Amtrak's New Position Light Configuration

Following from Pennsylvania railroad practices, Amtrak used the following two configurations for all of its "complete" position color light mast signals at interlockings. They either have a lunar white Restricting \, or they don't. In both cases the single central lunar white Stop and Proceed marker has been retained.  

While most other North American railroads have shifted to using Restricted Proceed in place of Stop and Proceed, Amtrak, and the NORAC rulebook for whom Amtrak is the biggest member, have both retained the Stop and Proceed practice.  

So consider my surprise when saw the recently installed colorized position light signals at Amtrak's new LEGGETT interlocking on the Hellgate Line. The restricting \ is present, but, please correct me if I am wrong, I believe this is the first time I have seen Amtrak PL interlocking signals without a Stop and Proceed marker. 
 

Part of  the Penn Station Access Project, these colorized position lights are the first of many that will wipe out the last stretch of amber position lights on the NEC (PHIL is a point, not a stretch) and they appear to indicate a shift at Amtrak towards that all important stop before entering an occupied block.

In case your wondering the typical Amtrak signal progression is to display a Stop and Proceed if there is an obstruction within the interlocking limits and a Restricting (if available) if the interlocking is clear, but the block beyond is not. The stop certainly seems like a worthwhile safety precaution, but the distinction between it and Restricted proceed is minimal, mostly just the salience of entering a stretch of track with an obstruction or broken rail. 
 

As you can see the new signals on the replacement Portal Bridge have retained the Stop and Proceed marker, but that project was designed and specified some years before Penn Station Access. So it remains to be seen if this is the shape of things to come, or a one off trial. 

 

 

View From the Head End

Recently a Youtube channel appeared called View From The Head End, that was posting complete head end cab videos from Amtrak trains. These were not the more typical "reversed" videos taken from a rear facing window, but legit head end videos that documented both signals and signaling. More significantly the videos were up to date, likely all recorded within the last couple of years. My first thought was that someone had recently retired because since the early 2000's Amtrak (and I assume most railroads) have been somewhat anal about employees moonlighting as content creators. Well, I guess they hadn't retired because if you haven't noticed the link is broken and the entire channel is gone.

While the practice of workers recording head end videos to feed Youtube channels seems to be quite common in Europe (where I should add its practically impossible to fire railway workers), there are surprisingly few full-line inside-the-cab videos from North America. Up through the early 2000's there was a cottage industry head end videos being sold at "Train Shows" on either VHS or DVD. Some of these were professionally produced by outfits like Pantex, while others were made by AV savvy employees with access to a Hi-8 camera and a capture card. Unfortunately the rise of The Internet brought this wildcat era of video to an end as the speed of information made it easier for previously underground works to become known by regulators, the media and lawyers.

In the early years of Youtube, spotty internet connections and the more ephemeral nature of online data encouraged folks to save off important video content like head end videos. This practiced has decreased as the internet became more reliable overall, however when you find something that seems too good to last, you might want to leap into action and save off a local copy. In a sliver of good news I was able to watch some of the videos before they vanished and resolve some outstanding signal questions I had.

Meanwhile if you'd like something similar to watch I can provide two pairs of videos from the late 2000's covering an Acela trip from Boston to NYP (head end) and the Former Conrail Chicago Line between Buffalo and Albany (rear facing). Intended for Train Show (tm) sale both had been scrubbed of ambient cab sounds and the Chicago Line also being video reversed (which I was able to undo). Although mostly silent, the Chicago Line video in particular captures the NYC/Conrail signaling immediately before its complete replacement ~2010.

New Pittsburgh Line Interlockings

Norfolk Southern's ability to extort the state of Pennsylvania to add additional passenger frequencies on the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line is resulting in a slew capacity expansion projects in the form of "new" interlockings and additional tracks. I use the quotes as some of the interlockings are actually restorations of those that existed within living memory, but were removed for the sake of efficiency. 

Restoration of the old SG and NY interlockings.

The first phase of this work is underway at the set of the old SG interlocking west of Johnstown. The new crossovers will allow Amtrak trains to use both sides of the single island platform that serves tracks 2 and 3. Currently if track #2 is unavailable, trains must use main track #3 which follows the slower route of the old Sang Hollow Extension for 15 miles between CP-CONPIT and CP-C since SG interlocking was removed by Conrail around 1980. 

Returning 3 tracks to the Rockville Bridge

Additional changes include the restoration of CP-WEST PITT, removed by NS around 2007, a new crossover on the West Slope near the old NY interlocking between CP-SO and CP-MO, a new third main track between CP-ALTOON and CP-ANTIS, a new interlocking on the Altoona raceway between CP-ANTIS and CP-GRAY and another third main track between CP-BANKS and CP-HARRIS, which would restore a third track to the Rockville Bridge which was lost around 2000. Summary details of the project can be found here with a 2021 report providing more details of the track and interlocking changes. Note the report is not gospel as photos of the new CP-SG show parallel crossovers instead of a universal crossover.

Although no longer equipped with Conrail/PRR era signals, the NS Pittsburgh Line is still Rule 562 cab signaled with "C" lamps, so more interlockings means adding signals where automatics were previously removed.

Adios B&O MEXICO Tower

The reason I tend to miss a lot of closures and demolitions is because I don't tend to seek out news that will leave me bummed and depressed. In another example of bad news I missed the B&O's "M" aka MEXICO tower, near Cumberland, MD, was apparently demolished in September of 2023. The three story 1950's brick tower was similar to many across the B&O and, with its CPL bracket masts, had served as a backdrop to the local railfanning scene for decades.

CSX has been engaged in a long term project to convert the former hump classification yard to flat switching and a large obstacle to this was the physical hump and related structures.  MEXICO, built at the same time as the classification infrastructure, was located some 2 miles away at the eastern end of the yard leads and was in good structural condition.  Although its possible that CSX plans to alter the track configuration at MEXICO interlocking at some future date, I suspect that since they had already contracted for the asbestos remediation guys to come out for the yard hump tower, also getting rid of MEXICO could have come with little additional cost. 

Former Cumberland Yard hump infrastructure

Closed as an interlocking station in the mid-1990s, the relay based GRS plant was not re-signaled until the mid-2010's. Unless similar B&O towers at GREENE JCT (boarded up) and PATERSON CREEK (derelict), MEXICO saw use as an active railroad structure, either for maintenance crews or a rest facility for departing road freights.  The implementation of new service plans that generally sidelined the old system of classification yards may have played a role as Cumberland would see less originating eastbound trains and therefore less need for a standing structure to support the crews.

I personally only get to visit the location once on the ground, getting my photos from the road bridge like everyone else, although I had many opportunities for photos from the Capitol Limited with the last occurring in 2019.  Of those B&O towers that still survive, PATTERSON CREEK, only about 4 miles away from MEXICO as the crow flies, would be the most similar example.

NECR Resignaling Project is Complete

I can report that the re-signaling of the New Englande Centrale's main line that hosts Amtrak's Vermonter north of the Massachusetts border has been completed. While I had previously reported on the state of this project, I can confirm that all legacy signaling has now been replaced. While the diamond at Bellows Falls was perhaps the most visible of the final round of changes, the north end of the Putney siding was also re-signaled. 

As always there are a few interesting details I should point out. The previously reported signaling anomaly at Bellows Falls resulting from a old double to single track conversion, has been eliminated. Trains at Bellows Falls now get a Clear signal indication for a straight route at Wapole siding as opposed to the previous Approach Medium to Medium Clear. 

The holdout signal at SOUTH BELLOWS FALLS has been retained, evidently to allow interchange with the Green Mountain Railroad without needing to seize the main line all the way to Putney.

The entire NECR portion of the line has done away with the Boston and Maine / Guilford practice of ultra-long ABS blocks. Now signal blocks will be a more uniform 2-4 miles which limits the impact of track circuit failures and increases capacity.

Having been re-signaled just prior to the start of the most recent project, the South Putney interlocking will be the only non-standard signal location on the line with a poor man's bracket mast for southbound trains and the use of Safetran scallop shell modules as opposed to Progress Rail square modules.

Although an honorable mention goes to the old northbound searchlight signal on the Bellows Falls platform that was so popular as a photo backdrop. That has been moved to the adjacent park around the Bellows Falls Chamber of Commerce.

It will be interesting to see if this affects on time performance or the schedule at all. In theory replacing the TWC with CTC for the 10 or so miles south of Brattleboro could allow a speed increase.

New Signals Up At THORN

 Although not much has changed regarding the ultimate fate of THORN tower, recent photos do show what the new signaling situation is going to look like. In the eastbound direction the triple signal bridge covering tracks 1, 2 and 5 Running, have gotten the Safetrain upgrade with Rule 562 'C' boards turned. Although not yet in photos, it is expected that track 4 will also be getting a PL mast signal to replace the existing reverse direction dwarf. SEPTA is tentatively resuming service to Coatesville upon the completion of new station facilities in 2025 which includes a semi-restoration of #2 track to a point just past the new station for the daily NS regional freight. 

In the westbound direction new PL masts are up on tracks 1 and 2 to replace the reverse direction dwarfs and its assumed that a new gantry mounted signal will be in store for #4 track.  The real surprise is what looked to be a new westbound full PL mast signal on what used to be the Low Grade Freight Line track. The old THORN had maintained a vestigial signal in that same location, but despite the rationalization of the former 6-track full crossover, it seems the low grade stub track has not only been retained, but is being prepared for use. What that use might be remains to be seen, but a mast capable of displaying Medium and Limited speed signals could imply SEPTA trains making some sort of switchback maneuver after discharging on Thorndale's track #4 platform or coming out of some yet to be built storage tracks on the footprint of the old PRR Thorndale facility. 

The THORN interlocking cutover is still planned for later in June with DOWNS to lose its switches before complete removal. GLEN and FRAZER will be turned over to the dispatcher by the end of 2025 closing THORN as an active interlocking station.

NECR / Central Vermont Changes You May Have Missed

While I have been posting much about the loss of former Boston and Maine searchlight signaling on the New Englande Centrale, a couple of other changes on the Central Vermont end of the CT Valley corridor caught my eye. While B&M ownership and CTC ended at Windsor, at some point in the 1990's the Statge of Vermont and/or Amtrak got some money to install about 10 miles of new CTC between there and White River Jct. Unlike the low cost B&M system, the CTC extension had regular 2-3 mile long blocks with vertical color lights, but no new interlockings or passing points.



Upon closer inspection one might notice that the type of color light signal are the short lived mono-housing GRS variety that are also present around LA Union Station, Dallas Union Station and the extreme northern end of the Conrail Lehigh Line.



Anyway in an absolutely baffling decision that was probably the result of generous Federal funding, the NECR also replaced the completely modern CTC extension several years before the 1950's B&M signaling. The new signals consist of hooded LED modular units from Progress Rail The new mast-on-relay-hut signals replaced the older and slightly smaller mast-on-relay-hut signals and feature Canadian style "R" boards in both directions as well as new number places with direction suffixes. The change took place between 2022 and 2024 and mirrors the new signaling installed between EAST NORTHFIELD and Brattleboro, VT.



Another change came in the form of a further CTC extension all the way through the White River Junction area sometime in the 2010's. This change took place between 2012 and 2019 and includes interlockings north and south of White River Jct.



Stay tuned for at least one additional post covering the recent history of signaling in the Connecticut River Valley.

CSX Continues to Attack the Big Four

Turns out that the River Line isn't the only part of Conrail territory currently under attack by CSX signaling crews as I just saw that CSX had replaced the 1990's Conrail vintage signals at CP-37 on the former Indianapolis Line in Wellington, Ohio. This portion of the line had been re-signaled late in the Conrail era and could otherwise be considered "modern" instead of a NY Central legacy holdover. The three track eastbound signal bridge could be considered a local railfan landmark.

The westbound cantilever was likewise replaced. The portion of the Indy Line between Berea and Greenwich is notable for carrying bulk of CSX traffic from the former Conrail territory in NY State before it switches onto the old B&O route to Chicago via Willard. 

To be determined if this is a wide area project or more hen pecking. The signal aspects being Conrail or Seaboard will be a hint. Other signals south of Greenwitch, like these NYC-looking tri lights at CP-189 in Ansonia, OH, are also being replaced.

Unfortunately this is not a part of the country that I have good access to so hopefully some locals are getting all the necessary pictures.

Guilford Country Resignaling Updates

With the re-signaling of the former Guilford Rail System/Boston & Maine Western Route Main Line accelerating rapidly, I managed to carry out a multi-day road trip to gauge the situation and take what photos I could. With the re-signaling already complete between the Mass border an the Exeter, NH area I started at Dover, NH and worked my way north to Saco, ME.

My first discovery was that CSX was doing more than just swapping out the signaling and the signal rules. Outside of the MBTA zone the interlockings have all been renamed from the Guilford era CPF-Milepost format to location based names, some of which call back to B&M telegraph cores and others more modern things like road names. Overall this marks an improvement as the CPF names were a result of the crazy Guilford owner kitbashing a 715 mile long main line between Mattawamkeag, ME and Sunbury, PA in 1981. Changing the interlocking names was actually in support of moving away from the Guilford's "Freight Main Line" 0 to 715 mileposts. Unfortunately CSX did not restore the original B&M mileposts from Boston and instead established an MP 0 in Portland Maine that increases as one travels west. Although the chaining was not changed, stone "Boston" mileposts defaced with spray paint instead of reused.

Main track Clear at CPF-243

New signal bridge at Rollingsford Jct

In the Dover area the B&M signaling, including classic signal gantries, is very much on its way out. The holdout signals at CPF-244 in downtown Dover are also going to be removed without replacement due to the reduced need for switching movements that need to occupy the main line. Dover actually represents a bit of a B&M signaling island right now as just over the Main border, double tracking improvements have already ushered in Seaboard signaling all the way through Wells, ME.

Part of these improvements include a new full crossover designated WILLIE west of the Wells, ME Downeaster station. The only details of note is that standard CSX switch procurement is now from Apex and the color light signal modules are now from Progress Rail instead of Safetran.

Milepost 211 searchlight automatic. Note the new CSX milepost number.

The section between Wells and Saco was re-signaled by Guilford in the 1990's with brand new SA searchlights, however new signal mast footings are in place at all of the locations as CSX can't let us have nice things.  CSX has also replaced all of the former Guilford defect detectors with brand new units, which runs counter to their practice after the Conrail merger where CR readouts lingered for over a decade.

Turned signal mast at Saco.

At Saco a turned target type signal awaits an unknown fate. The sale to CSX caught some of the Guilford's own re-signaling projects in mid-stride. If any Federal funds were used as part of Downeaster service improvements, it might be difficult for CSX to scrap this work so we will have to see what they choose to do. 

CPF-LO w/b dwarfs

The corridor between Lowell and Ayer has seen no recent activity on the part of CSX. This might be due to the state of Mass owning all of part of the infrastructure or just the lack of passenger operations bumping down the priority. I am pretty sure the state owns the Northern Route Main Line to the wye junction north of town and possibly to the New Hampshire border and plans for Nashua commuter rail will likely dissuade CSX from making changes the government might ultimately pay for. While I already reported on the re-signaling of Lowell's BY interlocking by MBTA, CPF-LO west of the station is intact, although all connections to MBTA tracks have been cut. 

CPF-307 eb-B&M signal bridge

CPF-307 new w/b searchlight mast.

The ABS signals and CTC siding on the Guilford track between Lowell and Ayer are also intact with each end of the siding featuring an intact B&M signal bridge. CPF-307 even has what appears to be a fairly new 3-head searchlight mast, although it is unclear if this was carried out under CSX or Guilford.

CSX Finds a New Old Off Brand M23

I few years ago I posted an article covering changes to the US&S logo over time as seen on its M3/M23 line of electric point machines. This article also covered off brand copies of the M3 from companies such as Patco Rail Services and Vossloh. CSX in particular had gone all in on the Vossloh "VSM-24" product.

Well it appears that CSX has found a new supplier, kinda.  Apex Rail Automation appears to have taken over Vossloh's VSM-24 production line as the only thing that has changes is the stenciling and the lack of a cast company name on the circuit controller housing.

Of course the other news headline is that CSX is replacing its B&O era GRS Model 5F and 5H machines in B&O territory.  Maybe Vossloh made CSX a offer they couldn't refuse and then realized they then couldn't make a profit. We'll see if Apex has any better luck.

NS Ashville Cantilever is Kaput

I have seen photos of the great Southern RR cantilever signal in downtown Ashville, NC being cut down for scrap. With modern style ABS signals in the flood affected area now turned out of service it appears that Hurricane Helene has done what NS failed to do with a previous FRA petition failed to do and end the heritage signaling on at least part of the former Southern S-Line. 

Let's be clear, the only reason the S-Line still had much of its former Southern RR signaling was because declines in coal traffic had ended through trains on the line and NS was trying to actively discontinue the signaling system. Much of the line was still operating under Rule 271 (aka TWC/ABS) with a lot of the signaling dating from around 1980 in the late Southern era with generally more modern signal structures, but split ABS masts following the right-hand-rule.

Although NS appears to be scrapping the Southern-era signals on the hurricane damaged portions of the line around Ashville and into Tennessee, it is unclear if the FRA will re-visit the abandonment or if some sort of bog standard NS Rule 261 setup will replace it.  Also, the parts of the line not damaged by flooding will probably remain unchanged as the State of NC is making noise about passenger service on the route which will come with Federal $ for a resignaling project.

Another One I Missed: Conrail BRIDGE Tower Closed and Demolished

Up through 2019 Detroit featured what I would like to call the Iron Triangle of staffed interlocking towers, DELRAY, NS BRIDGE and (Conrail) BRIDGE. As you might guess the latter two involve movable bridges over the River Rouge. In November 2020 I covered the closure of DELRAY tower as the last active long lever interlocking machine in North America, however I was then unaware that Detroit's iron triangle had already been broken with the closure of Conrail BRIDGE tower in late 2019. I'll blame the COVID era for it taking 6 years for me to notice the unfortunate change in circumstances, but I am going to post about it nevertheless so people don't have to sort through Facebook groups to learn what happened.

Conrail's BRIDGE tower benefited from a perfect storm of circumstances that saw it last well into the 21st century as an active block and interlocking station. First it was attached to a movable bridge, a thing that until recently required human presence, and second, it was part of Conrail Shared Assets, which is a 50/50 joint venture between NS and CSX creating a "Port Authority" type situation where slight inefficiencies can persist. Moreover, when FN tower in Trenton, MI closed around 2003, the operator at BRIDGE was given control of that territory becoming a mini-dispatcher of the Conrail SAO Detroit Line. This situation is similar to the operator at UPPER BAY tower in Conrail SAO's New Jersey division being assigned additional interlockings over the last 20 years or the CSX/Conrail operator at the Livingston Avenue Bridge acting as a mini-dispatcher for the Amtrak Albany Terminal (until Amtrak re-signaled the area around 2018).

BRIDGE had previously survived one brush with re-signaling around the time of the Conrail split where its S&F lever frame was replaced by a more modern unit function type panel. The efficiency movement finally caught up with BRIDGE in late 2019 with the tower being closed and then demolished between August 2019 and November 2020. The BRIDGE drawbridge was likely being placed under remote control as was the style with several other Conrail SAO operated movable spans at as of late. With DELRAY closing in 2020, this left NS BRIDGE, aka NS ROUGE BRIDGE aka ECOURSE JCT as the last remaining staffed traditional tower in the Detroit area (although in theory the drawbridges connecting Zug Island to the mainland also count as towers).

While not as iconic or as accessible as DELRAY, BRIDGE was still the second best example of an interlocking in the Detroit metro area. It's another sad loss in a city that hosted diverse mix of active and disused towers well into the 1990's. 

METRA's 16TH ST Tower to Close, Following CY

I just got word that METRA's famed 16TH ST Interlocking tower at the triple crossing of the Alton (CNIC), Saint Charles Air Line and the Rock Island, is slated in close in early April. Built in 1901, the tower and its original Taylor Model 2 pistol grip type interlocking machine have been in continuous service since 1901 or 124 years! Unlike some other towers where the closure comes out of left field, this one has been telegraphed for some time. 16TH ST (and presumably its interlocking hardware) has been falling into increasing disrepair and I am honestly shocked it did not manage to catch fire or fall down on its own.

16TH ST in 2017, it looks worse now.

Cost cutting on the part of Canadian National, starting in 2019, have reduced the 12 diamond plant to just 4, as what had been a Y split of two double track main lines crossing another double track main line, was reduced to two single track lines crossing a double track line. It was clear for some time that once all the work was finished to rebuild the complex crossing to some sort of new standard, the tower would be closed.

Given the wooden tower's condition, its also pretty clear that the tower is beyond saving, even in situ, but I'd expect parts of the interlocking machine and model board to make their way into preservation similar to what we saw with CALUMET about a decade ago. Anyone looking to grab some photos during the final days in service can snag a view from the corner of 16th St and Clark.

In other bad news, the late model Chicago Northwestern CY tower has also been closed by Union Pacific as a downstream outcome of UP looking to transfer METRA commuter operations to METRA itself. The operator at CY had control of the local interlocking and much of the METRA UP-Northwest line, where Metra was the primary source of traffic. This was likely a way to better allocate the costs of dispatching the line. Run from a video display interface for years, control might end up in the METRA operation's center with staffing of the still open LAKE ST tower, also taken over by METRA.

Unlike 16TH ST, CY is of far more sturdy construction and will likely serve as an maintenance base for decades to come like its sibling KEDZIE tower on the UP-WEST line. With these two closures the Chicago area will be reduced to four traditional interlocking towers on main line railroads, LAKE ST (CNW), TOWER A-2 (Western Ave), TOWER B-17 and JB.  Three of these towers are on the METRA UP/CNW-West Line between the CNW Terminal and West Chicago with the fourth being on the Milwaukee West Line.

Last Traditional Signalbox Closes in New Zealand

Word has come down that Wellington A Signalbox has closed. Constructed in 1937 in conjunction with the Hutt Valley 1.5kv DC suburban electrification scheme, Wellington A Box was was not only the last full time staffed signalbox in the Wellington suburban network, but also the last traditional signalbox of any kind in the country (although it's implied that part time signalboxes might still exist). Corner cases aside, this marks the end of a 25 year long transition from a network with numerous staffed signalboxes containing both "power" frames and unit lever CTC panels.

With signaling system essentially in alignment with the American method, New Zealand was a fun house mirror of signaling equipment that was just a little bit different than its North American counterparts. Unfortunately, just like was seen in North America, New Zealand implemented several national railway "investment" schemes that swept away the old cast iron searchlights and signalboxes and replaced them with LED color lights and signaling centres with video display interfaces. I had previously covered two phases of this transition with the closure of PETONE signalbox in 2013 and ADDINGTON signalbox in 2016. Although re-signaling efforts had slowly chipped away at Wellington A signalbox over the years, the terminal interlocking at one of New Zealand's busiest stations was able to hold on in a similar fashion to CNW LAKE ST in Chicago. In another parallel to LAKE ST, Wellington A signalbox contained a fairly large all electric power frame of the Westinghouse Brake and Signal Co "Style L" variety, which is essentially an evolved British pattern US&S Model 14 machine that dispensed with the mechanical locking grid in favor of electric circuit based route locking via the usual US&S pattern locking magnets.

Covered in great detail on the WB&S Co power frame website, Wellington A box was built with three separate Style L frames, a 67-lever console in the center and two 31-lever consoles on either end. Later the left console would be replaced by a unit lever CTC panel. Dave, the webmaster of the now defunct Valley Signals page, provided his own extensive coverage on the final decades of Wellington A Box, now available via Archive.org.

Kiwi Rail was thoughtful enough to post a couple of Youtube videos profiling the signalbox, the Style L frame and the remaining operators that worked it. While the miniature "armstrong" levers look very British, its important to understand that these are essentially US&S style crank levers set vertically and rotated 90 degrees. You can see in the photos and video the familiar spindle type electrical contacts below the levers with the locking magnets out of sight behind. In addition to the official video is another one that seems to have been produced for local media with a bit more detail and external shots.






While I said this was (likely) the last operational traditional signalbox on the NZ rail network, the Keirunga Park miniature railway is signaled from a local signalbox equipped with another WB&S Co Style K power frame donated by New Zealand railways in 1985. To the extent this "counts" is left as an exercise to the reader, but it offers a preservation experience on par to that of HARRIS tower in the United States. Anyway, check out the linked resources before they to go out of service.