[N&W] Re: Signals

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Not to pour gasoline on a fire but....the PRR position signals and N&W 
position signals met at Hagerstown. My contacts in Hagerstown in those days 
told me the two systems were electrically incompatable. In the early days 
of Conrail operation the PRR signal system was discontinued. But if you 
know exactly where to look some of the remaining masts can still be seen 
standing to this very day.     Mason  Cooper
__________________________________________________________
With all due respect,
you guys aren't doing anything to answer the question!  Where should
signals be on a prototypical model railroad? (More or less)
I'd say this, the N&W signal system as installed on the Radford
division was overkill bigtime!  It was significantly scaled back by the
time I came around.
Now, on the Bristol line we had Dispatcher Controlled signals at the
big passing sidings.  These signals were basically the two arm signal
as the train entered the siding, and the bracket signal as you left it.
  Bracket meaning a high arm for the main line and a short arm for the
passing track all mounted together on the same "bracket".
Now, the signal before the one going into the siding is also a two arm
signal, but the lower arm can only give a VERTICAL aspect (in most
cases, and I'm trying to keep it simple here!)
The rest of the signals should be automatic signals as Abram stated,
and these should normally only have one arm on them.
Now, you guys are the ones who taught me this stuff, but to the
non-signal oriented rail enthusiast this can be quite confusing!
I recently gave a signal clinic to the Mt. Rogers Railroad Club and
found out just how misunderstood signals are by many long time
railbuffs.
Now, as for Semaphores, the Bristol line was given semaphores between
Radford and Atkins in 1918, with the rest of the line completed the
next year as reported in a copy of Railway Age, but I don't have the
date as my photocopy of it don't have the upper corner!  The Position
Signals were installed in '46-'47, and the semaphores were left at
several stations for years afterward.  The N&W ordered a lot more
signals than they needed, and eventually took about half of them out.
If I can be of any help please email me directly at bblevnw at yahoo.com
If anyone thinks I'm crazy and wants to argue then  that's fine too!

Thanks,
Ben Blevins