I was hunting for pics of tunnels and found these. To help me fix the image in my head I set one as desktop background. Imagine my surprise when I turned the laptop back on and realised that the pics show aliens on the track!
I figure that they must be aliens because they have eight eyes… two of which are red. (Hope that doesn’t mean they’re mad).
I thought at first that at least they’re bipods but on closer examination they have three legs… HG Wells was right! At least they’re only small and, wandering round the track like that they can’t be too bright so maybe we’ll win the war…
Looks like they are keeping “score” on the wall between the center and right hand portals. Let’s hope that those big yellow nosed critters keep the aliens in check, otherwise we may have to call the “Busters” or the “Mouse”, as in Ghost or Space.
Hey! Quit picking on my signals. I’m more worried about the fish 4 eyed fish crawling out the the Schuykill River, then the drawf aliens. [:P]
Seriously, the pictures were taken in Phildelphia, just outside my yard at the Gray’s Ferry tunnel. The green thing in the tunnel, is a tra***rain reflected in the drainage ditch.
Based on my previous experience walking track, I’d say that line is a streak of lubricant from a leak in some piece of motive power that is a frequent visitor to this area (like the local transfer switcher.)
Back in the '60’s, I could tell if the track under catenary also supported DMU cars. The EMU cars had gear seals close to the base of the rail, and would leave streaks on both sides. DMU (RDC) cars had their engines, tansmissions and gear boxes on the centerline, and the leak streak indicated this.
Incidentally, did anyone notice the chewed-up look of the right side of the center column between portals? I wonder what the rolling stock that derailed there looked like. (I hope it wasn’t a locomotive! that much damage suggests a really severe impact.)
Just a few more little details for the super-accurate scenery builder.
and here’s a better look at that damage… could it be frost damage? (rain water gets trapped in the concrete, freezes and breaks out great chunks… was quite common / a frequent problem with early concrete structures).
They are B&O dwarf (or as we call them pot) color position light signals.
There is a circular cluster of colored lights on the round face, plus a lunar white pilot lighs mounted top and center over the round face. The pilot light takes the place of another signal head.
Two horizontal reds - absolute stop
Two horizontal reds with a pilot - restricted proceed
Two ambers on a 45 - slow approach
Two ambers on a 45 with a pilot - approach
Two vertical greens - slow clear
Two vertical greens with a pilot - clear
Two lunar whites on a 45 - restricting.
Some signals have 3 pilot lights mounted on top of the round face, so display even more indications.
Thanks!
Being an ex Signalman (UK) and used to route signalling my big question is… HOW do you understand that lot??? Does it partly relate to the route(s) available beyond the tunnel…or? Also, are these signals the same as the similar tall ones or different? (I read somewhere that tall signals are used approaching an interlocking and dwarfs going away from it… I haven’t a clue whether this would apply here.
We use dwarf signals here, because of the space limitations. Remember that unless specifically stated, a track is governed by the signal to it’s right. So you may have a mast (tall) signal to the field side of a track, but a dwarf where the signal would be between two tracks.
The signals are treated the same as the mast signals.
I understand the signals, because it’s all I’ve every used. They confuse you, just like your route signalling confuses the heck out of me. Stop is Stop. The approaches mean you have one block (the next signal is stop) and the clears mean you have at least two blocks.
Although, if you are making a diverging move through the interlocking, you will get either a slow approach, or slow clear (as all diverging movements in this area are to be made at 10 mph.) And all movements into the yard or into an occupied block are made on a restriciting indication.
The easiest way for me to start you on the UK system if you are interested is to recomend Ian Allan’s (Publisher) book on British railway Signalling. Sorry, I don’t have the title or ISBN off hand (maybe someone else does?) but you’d be able to get it from Amazon or look for them on the web.
Naturally our system is “simple” to me
Thanks again for your help.
EDIT… Easier to find than I thought…
abc MODERN SIGNALLING HANDBOOK: Third Edition
Author(s): Stanley Hall
ISBN: 0711031436
CODE: R31436
As they say a picture is worth a thousand words. This picture from my tower should clear up how high and drawf signals are used:
Track 1 is on the left. Track 2 the right.
Bridge Board governs traffic approaching the swing bridge behind me
RG governs traffic entering and leaving the yard.
So both tracks 1 and 2 can normally take traffic in either direction? Are they classed as bi-directional or normally one direction with a facility to travel “wrong direction”?
Nice picture and the notes help. Thanks
Where are the tunel mouths I posted in relation to this pic? behind you or further round the curve?
