Amtrak Zephyr Trip Report: The More Things Stay The Same

The last time I rode Amtrak's California Zephyr route was in 2017 just after there had been massive re-signaling over the Donner Pass, Utah and the Moffat Tunnel route compared to my previous trip in 2014.  Well 9 years later and surprisingly not much has changed, including the remaining instances of vintage signaling still on the route. 

Starting off with what has changed, UP completed re-signaling efforts over the Donner Pass including the few remaining signals around NORDEN. The SP vintage interlockings around Truckee have also been replaced, However most of the old SP era signal gantries remain standing and along with some of the now turned ABS signal masts on the west slope. Elsewhere on the Capitol Corridor some SP target signals may have been replaced by vertical color lights, but most are still intact. 

The "what stayed the same" list is much longer. First off is DAVIS interlocking which is still equipped with searchlights and a trackside pole line. Relay logic and a US&S unit lever local control power are likely still in the old interlocking tower. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos so here's stuff from 2017. 

In Nevada the SP re-signaled territory west of Winnemucca has been largely unchanged. 

Likewise the classic DRG&W signaling has been largely left in place between Helper and Grand Junction due to the lack of through traffic and the resulting PTC exemption. A few interlockings and ABS signal locations have been replaced and most still featured "turned" replacements, however little replacement progress has been made since 2017. 

BOND interlocking at the junction of the Moffat and  XXXX subs has retained its DRG&W signaling despite being in the PTC zone.  

Also on the approach to Denver Union Station UTAH JCT and FOX JCT are both intact with their original DRGW relay logic and searchlight signals.  

Like everything with signaling, the situation can change without warning so if you are road tripping through any of these areas plan on some side trips to visit these locations.  

NS Re-Signaling Old NKP West of Cleveland

Although far less significant than recent re-signaling in core N&W territory, NS is currently going after routes that were last modernized in the 1980's when the N&W / Southern union was still being figured out. This generation of "NS" signaling was exemplified by Safetran SL-20 modules in a vertical configuration with a simple obround backing, along with mast poles with low cost strap on rungs. Recent photos from 2026 show that a resignaling project is underway on the former NKP main line east of Cleveland. 

Replacements will be of the standard NS type and will add more capabilities for Restricting indications in both a R/Y and R/R/Y form. It is unclear if tubular cantilevers and gantries of 1980's vintage will be retained or replaced. 

Position Lights Replaced at QUEENS Interlocking

 In 2005 the future looked somewhat bright at QUEENS Interlocking. Although the US&S Model 14 interlocking machine has been taken out of service, the extra long interlocking plant had been rebuilt with brand new PRR style amber position light signals that were set to last 40 years or more. Well changes in LIRR operations that ultimately closed the tower in 2020 have now come for the position lights. LIRR's new "Reduced Aspect Signals" began to appear at the eastern end of QUEENS in 2023 and it was reported that the west end had had its position lights replaced. 

QUEENS East End RAS dwarfs in 2023

QUEENS eastbound PLs on the final day of service.

If there is a silver lining the classic eastbound PRR style signal bridge was retained for the new RAS dwarfs. It is also not entirely clear about what if anything replaced the intermediate PRR PL cantilevers. Or if their conversion is to occur at a later date. 

QUEENS intermediate PL cantilevers in the Winter of 2025/2026.

QUEENS was subjected to numerous re-configurations over the past 20 years as the Main Line 3rd Track project progressed and a new infill station was built at Elmont. When first rebuilt in 2005 QUEENS has 4 PL signal locations dividing the interlocking into 3 logical zones. From west to east this consisted of the original PRR PL gantry, Medium Speed crossovers, modern PL cantilevers, the 80mph high speed crossovers, a modern PL gantry, an unused portion and finally a PL "gantrylever".

Westbound PRR PL "gantrylever" protecting the future 80mph crossover location in 2015.

Original post-2005 configuration of QUEENS high speed turnouts. 

In 2023 the 3rd track project and Elmont station projects added crossovers into the east end, however instead of using the 2005 infrastructure that intended to support this very move, the LIRR depopulated the signal gantries in favor of RAS dwarfs and temporary PRR pedestal signals. 

It was unclear exactly what motivated this change, but the process now appears to be complete. This unfortunately represents a major loss of classic PRR amber position lights on modern 4-track structures.

Automatic Signals To Be Axed From NY Penn Station Lines 1 and 2

Amtrak is currently halfway through a project to rehabilitate its East River Tunnels that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy way back in 2012. Lines 1 and 2, the southern pair of tunnels between Manhattan and Queens, were subjected to significant salt water intrusion and although this water was removed in short order, the salt created long term reliability problems. The solution has been a three year project to completely gut the tunnels to the 1910 iron rings and then rebuild them with a new concrete liner and a no ballast trackway. As of now the project is half way complete with Line 2 rebuilt and ready for service.  

Unfortunately Amtrak has also taken the opportunity to remove the automatic block wayside signaling within the tunnel. A total of 13 automatic block signals, some dating all the way back to 1910, were removed from the 2.75 mile long Line 2 tunnel. The 5 eastbound and 6 westbound and 2 westbound repeater signals were replaced by Rule 562 cab signaling without fixed wayside signals.  Rule 280a "C" lamps were added to the 708WA and 704W signals in F interlocking along with a new 580E signal at JO interlocking at the western Line 2 tunnel portal replacing the 1E02 automatic. Similar to CP-MID in the North River tunnels between Penn Station and New Jersey, a new controlled point, CP-LOW, was installed 1000 feet east of the 1st Ave shaft for westbound movements. This creates two Rule 280a "super blocks" within the tunnel in case of cab signal failure. 

Existing ABS configuration for Lines 1 and 2 west 

Existing ABS configuration for Lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 east

In a similar fashion to Grand Central and the defunct Cleveland Union Terminal, Penn Station used a unique style of color light signal as the technology of high intensity, long life electric bubs was still relativity new with semaphores being the then state of the art. ABS signals in the East River tubes were of the "frog eye" variety to create an "offset head" appearance that was customary for automatic signals. The upper "head" had the typical R/Y/G lamps with G/Y on the lower. This allowed for a 4 or 5 block progression for trains approaching the slow speed Penn Station complex, Clear -> Approach Medium -> Approach Slow -> Restricting. As signals at Penn Station can only display slow speed indications at best, the two western ABS locations would best display Approach Medium -> Approach Slow. It is unclear how many cab signal blocks have replaced the 5-6 wayside blocks, but CP-LOW's ability to display Cab Speed (60mph) implies that it matches the high density cab signaling installed on the Jersey approaches. 

"Frog Eye' type NY Penn automatic signal pressed into absolute service.

At this point the adjacent Line 1 will be shut down and reconstructed in a similar fashion over the next 18 months. Fortunately Lines 3 and 4, primarily used by the LIRR, were not damaged in the storm and will be left in their original condition for the foreseeable future. As I mentioned before the North River tunnels were already re-signaled in the late 1990's and will be fully rebuilt after the opening of the new Gateway tunnels in the 2030's.

Amtrak THORN Tower to Close Aug 8, 2026

For over a year I have been tracking the slow motion closure of Amtrak's THORN interlocking tower. located on the old PRR Main Line in Thorndale, PA Opened in 1938 as part of the PRR's electrification project to Harrisburg, THORN was equipped with a state of the art CTC unit lever console controlling  4 remote interlockings in addition to the local 6(!) track full crossover. THORN's extended territory, including FRAZER interlocking which was commissioned in 1994, is what has allowed for the prolonged multi-year closure, which will take place just shy of the tower's 90th year in continuous operation.

Since the first part of THORN's territory, CALN interlocking, was chipped away back in 2020, the local 6-track crossover was rationalized and then turned over to CTEC control while the THORN operator continued to handle SEPTA movements in and out of Frazer yard as well as the daily NS freight entering the line at GLEN. More recently DOWNS interlocking was prepared for complete removal, its signals left standing as the change point between CTEC and THORN's control.  In the final act, kicking off in early 2026, GLEN and FRAZER interlockings were reconstructed with the goal of a Rule 562 cutover once all of the work had been completed. 

THORN interlocking as rationalized in 2023

The closure will bring full bi-directional operation between THORN and PAOLI, with the segment between FRAZER and PAOLI remaining outside the Rule 562 zone for now. The much diminished PAOLI tower is likely next on the list for closure before the heavy lift of installing Rule 562 on the core of the old 4-track "Main Line" begins. One loss that's easy to overlook is the now vestigial limited speed triangle at DOWNS interlocking with those at BRYN MAWR likely the only set remaining outside of Canada.

Another loss will be the intermediate signals at Exton, which were easily accessible from the SEPTA parking lot and well positioned for photography. 

For persons desiring photos of these, the Milepost 29 signals or what's left of DOWNS, you probably have until August 7th assuming transition operations will take place overnight. At 1:30pm on August 8th, THORN's final staffed shift will end. The tower is directly adjacent to the Happy Day's Diner for anyone looking to mark the event. 

Art's LIRR Archives Online...For Now

 Word on the street is that the street is that the person behind Art's LIRR Archives, Art Huneke, has recently passed away. While not quite the #1 source on LIRR tower information, Art's wonderfully Web 1.0 Archive contains a huge amount of primary source material on the evolution of the LIRR in the 19th and early 20th centuries. While the tower and signaling information is scattered throughout the site, it does reward those who take the time to find it. Special attention is given to the older generation of LIRR towers and cabins that were closed in the mid-20th century modernization projects. The page has a wide collection of diagrams and bulletin order scans to track the life and death of these less well known LIRR towers as the rail road evolved into its present form. 

For example Art has extensive coverage of the LIRR's Bay Ridge Branch towers, like NO above, that were opened with the 1928 electrification only to be closed by 1932. In turn we see a photo of the tower that remained open, FN aka FREEMONT, with a Conrail era blue station sign. Other Bay Ridge towers include NU, KN, MJ and of course POND.

At this point there is no word on what will happen to the website so I urge all of you to check it out. Because its all Web 1.0, it is pretty easy to create local copies of the content via the "Save Webpage Complete" function in your browser. Other major signaling content includes:

• B TOWER at Bethpage Jct
• RJ Tower at Rockaway Jct
• R Tower at Richmond Hill
• J/JAY interlocking Construction
• MP/DUNTON Towers 
• WL/LEAD Tower
• BLISS tower
• DB Dutch Kills Draw Cabin 
• PD Tower 
• MV and OLIVET towers
• M Cabin
• D Cabin

MARC's Empty ACSES Bracket

In 2020 MARC moved to switch from Amtrak's ACSES transponder based PTC system to the ETMS system used by freight railroads that is more reliant on GPS and data radios. Using two different head units was likely more costly in both equipment and training and dual-equipping rail lines for both ETMA and ACSES has become fashionable over the past decade.  

When I first reported on this move, the ACSES transponder antenna was located in a fairly prominent location behind the fuel tank on MARC's MP36PH-3C locomotives. Since that time the bracket has remained, but the antenna has been stripped off with the cable left dangling.  

I guess MARC is happy with its decision as removing the antenna would make it harder to switch back.

Twilight of ATS on the Raton Pass Route

It wasn't long after ETMS PTC systems had been commissioned that the railroads using the older IIATS system went on a tear to decommission the old upside-down canoes. Most notably affected were the CNW-North and Northwest commuter lines operated by METRA, large parts of the ATSF Transcon in Arizona and Missouri and the Amtrak Surfliner route between Fullerton and San Diego. Apart of the NJT RiverLINE, which uses the IIATS shoes as a magnetic trip stop, the last main line use of IIATS is on Amtrak's Southwest Chief route between Albuquerque, NM and La Junta, CO. 

Since BNSF yeeted IIATS off its main lines in 2021, the status of ATS on the Raton Pass route has been somewhat "indeterminate". IIATS had been in service on New Mexico Passenger Rail Authority owned track between Albuquerque and Lamy, NM and as of 2025 the shoes were still in place minus some contraction at the southern end of the territory. Fixed IIATS shoes were also present on the BNSF owned Glorieta Sub to protect specific curves with full ATS territory present on the Raton Sub between Trinidad and La Junta, CO. Imagery shows that the BNSF territory IIATS shoes were also still in place as of 2025.

One might recognize the Raton Pass route as hosting the dwindling number of main line semaphore signals as well as the last main line Wig Wag. That is because the only regular traffic on this stretch of track is Amtrak's daily Sunset passenger train. As a result the route is both PTC exempt and at the absolute bottom of BNSF's priority for capital improvements or even basic maintenance. So while the ATS inductors were still in place it was plausible that the requirement for its operation had been removed along with the rest of the Chief route. Fast forward to 2026 when I noticed this Amtrak delay report for May 12th's westbound Southwest Chief.

3(12) with engines 167 and 14 with 225 customers onboard was delayed departing Chicago Union Station account mechanical was working on loading issues with engine 14. 3 departed Chicago 17 minutes late at 14:42. 3 was further delayed account being stuck in penalty on M1 at CP Roosevelt just outside the station. Mechanical responded to the train, the train maintained HEP. Mechanical initially resolved the issue and the train departed but was soon stopped again in penalty. Mechanical then bad ordered engine 167 and instructed the train to shove back to Union Station. Mechanical responded to the station to replace the ATS shoe on engine 167. The train departed Chicago a 2nd time after an additional 1 hour and 57 minute delay. 

So yes, IIATS is still in service on the Raton Pass route and leading locomotives on Amtrak's Trains 3 and 4 are required to have ATS equipment. A quick check has shown that the new ALC-42 Chargers do not lead on the Chief for this very reason (they were not built with such an old school protection system). Unfortunately Amtrak has filed a petition with the FRA to discontinue the system at least on the BNSF Subdivisions. The reason cited is a lack of 90mph running as opposed to the more typical PTC replacement excuse.

Even when the petition is granted it is unclear if BNSF will bother removing the inductors or clipping wires in the signal cabinets since they don't really get in the way. It is also unclear if the NMPRA (RailRunner) will retire its ATS system at the same time or if that system is even used by anything other than Amtrak trains 3 and 4. 

One final mystery is what happened to the IIATS system on the Raton and La Junta subs in the mid 2000's. In that time speeds on both subdivisions dropped from 90mph to 79mph (the non-ATS equipped national rail speed limit). However all or part of that ATS territory was still in place up to and including the present day (2026). If the track class was downgraded from 5 to 4, it's plausible that use of 79mph instead of 80mph is just a reflexive tic for the BNSF rules department. However I had also been informed that ATS had been "taken out of service" on these line segments despite the fact the timetables had ATS in service. If anyone knows please leave a comment, but if I had to guess BNSF may have started skipping some testing requirement necessary for the speeds greater than 80.

Caught on Camera: New CSX Signal Rules in Action

A few months ago I posted about CSX's two new "Canadian" style signal rules, 281E Limited Approach Medium and 281F Limited Approach Limited, to augment its existing Rule 283A Medium Approach Medium and 283B Medium Approach Slow. Although established in 2024, I had not been expecting to catch one in the wild for some time as railroads tend to bend over backwards to avoid signal modifications if they can be avoided. Sightings of the new signal indications had mostly been in former Seaboard System territory in Georgia and Florida. Therefore you can imagine my surprise when, after stepping off Amtrak Empire Service Train 281, I saw a Rule 281D Limited Approach upgrade to Rule 281F, Limited Approach Limited at Chicago Line interlocking CP-292.

Now Rule 281D Limited Approach has been present on the Seaboard main lines for several decades, and although it is an odd duck, by seeming to authorize Limited speed up to a stop signal instead of Medium, this could have been present as part of the general Chicago Line re-signaling of the 2010's. The Rule 281F indication has to have been added since September 2024  so that is evidence of more system-wide changes on the part of CSX. 

As to why CSX is retrofitting existing interlockings as opposed to using 281E/F only in new projects my guess would be this is a downstream cost of PTC speed enforcement. Not so much in the sense that crews would "cheat" when 283A Medium Approach Medium was displayed for Limited Speed turnouts (although they probably did), but PTC's conservative braking curves could be raising the cost of signal indications that leave speed on the table. 

CSX Removing Cab Signals Is Not an "Upgrade"

Ever since CSX turned against the cab signaling system on the RF&P, the "Rule 562" cab signaling without fixed wayside signals on the former Conrail Boston Line has looked increasingly out of place. The only part of Conrail's 1990's cab signal push that was taken over by CSX, the Boston Line east of CP-187 has technically required CSX to entire that the 4 or so daily road freights have CSS equipped leading locomotives that have also carried out the perfunctory cab signal test. Although Selkirk yard has to handle similar requirements for freight on Amtrak's Hudson Line, those can be handled by a dedicated pool of local power. Road freights, on the other hand, are likely to arrive with unequipped leaders requiring a potentually time consuming engine swap.

Although Boston Line cab signals were recently extended east of Framingham as part of the MBTA's ACSES PTC implementation, CSX has become increasingly vocal about removing the Conrail era system west of Worcester. This "demand" has made it into a state funded East-West rail corridor improvement program and if you think that using state funds to adjust a fully modern, privately owned signaling system is insulting, the state has the audacity to label the cab signal removal as a "capacity improvement".

For anyone not familiar with the technology, continuous cab signals provide real time block status updates when a train is within the typically 2-mile long fixed track circuit blocks. Through this mechanism cab signaling is what provides a capacity improvement over fixed wayside signaling. (Recall that as far as I am aware, ETMS PTC systems are not cab signaling as they currently do not meet the requirements for safety critical operation. IE they can be trusted to stop trains, but cannot make them go.)

So why is a state government website proclaiming this to be a capacity improvement? It's possible that they figure its best to frame every state funded change as an improvement and assume that only me and three other people will ever notice. However a recent photo I came across hints at what CSX might be doing to make this statement true. 

The photo shows a Conrail era signal in the Pittsfield area displaying a Rule 280a "Clear to Next Interlocking" 'C' lamp. This is supplied in Rule 562 territory to allow trains to proceed to the next interlocking at track speed in case of cab signal failure. Sometimes called "super clear" it is normally a hard signal to catch in the wild since cab signal failures aren't typically predictable. While it is certainly possible the photographer got lucky or caught wind of a special movement, I believe a more likely situation is that CSX is running non-cab signal equipped leading locomotives on its through freights and relying on Rule 280a as a standard operating procedure. This would create functional blocks over 10 miles long, thus seriously reducing capacity. So in theory, by jamming a broom handle in the spokes of the bike it is riding, CSX could have created the conditions where removing continuous cab signals would increase capacity. 🙄

'A' Box Demolished and Other Changes at Wellington, NZ Terminal

About a year ago I reported on the closure of Wellington A Box, the last operating main line signalbox in all of New Zealand. This week one of my correspondents is on vacation there and I was a bit surprised when he said that he had been unable to spot old A Box for a photo.  Well it turns out the signalbox was demolished just a few months after it was closed. KiwiRail even posted a video of its demolition as if this wasn't a major failure of historic preservation.

Anyway, my correspondent also sent me this video of his train coming off the Johnsonville Line and through A interlocking. In a bit of good news one can see that the "standard" New Zealand LED color light signals have been recently replaced by LED searchlights, bringing back a major design detail of the pre-2006 "rail modernization" drive. 



You can see the difference compared to this head end video taken in 2024. The US&S M23 point machines with the external controller relays are a nice touch. 

Little Boxes, Little Boxes

If the age of the Safetran scallop shell is actually ending, what appears to be replacing it are little boxes and they all look just the same. Of course modular square box housing signals are nothing new with the GRS D Type seeing widespread use up through the 1980's along with offerings from Harmon and L&W (which I have touched on before). What's interesting is that the new era of "little boxes" appear a bit more homogenous than the last so if we are seeing an end to the scallop shell era, what comes next could be equally bland. 

Above are new signals from Lindsay recently installed on the DART Silver Line. Lindsay had previously gotten the adjacent Texrail account and at the time I noted that its single color modular offerings still featured the GE logo, which put them in the lineage of Harmon.  Well the new batch used on the Silver Line have swapped out the GE circle for the Lindsay swoosh (which itself is vaguely reminiscent of the original Harmon logo). 

Now look at the new signal from Progress Rail that is being deployed on new projects by CSX. Looks awfully familiar to what Lindsay is selling. Keep in mind that little of these box designs would be protected by intellectual property apart from the logo so new market entrants are effectively free to copy what is in essence a cast aluminum box with a hinged door.

Of course this warrants comparison with Union Switch and Signal's attempt to enter this market segment 30 some odd years ago. While also a box, the lines are crisper and the design far less cluttered, which probably indicates an elevated price point. DART famously used blank US&S modules to increase the height of its mast style signals, but away from the public transport sector, the US&S boxes saw limited adoption.

Anyway with the scallop shell monopoly now broken, it will be interesting to see if we get additional "little box" suppliers or perhaps something more paradigm changing like LED searchlights.

Amtrak Harrisburg Line Re-Signaling Hits FRAZER

I have previously discussed the drown out closure of Amtrak's THORN tower in Thorndale, PA. Recently the re-signaling efforts have hit FRAZER interlocking where new colorized position light masts have replaced the old amber style PLs. This is just another symptom of the eastern end of Thorn's territory being converted from its 1937 ABS 251 CTC to contemporary Rule 261 CTC. 

FRAZER is an interesting part of THORN's zone of responsibility. As covered in Part 2 of my old PRR Main Line signal survey, FRAZER was placed in service around 1994 when the old Paoli MU shoppe complex was closed due to massive PCB contamination stretching back to 1915. As a replacement a new yard and inspection shoppe was opened near Frazer, PA, extending basic SEPTA R5 service an additional stop to Malvern, PA. The only problem was that there was no interlocking infrastructure at the Frazer location to to support what is SEPTA's busiest commuter rail line. The solution was a new interlocking, FRAZER, that consisted of a yard lead, a turnback track and a center pocket track where eastbound R5 trains could wait for any conflicting movements to clear up.

There was some initial debate about whom would control the interlocking as in 1994 the entire Amtrak Harrisburg Line was still paper dispatched and FRAZER was located directly between the territories of THORN and PAOLI towers. A 1994 fire at BRYN MAWR tower forced the issue when PAOLI  took remote control of that interlocking leaving only THORN with the necessary spoons for more territory. However the increased workload did bump the operator's position at THORN to that of a higher paid Train Director. 

Because FRAZER was located in single direction Rule 251 territory about 4 miles from an existing interlocked crossover, it was not deemed necessary to give FRAZER universal crossovers of its own, so only a training point path was provided mainly for R5 trains heading east. Because this part of the Main Line was built with 4 tracks, there was ample room for a centrally placed pocket track. 

FRAZER is likely the last new Amtrak interlocking constructed with amber PRR position light signals. By 1994 the conversion of the NEC to colorized PRR position lights (a downstream outcome of the Chase, MD wreck) was well under way, but with no plans to convert the old PRR Main Line (Amtrak Harrisburg Line) FRAZER was designed with amber lamps for the sake of commonality. This view was incredibly short lived as PAXON and WOODBINE interlockings built to support the new Overbrook Maintenance Facility just a year or two later would have the position color lights.

It is unclear if FRAZER's conversion is part of a full re-signaling or just a modification to support both the colorized signals, bi-directional operation and Rule 562 cab signals without fixed wayside signals. Dwarf and pedestal signals unaffected by\the changes do not appear to be facing replacement along with the primary relay hut. New Rule 562 signal indication points between FRAZER and THORN are in place along with new signal equipment at GLEN and the planned decommissioning of DOWNS. If I am not mistaken, this will also be the first time SEPTA crews have to deal with Rule 280a "Clear to Next Interlocking" signals on their regular territory as their own Rule 562 territory lacks this feature, instead handling cab signal failures with dispatcher issued Form D's.

Former Dallas Terminal Railroad Re-signaling

 The Dallas Terminal Railroad can be considered to be in the midst of a slow-motion re-signaling, partly set off by Amtrak move from Union Pacific to TRE routing between Dallas and Fort Worth. This matters because the stretch of of 5 back-to-back interlockings, while "modern" in appearance, actually represents a vestige of late stage relay interlocking installed in the 80's or 90's with quirky signals of a non-Safetran nature.

The stretch in question used to be covered by the Dallas Terminal Railroad's Towers 106 and 107 that managed the west and east ends of Dallas Union Station. This has since become part of the Union Pacific Dallas Sub and from east to west consists of REUNION, DALLAS, JFK JCT, TRE JCT and INDUSTRIAL X-OVER interlockings. An additional interlocking, BN CONNECTION, makes up the third corner of the wye with TRE JCT and JFK JCT.

Around 2015 Amtrak shifted from the UP Dallas Sub to the ex-Rock Island Trinity Rail Express commuter route west of Union Station. Around 2023 the switch that connected the Amtrak platform at Union Station to the Dallas Sub was removed along with the west leg of the wye, turning both TRE JCT, BN CONNECTION and the TRE portion of JFK JCT into vestigial interlockings with signals guarding empty track. REUNION also saw the removal of the crossover to the east end of the Dallas MoW/passenger car storage track. 

In 2026 the other shoe dropped with the vestigial JFK JCT signals being removed and new signals going up at DALLAS. I don't know the exact plans, but there are two clear options. The first is that DALLAS loses its crossover and becomes an interlocked connection to the MoW stub with other interlockings staying unchanged. The second, and what I consider to be the more likely scenario, is that JFK JCT will be merged into DALLAS with INDUSTRIAL XOVER and the vestigial TRE JCT being eliminated along with BN CONNECTION. Currently trains on track #1 encounter 4 signals within 3000 feet, not a situation that is likely to play nice with PTC. Moreover, INDUSTRIAL XOVER duplicates the facing point crossover available at DALLAS. While its possible INDUSTRIAL XOVER might be kept something tells me that it is surplus to requirements.

So why does this all matter? Like I said the current setup uses late stage all or partial relay logic and non-Safetran signals consisting of L&W modular and GRS monobloc equipment. Second the close signal spacing introduced some very interesting signal progressions. In fact because of the sharp turn of the Dallas Sub at JFK JCT, the default progression for track #1 westbound is an Approach Restricting at DALLAS to a Diverging Clear (straight clear is onto the TRE) at JFK JCT. I suspect the new interlocking will display a Clear to UP train movements despite the curve. All together, what is an accessible place to observe interesting signal indications on interesting signals is about to get much less interesting, even if the exact amount of uninterestingness remains to be seen.