch machine as previously installed about 10 miles to the east in Gordonsville, VA.

I'm not going to go into all the technical details as to how they differ, there's already a page for that, but the big giveaway for an M22 vs an M23 is the non-concentric selector lever that swaps the machine between manual and power operation. The second giveaway is the bolt pattern on the top of the central gearbox with the M23 having 2 large bolts and the M2 4 smaller bolts and a more bulbous cover. Unfortunately I have yet to encounter an M2 in the wild and from the few photos online I cannot determine an easy way to differentiate it from an M3. Anyway, these and any other M22's along the former C&O Cardinal Route (now operated by the Buckingham Branch shortline) were removed in a 2013/2014 re-signaling project.  However there is another M22 I just discovered situated about 5 feet from a busy public right of way.

It's this fellow, the northern end of the #1 crossover at CP-ASH in sunny downtown San Diego. In fact its directly adjacent to the Little Italy light rail station.

Although my photo is from 2015, a quick check of Google Street View shows that it is still in place as of October, 2022.

So if you happen to be in San Diego or out and around some rail line that hasn't seen a switch replacement since 1951, know how to spot an M22 and make sure you take plenty of photos if you come across one.

Coal Country Signaling Hit Hard by Declining Traffic

 Early this year the perils facing the extensive rail infrastructure in the eastern coal region were brought to light then NS threatened to remove the signaling from a number of coal dependent lines in its territory.  While many of those applications were withdrawn, according to a recent article, it seems that CSX is also working on downsizing its coal related infrastructure.

Siding removal on the C&O Signaled Coal Creek Sub

This is likely to affect lines that CSX had previously declined to put attitudinal investment into due to the anticipation of a drop in coal traffic.  While this had the positive effect of preserving the C&O signaling and/or the C&O aspect system, at some point the bill will come due and either the signaling or the entire line will be abandoned.

Unfortunately the cutbacks are also affecting lines CSX did spend the money to re-signal, but in these cases taking double track segments, sidings and other pieces of the physical plant out of service.  This specifically applies to the former C&O main line from Richmond to Cincinatti that was re-signaled without much in the way of rationalization between 2010 and 2014.  While the C&O signals were removed, quite a bit of interesting signaling remained with back to back interlockings and other oddball layouts.  The phantom rationalization will reduce signaling locations and possible signal indications, although the low traffic levels will also do a lot to limit what a signal fan might happen to run into.  Amtrak's Cardinal runs along this route and I'd promote taking it if a baggage car wasn't currently strapped to the rear.

Although highly detailed documentation of modern signal locations isn't a good use of time, it is often still worthwhile performing a basic documentation just in case these sort of economic factors come into play.

DELRAY Tower to Close - Last North American Lever Frame

In the fading industrial mecca of Detroit the fickle hand of fate created an Iron Triangle of surviving manned interlocking towers.  Conrail BRIDGE, controlling the former NY Central drawbridge over the River Rogue as well as parts of the Detroit Line, NS ROUGE BRIDGE or Ecorse Jct, crossing of the former NY Central and Wabash and lastly DELRAY, crossing of the Conrail Detroit Line with the former C&O branch into the lakeside industrial zone. 

Named for the Delray section of Detroit, the tower eventually came under CSX ownership and would handle conflicting movements between Norfolk Southern, CSX and Conrail Shared assets.

 DELRAY's crown jewel was a 56 lever US&S Model S-8 Electro-Mechanical machine with 36 mechanical levers and 20 miniature electric levers.  Due to what I am sure was a conflict over who would pay for upgrades, DELRAY outlasted almost ever other mechanically based interlocking on the main line North American freight network, becoming the last tower with traditional levers after the closure of DOLTON JCT in 2017 and the last US&S Style S machine in operation after the closure of HALLETT in April 2019. 

Note that the last mechanically operated points in North America were retired in 2010 as DELRAY's machine had been upgraded to electric point operation many decades ago.  The lever colors pictured don't seem to match up with standard practice, but in addition to points and facing point locks, the frame also had to handle derails and one set of movable point frogs.  DELRAY was also well situated for the enthusiast community being located directly adjacent to a road crossing (although it was not located in the best of neighborhoods).

On November 16th, 2020, DELRAY will close.  While I am somewhat surprised that it managed to claim title to so many "lasts", that is more a function of several towers closing before their time. Some have claimed that it is CSX's last interlocking tower full stop, however there are a number of bridge cabins that still support operator positions, including the B&OCT drawbridge in Chicago that happens to be permanently raised yet still in control of the adjacent St. Charles Air Line bridge.  There is also the saga of F TOWER in Fostoria, that, depending on its exact circumstances, could be active yet unmanned, able to be opened on an "as needed" basis similar to HAROLD's zombie state. DELRAY is also not the last mechanically based main line tower on the freight network as JB Tower in West Chicago has likely claim on that title.

For a more in depth look at DELRAY including more recent lever room and relay room interior photos, check out this post on the Towns and Nature blog. The wiring looks like an absolute nightmare! I would highly urge anyone in the area to get their photos while their can, even after the closure date.  DELRAY's location in a rough urban neighborhood will make the tower a likely target for homeless, vandals and scrappers and thus a major liability headache for CSX, so I fear that demolition is inevitable.

 

Last C&O Main Line Signal Bridge and Covington CPLs Fall

Well a major holdout of classic signals is now gone.  Just south of the Ohio River on the route of Amtrak's Cardinal, the juncton of the former C&O and L&N main lines had featured both B&O and C&O signals until just a few weeks ago.  One of these, at NX Cabin, was the last C&O signal bridge left on the old C&O Main Line between Newport News and Cincinatti.



This island of signaling had survived because it was involved in a re-signaling programme in the 80's or early 90's and was lower down on the priority list.  The main attraction was KC junction, which feature a number of 5 orbital CPL's and some strange hybrid C&O signal bridges that were refitted with B&O CPLs during the re-signaling process.  The ones coming off the former C&O main line were notable for their comically large sun shade.
 

KC junction also featured a massive 3 story L&N interlocking tower, but it was demolished sometime within the last 10 years.  I do not know the state of the CPLs at the adjacent OB Cabin (Ohio Bridge) or A interlocking in Cincinatti, but the smart money is that they have also been removed.

Signal Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

In the beginning, before local power utilities were a thing, signals were powered by storage batteries placed in concrete wells at the base of the signal (or perhaps the basement of the interlocking tower).  Every so often some workers would have to come around to replace the batteries, taking the old ones to be recharged. This is why searchlights and semaphores were so popular.  Low wattage bulbs and track circuits could last for months on a charge, but it was still a labor intensive operation.  Railroads and their newfangled electric signals needed a reliable source of power and rural electric light plants that only ran from 6-9pm simple weren't going to cut it.

The solution was for railroads to become their own utilities and to string AC power lines on the pole line that was already carrying the telegraph and signal wires.  The simplest (and most popular) form of this was a 440-480v twin wire setup running on the outer position of the lowest group of wires (where it was least likely to drop into low voltage DC C&S lines).

Of course one can't just plug medium voltage AC into low voltage DC relays and expect it to work.  For this one needs a transformer and at every signal location along the line one was usually supplied on the pole to avoid bringing the 440 into the sensitive relay cabinets.  The transformers aren't very big, and its easy to not even notice they are there.  This example, on the B&O main line, likely dates from the 1950's or earlier. The 440v supply passes through two ceramic fuses so that the specific signal location can be isolated. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, here is a modern style signal power transformer supplied by the Olsun corporation in 2003.  The AC-DC rectifiers are located in the relay cabinet or hut.  

The next level of signal power supply involved a single or three AC feed in the kilovolt range.  These were typically employed by wealthier eastern railroads with multi-track main lines and interlockings that could draw a lot of power.  Of course higher voltages required larger transformers.  Basically something on the order of what would be seen on residential utility poles.  This retired three phase example was found on the N&W H-line running north out of Roanoke.

This active example was encountered at CP-SLOPE on the former PRR main line back in 2012.  It had been installed before PCB's were banned in the 70's and has a big yellow sticker to that effect.

With transformers, frequency matters.  The higher the frequency, the lower the inductive losses and the higher the equipment one can use.  (This is why aircraft use 400hz power buses because they can use lighter transformers.)  Mains power in North America is 60hz, however the Pennsylvania Railroad employed a 100hz cab signal carrier frequency to eliminate the risk of cross talk from 60Hz mains.  This lead the PRR to actually adopt a 100Hz power supply in its electrified zone to eliminate the need for motor-generator frequency converters at every signal location.  Here we can see a retired 6.9 kv transformer on the former PRR Port Road branch.  You can see how the size compares with the 60hz transformers pictured above.

Here is a more contemporary example on Amtrak's NEC.

Today railroads are rapidly exiting from the utility business.  It's a classic case of outsourcing.  Now that public power utilities can be contracted to supply the power (even in rural locations), there is little reason for railroads to employ linemen and power engineers.  Let the power company power and the railroad rail. 

Bad News In the East

Boy, it's getting hard to remember the last time I had any good news.  This week NS and CSX are taking center state as despite a decline in profits from falling coal sales, neither is putting a hold on signal replacement as one might expect.  I don't know what sort of world I'm living in where railroads have forgotten the art of deferred maintenance :-(

I'll start off with the most devastating news.   It looks like the CSX Chicago Line re-signaling project in New York has finally reached the 4-track raceway in the Buffalo terminal area.  This is pretty much the finest example of NY Central small target searchlight signaling there is and also one of the last.

 Out in Indiana, the Monon Sub, previously notable for losing its historic semaphore signals, is now losing its searchlights.  I always wanted to try and photograph these from Amtrak's Cardinal, but the signals on the daylight portion of eastbound trips had already been resignaled and the remainder saw the train in the hours of darkness.

If you think this scene from Michigan is more irrational disposal of new signal hardware you would only be partly correct.  These are C&O style signals being replaced by Seaboard.  No more economy lower heads without a red lens and no more Y/Y Approach Slow.  Why use 2 signal heads and 5 lamps when you can use 3 heads and 7 lamps!

 The CSX Toledo Sub continues to get hit at an uneven pace.  This B&O CPL gantry is an especially regretable loss.

Last month I reported on NS Marion Branch PRR PL replacement.  Well now I have confirmation that it does not just apply to automatic signals.

NS seems to be under the impression that the former N&W routes through coal country still have a future.  I don't even think these lines would need PTC due to the lack of any cargo other than coal and empty hoppers.  Come on, give the Pokey the Raton Pass treatment.

Chicago Line resignaling is still moving through Ohio.  I'm really going to miss those two lamp G heads.

Well that's pretty much all I can stomach for now.  Hopefully next week I'll have something more inspiring.

Russell's Teapot

If I were to tell you that on the hundreds of miles of former C&O trackage between Cincinnati, OH and Norfolk, VA there is still an island of C&O signaling with 3-4 track signal bridges displaying all the quirky old C&O signals, would you believe me?

Well you should, but not for much longer because it appears that despite plunging coal revenue and threats to downgrade the Cardinal route to 25/30mph operation, CSX has nevertheless found some money to make sure not a single signal without a Darth Vader helmet survives. 

 

The existence of this  strange island of misfit signaling is due to CSX's efforts to close RU CABIN, which controlled the eastern end of the giant Russell Yard complex, around the year 2000.  At that point the decision had still not yet been made to completely phase out the C&O signal rules so the new Darth Vader signals installed at RU and RACELAND interlockings were both of the C&O style.  

 RU Cabin westbound gantry

As seen at FOSTORIA, I believe the placement of a red lamp in the middle of the lower head was to allow for R/Y/R Slow Approach or R/R/G Slow Clear without using a third head, but I've seen no direct evidence of this.

Raceland westbound Passenger Track Mast

Moreover, NC CABIN, one interlocking east of RU, was re-interlocked with the existing signals left in place, sort of like as was done on the B&O Philly Sub and on many other rail lines before the cost of labour to splice and test overtook the cost of new signals.

NC Cabin westbound C&O masts.

Anyway, I guess someone had to spend a capitol improvement budget or risk losing it and with nothing left to re-signal, this island of the C&O was the only available target.  No word on if RU CABIN and its C&O Darth Vaders are also being modified, but I wouldn't be surprised.  If you happen to live in the area both RU and NC are a must see.

Newsruary

Alright, let's see what's going on in 2016.  On the former NY Central main line the CSX re-signaling effort is reaching towards Buffalo as seen here at Corfu and MP 402.

 Hey, surely aluminum tubular signal bridges have a place in the 21st century.  Hmm, guess not.

 Southern style masts with Safetran clamshells aren't even safe in mast form like these examples on the old N&W main line.  I'm thinking that 2008 PTC law should be called the signal uniformity act.

 Of course NKP re-signaling is nothing new.  This time an intermediate example with H-5 searchlights.

 At least one can't say it all about saving $.  These Soo Line economy heads are also playing second fiddle to Darth Vader masts.

New signals are still creeping up the old C&O Northern Division with this cute cantilever a recent victim, however they are hanging on in a few places.

This Darth Vader cosplayer didn't stand up to scrutiny by CSX's signal team.  Replacement bases are already in place near Jacksonville.

In what I think qualifies as good news, the re-signaling at CP-BETHLEHEM is taking way longer than I had expected so...yay?

Yeah, no real good news this month.  :-(

Better Know a Signaling System: C&O Color Lights

The Chesapeake and Ohio color light signal aspect set is the crazy uncle of eastern US speed signaling,  From a distance they look perfectly respectable, carrying on like all the other railroads, but upon closer inspection some major deviations pop out at you.  One might say that the Chessie System merger was a marriage of two equally odd signaling systems, equally odd in two completely different ways that is.  If B&O CPLs are being purged due to their complexity, the C&O system is meeting the torch simply because it is batshit crazy once it gets a little liquor into it.  Let's cut to the chart and see what I'm talking about.

Like I said, at first glance the C&O looks like a very responsible Northeastern style railroad.  You have your Y/G Approach medium, even Y/Y Approach Slow!  That's a big step up on the New York Central and others with Y/Y for Advance Approach.  

Exit signals invite Approach Slow

 R/R/G for Slow Clear is pretty standard and then R/Y/R for Medium App....  Wait...R/Y/R isn't Medium Approach...the label says Slow Approach.  Hmmm, must by a typo because why would you have a third head available and not use it Slow Approach?  Wait...if R/Y/R isn't Medium Approach what exactly is Medium Approach. 

Oh boy, yeah, not I see the problem.  R/Y/Y is Medium Approach.  It looks like the entire indication was an afterthought, sort of like how the PRR used to diverge trains to stop over Approach until 1956.  Still, if you have a third head to play with  there is no need to see the cost of flasher relays come down.  Makes me wonder if they could have gotten away with R/R/Y for Slow Approach and R/Y/ / for Restricting.  This is one of the few cases where a red lamp is lit to upgrade a dark head and upgrade the signal indication (in this case from Restricting to Slow Approach).  This is also one of the few cases where Restricting is more common operationally than Medium Approach. 

Doing with 8 lamps what other railroads do with 9.

It seems that the C&O was really trying to use a two headed signal system, but ultimately had to abandon the idea.  First, Stop is only R/R as the only time an R lamp is present on the third head is for Slow Approach.  Restricting is R/Y in all cases, no R/R/Y. and if trains diverged to stop over Approach then you avoid the third head in most situations.  Placing a lower maker to upgrade Restricting to Slow Approach would suffice in those situations where the turnout speed was low.  Eventually it seems that someone thought better of this idea, but with R/Y/R already given away so the C&O was forced to scramble.  When limited speed turnouts appeared the C&O had to scramble again by using R/*Y*/Y for Limited Approach.  No wonder the C&O had a thing for exit signals.

Enter interlocking?  Pass a signal.  Exist interlocking?  Pass another signal.

This brings up another quirk.  The C&O placed its Red lamp in the upper position on its upper head and the bottom position on the second or middle head.  This gave a wider spacing between Red lamps, but made the concept of "high" green a bit less applicable.

Low high green?

The combination signals Medium Approach Slow and Medium Approach Medium match what was seen on the Seaboard, NY Central and elsewhere with R/Y/G for M-A-S and R/Y/*G* for M-A-M.  I've explained this before, but it assumed a dwarf siding exit signal displaying Slow speed indications.  Speaking of dwarf signals, why don't we take a look at one.

Bottom placement of the R lens on dwarfs allowed for Y/R Slow Approach with Y being Restricting, avoiding the need to flash Y as seen on NORAC.  R/Y was also a Restricting Option.

Slow Clear could be either G or G/R, but in a bit if clever thinking the C&O went with *G* to upgrade slow speed siding exits to Medium Speed, as opposed to NORAC going with G/*R* and leaving *G* for the less applicable Limited Clear.  The rest of the C&O scheme was all pretty standard with the usual mix of Approach Medium/Limited and Medium/Limited Clear.

Is there a slow speed route?  No, just Medium Approach.

In summary, before flashing signals were accepted, railroads were constantly placed in the bind of how to handle both Slow speed signals AND Restricting.  Some, like the Seaboard, went the Lunar White route and used three heads.  Others, like the Reading and NY Central, skipped Slow Approach on high signals.  The PRR dumped Medium Approach in favor of Slow Approach.  The C&O went with Plan D, sacrificing BOTH Slow and Medium Approach in favor of Restricting.  Yes, the third head is common enough so that Medium Approach isn't rare, but there are many situations where only two heads were provided requiring trains to get an exit signal or simply diverge to stop over Restricting.

It's a real shame there isn't much room in our national rail system for unique and interesting signal systems such as this.  Not only does the C&O suffer from not being as lamp efficient as some others, it is a bit less intuitive, relies on dark signal heads and conflicts with many other more popular systems. Going forward only the Buckingham Branch shortline appears committed to the C&O system, however as they remove the remaining signaled sidings on the C&O Washington route there won't be much of an occasion to show it off.

BTW, I am celebrating a milestone at The Position Light today with my 251st post.