VGN Helper Practices over Christiansburg Mountain ?

[NW Mailing List]

A search of the NWHS archives using "low wire" reveals both VGN and N&W 
items with the explanation, "Low Wire Warning Sign for Trainmen."

Gordon Hamilton

On 8/28/2021 8:46 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> I can’t think of any reason why you would need a signal to warn a train about low wire. Wire height is a static condition - barring temperature effect, it does not change. Wire height is part of the physical characteristics of the railroad that engine and train crews should already know.
>
> OTOH, I can see that there would be sectionalizing switches on either side of the tunnel so that the wire in the tunnel could be de-engergized when work was being done. So I could see the signals to indicate that the wire is on or off.
>
> The Pennsy did use a circle of lights (all the outer lights of a position light signal) to indicate a phase break was active but as said below, since the VGN had only one power source, there would not be any phase differences since out of phase conditions results from independent power sources.
>

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