The Ongoing Saga of D&H Main Line Signaling

Last we checked in on the former D&H Main Line between Albany and Sunbury/Scranton, NS had reversed its decision to abandon all of the signaling below Binghamton. Since that time NS has made some alterations to the signaling it had inherited from Canadian Pacific and after a couple of field trips and Google street view surveys I can offer up a summary of the goings on. 

First we need to dive into the crazy quilt of signaling on the old Delaware and Hudson main line that is under the control of NS after purchasing the route from CP in order to access New Englande markets via the Boston and Maine route. I previously discussed the complex ownership history of the D&H in an article on D&H interlocking naming conventions.

The D&H currently exhibits 6 different generations of signals in the 200 or so odd miles between the NS Buffalo Line in Sunbury and the Boston and Main division post in Mechanicville, NY. They can be broken down as follows:

Generation 1 includes the legacy D&H with GRS SA searchlights, relay based logic and iron/steel mounting hardware including masts, cantilevers and brackets. 

Generation 2 covers the early CP era in the 1990's with SA searchlights and relay based logic using modern aluminum structures.

Generation 3 is the Unilens Era where CP applied a solid state upgrade of its older SA searchlights, primarily at automatic block locations as those present less of a testing burden than interlockings. I believe this began in the late 90's and overlapped with some Gen 2 signals being installed at interlockings. By 2005 end of life Gen 1 interlockings were being actively replaced by Gen 3.

Generation 4, the Mystery Searchlight era, is the shortest, taking place from around 2009 through 2011. This represented CP souring on its Unilens solution and falling back on older SA searchlight guts in a custom housing. 

Generation 5, starting around 2011, is the great CP resigning that have up on searchlights entirely looked to replace Gen 1 signals at relay-based interlockings north of Binghampton with typical Safetran CL-20 type Darth Vaders.

Generation 6 is modern day with NS type Darth Vaders going in to replace both Gen 1 signals select relay plants, but also to replace Gen 3 signals at newer 2005 vintage interlockings. On the remaining CP territory this included the use of mystery N-type signals in place of CL-20's.

So how do things stand today? The CP re-signaling of the 2010's zapped pretty much all of the old D&H signaling north of Binghamton except CPF-499 and the Afton siding beginning at CPF-587.

In fact CPF-587 is seeing NS replace its southbound D&H Cantilever with a leftover CP mystery searchlight!

South of Binghampton D&H signals are holding on at CPF-648, CPF-650 and CPF-679.

CPF-650, still original D&H.

However Gen 3 Unilens signals have been replaced by NS Darth Vaders at CPF-630, CPF-631, CPF-659, CPF-661, CPF-714 and CPF-716.

CPF-716, Unilens signals replaced by Vader masts in 2022.

Interestingly enough, the intact Unilens masts have been gathered at the NS Scranton yard and the adjacent CPF-673 and CPF-672 were in their Unilens (or SA?) configuration as of November 2022. Nevertheless, almost all of the intermediate signals remain as Unilens, with just a handful having been converted by CP to CL-20 Vaders.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds, especially if NS extends between Scranton and Sunbury or if the need to replace the Unilens intermediates prompts an expansion of cab signaling.

2022 Hudson Valley News

My 2022 road trip up the Hudson River valley uncovered several more newsworthy elements than I had encountered in 2021.  The first and foremost of these is that Amtrak has likely completed its refresh of signaling at Hudson Line interlockings with the anticipation of eventual Rule 562 operation.  Although no 'C lamps have been fitted, the Conrail era searchlight signals have been replaced by Safetran modules LED target signals.  At CP-103 these are in new masts at the same location and at CP-114 they have been mounted on the legacy tubular cantilever masts.  In 2021 footings for new signals were in place at CP-94, likely spelling the doom of the bracket mast there. I do not have information about the signals at CP-124 or CP-125.

CP-114

CP-103

At intermediate signal locations the searchlights are still in place and little/no work has been started to install solid state "signal indication point" huts.

In the Mechanicville, NY area, the last gasp of Canadian searchlights are still in place at CPF-470 and adjacent interlockings.  These use a custom housing to hold what are probably railroad-stock searchlight mechanisms.

I also noticed that the entrance signals to the former Boston and Main / Guilford Rail System Freight Main Line at CPF-467 was protected by GE branded signal heads that were a thing due to their takeover of Harmon Electronics. This is fitting given GE's presence in the area.

 

The former NY Central XO tower in Mechanicville has been taken over by the local Chamber of Commerce and someone is building a model railroad layout in the former opeator's level.

Finally I can confirm that the ancient searchlight mast on the former D&H Colonie Sub in Cohoes, NY has been replaced by a CP style Vader mast about a quarter mile to the north of the old location.

Well that's all the news from upstate.  Not great, but not terrible.

SEPTA West Chester Line Goes 562 and Other News

 This post had been planned as an update on SEPTA Signaling encountered during my SEPTA Mid-Winter fan trip, but after a couple of additional rail adventures in the December/January time period I figured I should address them in a single post.

The headline news item is that the SEPTA West Chester Line has been converted to Rule 562 operation with cab signals and no intermediate wayside signals.  This is surprising as the line had already been converted to Rule 261 with cab signaling and it appears that SEPTA had to go to the trouble of removing the wayside masts, exposing themselves to all of the attendant issues with cab signal failures.  The most significant loss are the distant signals that had been fitted with Reading style two lamp lozenge heads, that have not really been fitted anywhere since.

One the other hand, no changes were made to the interlockings CANE, MEDIA and NORTH/SOUTH ELWYN.  They still display full indication and not just Cab Speed and Restricting.  Also ARSENAL interlocking is still hanging in there with the LED position lights on the north end and full range color lights on the south end.

On the Routes 101 and 102 Suburban trolley, the long metastasizing CBTC project may or may not be in operation.  What has changed is that SEPTA has added a large number of interlocked crossovers and also interlocked the ends of single track operation.   This actually seems to have increased the number of wayside signals.  In addition to this, the old two aspect ABS signal locations appear to be in place, making me wonder if the CBTC is not yet active or if it will be a safety overlay like in the tunnels with no increase in capacity.

On the Route 100, the passenger stop request signals at stations are still in place, but the short stretch of 3rd rail used to cancel them are now being removed.

On the Amtrak Harrisburg Line / PRR Main Line, the crossovers between #1 and #2 track at OVERBROOK interlocking (levers 13 and 15) have been converted from pneumatic to electric operation.  Not sure what the plans or timeline are, but I figured that OVERBROOK would be replaced and removed, not closed, so this actually might represent a live extension.

 

Moving out along the PRR Main Line, the legacy signal bridges at Cove and CP-BANKS have been removed having been out of service since 2018.

Finally, no work appears to have been started on the off again, on again, NS D&H Main Line re-signaling project between Sunbury and Binghampton.  I visited a number of locations including CP-DUPONT and there is absolutely no evidence of prep work.  Hopefully that continues to limbo along for many years.

Amtrak Empire Corridor Status Report

Just came back from my annual trip on Amtrak's Empire corridor and I wanted to give everyone a report on the state of the signaling as various "improvement" projects progress.  I had previously reported on the state of the Albany-Rensselaer terminal complex, formerly controlled by LAB tower.  As of last year, CP-141 and CP-142 had been rebuilt and transferred to the new Hudson North dispatcher (on weekdays at least) along with a new CP-138 controlled point replacing the old CP-141 holdout.  Rule 562 was in effect between CP-141 and CP-138 and work was ongoing to rebuild CP-143, which was placed in service later in 2016.

CP-143 being rebuilt in early 2016

  Fast forward a year and not only have CP-144 and CP-145 been rebuilt and placed under the control of the Amtrak dispatcher, but the second track is not in service between Albany and Schenectady.  New signals at up at CP-145 with the Rule 562 No "Fixed ABS" signs in place for westbound traffic.  Signals are SafeTran modular targets as were seen at CP-141 and CP-138.

CP-145 before its 2016 rebuild

I can also confirm that CP-146 has also been rebuilt to the same standard and I can also safely assume that CP-156 has met the same fate, along with all intermediate signals.

CP-156 in 2016 with construction about to begin.

The good news is that CP-159 and CP-160, situated on either side of the Schenectady station, show no signs of reconstruction, and neither do the intermediate signals between CP-160 and the end of Amtrak ownership at CP-169 in Hoffmans.  The lack of "No Fixed ABS" signs at CP-159 also hint that the two-track signal NYC signal gantry between CP-156 and CP-159 is still in service.  Issues with being able to finance the Schenectady Station reconstruction will hopefully prioritize that over signal replacement.

Rewinding a bit, not effort has started on the much talked about Hudson Line re-signaling project below CP-138.  It will be interesting to see what gets prioritized in the likely funding squeeze ahead.

CP-89 and its friends on the Hudson Line are so far untouched.

In some related news, the last islands of classic D&H searchlights appear to be falling as new signals are ready to go up at CPF-483, located at the south end of Mohawk Yard.  The classic D&H/B&M signal bridge is being replaced as well.  The one interesting thing was that I was finally afforded a closeup of the CP off-brand US&S N-3 non-modular traffic light type signal.  At least that's a little better than the SafeTran clamshell :-\  Also, the relay hut was freshly painted so that might also be seeing a second act.

 Fortunately, years of tireless effort has allowed me to document most of the now replaced, removed or retired signaling locations. 

Caught on Camera - Episode 5: Night Shots

A really great way to make your photos look awesome is to go out at night and set up a long duration exposure.  It might be a little more complex than that, but not much and night shots have always been some of my favorite instances of railroad photography.  Another thing night photography excels at is capturing railroad signaling and for today's installment of Caught on Camera, I have come across a few examples that have managed to capture some interesting signaling phenomia.

In our first example we have Amtrak's Crescent knocking down an Approach Diverging indication on a Southern style intermediate signal on the former Southern Main Line.  The signal in question is a quasi-modern replacement for the less modern signal facing the opposite direction.  The older signal exhibits the offset head style that was once popular to denote automatics before number plates became standard.  The camera shutter was left open long enough to capture the signal dropping from Y/G to R/R.

Here we see an example of a "Bottom Yellow" style searchlight signal displaying a route into non-signaled trackage.  Bottom Yellow restricting displays a R/R/Y indication while omitting the middle red marker to save on costs.  As you can see this Bottom Yellow aspect has been modified by CSX to use Seaboard style indications with lunar white in place of yellow, creating a bit of an anachronism in the process.

N&W CPLs are spectacular at any time of day, however this pair of automatic bracket signals in West Virginia is demonstrating a feature of some CTC systems (typically GRS Traffic Control System brand CTC) to allow blocks to "float" if no route was signaled into them.  This resulted in indications better than Stop and Proceed being displayed in both directions.  The alternative to this setup would be to have a "traffic lever" that would need to be "thrown" to set the flow of traffic.  Note that the reverse signals are both at Approach and have lower heads confirming that the next signal down the line is an interlocking.

 While the old D&H searchlights at the north end of the Saratoga Springs station have been replaced by LED Darth Vaders, it is still possible to see them in a good light.  Here the siding track mast displays a Medium Approach onto the main at CPC-37 in all likelihood for a movement onto the unsignaled North Creek branch at CPC-38.  The presends of single lamp lower heads indicates that unlike CSX, Canadian Pacific has chosen not to spend the extra money to upgrade the CTC to support Restricting indications into long sections of single track.

 Finally we see this stalwart B&O CPL in the Deshler, OH area displaying the rarest of B&O signal indications, Medium Approach Slow which involves a yellow lamp on the 4 o'clock orbital. Both the 4 o'clock and 2 o'clock orbitals were given yellow lamps instead of clear glass lenses to avoid confusion with the "Approach Medium" speeds on the 8 and 10 o'clock lamps,

I'm sure some might argue that flashing green |  Slow Clear might be rarer since few locations were given that upgrade, but that's not really one of the original set so I don't tend to count that.

Thurmond Signals Fall

I guess it is no surprise that CSX is not above ruining a Nationally Registered Historic Place.  I've been waiting for the re-signaling project on the C&O Main Line to reach Thurmond, WV for some time now and about a month ago (right after my last new post actually) I saw that a new cookie cutter Darth Vader cantilever with Seaboard signals had gone up adjacent to the preserved "downtown" of Historic Thurmond, WV.

Seeing as it can take 6-8 months for the old signals to fall once the new signals go up, I was shocked when I saw this photo of the old cantilever getting chopped down without so much as a by your leave.

At least NS was good enough to donate one of the PRR signal bridges on the Horseshoe Curve to a museum.  That C&O Cantilever was as important to the character of that streetscape as the coaling tower.

 Anyway, while we are discussing news items it appears that the D&H re-signaling has hit CPF-485 at the Schenectady Station.

The old cantilever signal that used to stand on the main track was replaced a few years ago by a new mast type signal that will not be spared the axe.  Replacements are soulless LED Darth Vaders.

Better Know a Signaling System - Delaware and Hudson

Here in the inaugural episode of Better Know a Signaling System I am starting with something small to just sort of see how things go.  Actually brevity that is one of the interesting features of the old D&H signal set with only 10 total signal rules in their 1948 rulebook or 9 if you go by this undated chart that appears on railroadsignals.us

While 9 or 10 signal rules might sound like a lot compared to the 21 or seen in under NORAC or CSX, the D&H finds itself in good company with many other railroads not operating multi track main lines in and around busy urban terminals, especially those making use of route signaling.  The D&H is a very conventional speed signaling system designed for single main track operation with passing sidings.  If you remember back to my signaling dialects post you'll see that the D&H uses Y/Y for advance approach, R/Y/G for Medium Approach Medium, R/Y/R for Medium Approach and R/Y or R/R/Y for Restricting.  The R/Y/G Medium Approach Medium was made possible because the D&H made a point to use high signals at siding exits and R/Y/R Medium Approach was enabled by using only three headed signals at interlockings.  Here is an example of the three head policy that was still in effect up through about 2011 with brand new Unilens tri-heads installed on the former D&H Colonie Branch at CPO-5.

Unfortunately since CP went all Darth Crazy, two head signals are now being allowed to slip through as seen here at CPF-478.  Hmmm, looks like they are dumping right handed placement as well.

Contrast with the Boston and Maine's CPF-464 right across the Hudson River which has no problem making use of two headed signals and R/*Y* Medium Approach.

Another interesting practice that comes across on the 1948 signal chart is the use of offset heads for automatic signals.  A common practice back in the day, but one that is still followed in Canada to mark automatics instead of number plates.  It is not surprising that under CP ownership this practice was not challenged.  Although not a new CP install here is the MP 8.2 automatic on the Colonie Branch with the offset heads.

Staying with the 1948 chart we find a few interesting tidbits when it comes to dwarves.  Without slow speed indications the D&H could use G/R for clear and Y/R for Approach.  R/*Y* was used for Medium Approach to make room for R/Y Restricting.  The most interesting dwarf was Y/G for Medium Approach Medium, which I guess came up more than Approach Medium.  Single head dwarfs were limited to Y and R/Y Restricting and R Stop.  So kudos to the D&H for not installing Slow Speed turnouts I guess.

Aside from its dwarfs the only non-NORACy indication the D&H adopted was the Y/Y Advance Approach.  Of course with no slow speed signals it makes perfect sense.  There was also a R/Y/Y Medium Advance Approach, which was left off the Railroadsignals.us chart.  The thing is that when the Guildford Rail System (ex-B&M) purchased the D&H in the 1980's it did more than re-mile the main line from Binghamton to Maine.  In the 2007 CP Northeast US Timetable (towards the end) we can see that the signaling has gotten a lot more...conventional.  There is suddenly a R/R/G and dwarf G Slow Clear along with dwarf *Y* Slow App.  To compliment those Y/Y is now Approach Slow and *Y* picks up Advance Approach.  All the other old dwarfs are just plain gone except for Y/G, which is now Approach Medium.

So that's the story of the D&H signaling system.  It started out pretty conventional and then got even more-so after several new owners put their hand in the pie.

Heya Toots! - The Story of the Interlocking Horn

Anyone who has spent time in towers or gotten up close looks at CTC consoles or video displays may have noticed the presence of buttons (or icons) labeled horn or whistle or emergency horn.  Occupying the same general category of ancillary functions as point heaters, maintainer call lights and low air alarms the "Interlocking Horn" is a vestige of a time long past when communication was intermittent and unidirectional, but still serves a purpose to this day.

The concept of an interlocking horn is pretty simple and basically serves as a method for the dispatcher or operator controlling the interlocking to communicate with train crews or other personnel who might happen to be in the area.  As you may have already surmised the use of binary state sound generators to transmit information have been generally supplanted by radios and mobile phones, but interlocking horns can still be found mounted on present day relay huts installed up through the current day (2014).

 I first learned of interlocking horns in a discussion of Pennsylvania Railroad block operation where they were described as being used to stop trains in an emergency if the operator became aware of an unsafe condition, but the train had already passed the controlling signal.  The operator would sound the horn and upon hearing it either the locomotive crew or (more likely) the rear end crew would bring the train to an immediate stop and use a line side telephone to communicate with the tower operator.  The practice always sounded a bit dodgy to me as trains are a loud place to work and unlike a visual signal it is a bit harder to verify that an alertness signal is not being sounded.  Still, horns can be made very loud and with 2 or 3 people riding in the caboose it was likely that at least somebody would catch the signal that the bridge ahead was out.  Still, a quick glance through the current NORAC rulebook shows that interlocking horns are a bit more complicated than that with a vocabulary that approximates the old trainline communication whistle system that was ultimately supplanted by crew radios.  Here is the exact text of NORAC rule 18.

18. Horn Signals Used by Dispatchers or Operators
The following are horn signals that may be used by Dispatchers or Operators at interlockings or other designated points. The signals are illustrated by “o” for short sounds and “—” for long sounds.
SOUND INDICATION
(a) — All movements within interlocking limits must stop immediately.
(b) o o Normal movement may be resumed after receiving the proper signal or permission of Operator.
(c) o o o Whistle or Horn test.
(d) o o o o Signal maintainer must call the Dispatcher or Operator.
(e) o o o o o Electric traction employee must call the Dispatcher or Operator.
(f) o o o o o o Trackman must call the Dispatcher or Operator.
(g) A bell, horn, white light or oscillating white light at remotely controlled signals and interlockings indicates that any employee, except on moving trains, must immediately communicate with the Dispatcher or Operator.

 Long story short the interlocking horn was intended to stop train movements or get some sort of wayside employee to call the dispatcher or operator.  In my discussions with current operators and dispatchers I have found that in modern times the horns are rarely used in this capacity.  More often than not they are used to scare children or other trespassers off the tracks or perhaps to warn nearby employees of approaching train movements although in those situations a full time whistle/safety man is often on had to do the job.

Naturally the Pennsylvania Railroad made frequent use of interlocking horns due to their embrace of and electro-pneumatic interlocking plants.  With a source of compressed air on hand, it was trivial to attach a horn to the side of the tower and then run a wire to a button inside.  Due to the length of some interlockings one horn would not be sufficient to provide warning at both ends so multiple horns were used with one being placed on the tower and others being mounted to remote air compressors or other air handling equipment.

Horn buttons in towers could be mounted on their own as seen in OVERBROOK, but often times they were placed on a panel with numerous other buttons for lights or communications or special interlocking functions.

The most common horn configuration makes use of two bells, one pointed in each direction to provide maximum coverage.  Usually the horn bells are symmetrical, but there are some examples of the horns being asymmetric.

The most amazing thing is that the concept of the interlocking horn outlasted the interlocking tower era itself.  Like point heaters and maintainer call lights interlocking horns were mounted on CTC era relay huts and hooked up to the code line for dispatchers to sound remotely.  Still, this isn't entirely surprising seeing that portable radios were not reliable until the 1980's and dispatchers still needed a way to get MoW crews in the area of a relay hut to phone home.  Where electrically operated switch machines removed the need for an on site compressed air plant, "klaxon" type electric horns were employed. As you can see with this example at NORGE interlocking on the CSX Peninsula Sub the small single bell was clearly intended to communicate with trackside workers and not the train crew.

Insect infestation is a problem in Tidewater Virginia.

Unfortunately as these and other 1970's era CTC relay houses are being replaced the new CSX standard hut does not provide for the continued employment of interlocking horns.  Even in the 1970's use of interlocking horns was not uniform as can be seen with LEE HALL interlocking being provided with an slender truck style horn while only two miles away WEST LEE HALL was not provided with one at all.

Truck horn and exposed cloth and tar insulated wire bundles.  Classy.

 As technology marched on so did the design and employment of the horns used at interlocking.  In fact some could barely be considered horns at all like this loudspeaker device mounted to the relay hut of LEADENHALL ST interlocking in downtown Baltimore, MD.

Interlocking horns were not just the purview of the PRR or former Chessie system lines.  Here we see a relay hut at CPO-4 on the D&H Colonie Sub which had been recycled from CPF-130 on the Freight Main Line sporting a small, 100% external klaxon type unit.

 New Jersey Transit is perhaps one of the last believers in the concept of the interlocking horn.  Here is a 2003 photo taken of the recently installed ATLANTIC interlocking relay hut in Atlantic City New Jersey with a compact twin bell unit mounted squarely on the side.

NJT is also committed to the lineside telephone box.

A decade later we see that NJT is still at it with a similar unit installed on the side of the brand new (2013) DIVIDE interlocking in Pennsauken, NJ.  A similar horn was applied to the new JORDAN interlocking two miles to the east.

Yes, that is a new relay hut design.

I am sure if I scoured my records thoroughly enough I could find other examples of interlocking horns on other railroads, but I am pretty sure you get the point.  The takeaway is that the next time you are out shooting some classic signal, make sure you get a nice closeup of that odd looking horn on the side of the relay house.  They are yet another disappearing vestige of our signaling and communications past.