The signals were CPLs. At least in Martinsville, as I was about 14 years old when the Punkin' Vine was converted to TC. I didn't have the mobility to railfan like I do now!<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 6:15 AM, NW Mailing List <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org">nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Before the WS line was converted to TC, what kind of signals were<br>
there? I have a sneaking suspicion that they were Style S semaphores.<br>
Am I close?<br>
<br>
And, yes, at Henry the south end of the siding has automatic signals<br>
where the home signals used to be. A lot of this makes sense now. I<br>
just didn't know the particulars that created the situation.<br>
<br>
Ben Blevins<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On 7/16/09, NW Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org">nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
><br>
> Ben:<br>
> Prior to TC installation, the W-S district had 19 passing sidings from<br>
> Roanoke<br>
> Terminal to North Winston which averaged 3574 feet in length.? There were<br>
> 15 day telegraph offices plus Payne (24/7), so during the day, there was an<br>
> operator every 7.4 miles.? After TC, nine sidings were removed or shortened,<br>
> but seven passing sidings remained - Boone's Mill, Starkey, Henry, and<br>
> others.? They became designated "storage tracks" in the timetable.? What's<br>
> the significance of a storage track ?? I don't know.? Apparently N&W felt<br>
> it wasn't necessary to provide power switches and signaling for these short<br>
> sidings.? By 1972, the telegraph offices had been reduced from 15 to 9 and<br>
> that's how N&W got the economic justification to install traffic control.<br>
><br>
> As far as the signal at the north end of Henry being a controlled signal --<br>
> remember -- a train can pass a stop-and-proceed (or restricting) signal and<br>
> proceed at restricted speed.? North of the signal at Henry, there are?three<br>
> back-to-back 10 degree curves and then the ruling grade (1.53%) to Ferrum.<br>
> If you have a set of?pusher units returning light from Belews Creek with a<br>
> one<br>
> man crew and it's following a train grinding up the hill, it's not exactly<br>
> the<br>
> safest practice.? Remember the definition of restricted speed ?? "Able to?<br>
> stop?short of? etc., etc. etc."? It's probably as quick to hold?a train at<br>
> the<br>
> bottom of Ferrum Hill than it is to allow it to follow at restricted speed.<br>
> Safer too.<br>
><br>
> Henry had been home to Blue Ridge Paints.? It was one of eight companies<br>
> that<br>
> supplied paint to N&W for hoppers.? After TC, apparently the signals at the<br>
> south end remained, but weren't able to display a "STOP" indication.? A<br>
> local doing "one-in, one-out" switching at Blue Ridge Paints would have had<br>
> to follow the procedure for passing a "STOP" indication.? That's one<br>
> person's<br>
> interpretation.? I wish Henry Nase was still around.<br>
> ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Harry Bundy<br>
</div></div>> ????<br>
> ??<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5">><br>
________________________________________<br>
<a href="mailto:NW-Mailing-List@nwhs.org">NW-Mailing-List@nwhs.org</a><br>
To change your subscription go to<br>
<a href="http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list" target="_blank">http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list</a><br>
Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at<br>
<a href="http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/" target="_blank">http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/</a><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><br><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pablo_picasso.html" target="_blank">Pablo Picasso</a> - "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."