One of the rewards of riding the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit Lines before 1975 was approaching the Cleveland Union Terminal at night and seeing and passing through what looked like a forest of dwarf signals on the tracks of the neighboring railroads. Those dwarf signals looked to me rather like tall, standing cats, of a distinctly art-noveau style. Seeing them at night, with their variously colored lenses, always struck me as very beautiful and memorable.
Who can tell me about dwarf signals? Over the years I’ve learned that they came in a variety of sizes and types. But what was their function? One saw (sees?) them in heavily trafficked areas, but not on the open road where signals of a larger type were employed.
So, what did dwarf signals do that standard size signals could not? When did they first appear? Were they always electrified? Does anyone have any favorites?
One major use is they show routing through the switch down low, reliably next to the switch involved, without the restriction of the older ‘switch lamp’ on top of the stand. They involve much less confusion with block signals if they show route continuity and not track occupancy. They are MUCH less expensive than equivalent capacity on gantries, and less confusing than the doll-post system, at least to me.
PRR and some others used position-light dwarfs; I believe B&O had CPL versions but I can’t check from here.
See some of the signal-Rule charts, as in NORAC, for more on how dwarf signals are used.
B&O did in fact have dwarf CPL’s. Have wanted to get my hands on one ever since CSX began replacing all the B&O CPL’s - without success! B&O CPL dwarfs were capable of displaying virtually all the indications their full sized cousins were able to.
I might add, dwarfs are signifigantly larger than they appear from a train.
I somehow have a memory of seeing pictures of dwarves with semaphore blades.
The approaches to the station in Denver have dwarves, as do the approaches from the north to the station in Salt Lake City. When the westboundCZ comes in here after crossing Wyoming (it comes in at night unless it is horribly late), the UP conductor simply tells the UP engineer what each dwarf signal indicates as the train backs in–the conductor’s visibilty is very limited, as there is little, if any, outside lighting along the way.
Dwarf signals serve the same purpose as the typical high signals. A very common place to find them is in terminals where there is insufficient room between the tracks to fit a signal mast clear of passing trains. The dwarf is short enough to be in the notch at the bottom of the normal clearance envelope. But because the low position limits distant visibility they are normally used only in places where speeds are relatively slow. Where clearance is a problem but speeds are higher you wil normally see high signals mounted above the tracks on a signal bridge or cantilever but that is a more expensive solution.
Some railroads on single track lines would have signal masts for the main track signals and a dwarf signal for leaving the siding. That made it clear which track the signal was controlling from a considerable distance.
I have seen many a dwarf at the end of a pass track. I do not recall, though I know that they are necessary, seeing a tall dwarf in single track territory where heavy snowfall is expected.
UP still has a couple of control points in Omaha that has them on main tracks where clearances are tight. Used to be more, including some on the Council Bluffs yard throat, but signal upgrades and track changes (some former power switches are now hand throw) eliminated them. We call them “pot” signals and a few were a PITA in the day time because they couldn’t be seen until you were real close.
Yes, this is the end of the platforms at Ogilvie Transportation Center, looking out.
They aren’t really stars: they’re small lunar-shite lights, simply indicating that this is the first signal encountered when leaving the station (each of the 16 tracks has this). There is also a single light on the rear of the signal, in case the locomotive is beynd the signal: if it’s lit, the
Observed Sun Rail’s end of track under construction at Poincianna. They installled a dwarf signal for the storage track exiting onto the main line track 1. What was unique was it is a full size hooded signal such as are installed on overhead bridges. It had 4 positions all with LED bulbs. Red, yellow, green, & lunar.
Imagine that signal is for restricting (W) to go into station track 2 that dead ends, Regular R/Y/G for station track 1 that continues onto Lakeland and W if another train is on CSX track just west of station. CSX does have freight spur just west of station. Of course there is also Amtrak trains that come thru the station on track 1.
I can see what NKP guy means. Those signals were meant to be pragmatic of course, and esthetics didn’t enter into the equation, but they ARE beautiful!
I’ve enjoyed and learned a lot from reading the posts on dwarf signals.
Yes, Semper Vaporo, the approach to CUT did look similar to the fine photo you included and asked about. Thank you for the illustration of my point. When it comes to capturing the beauty and romance of railroad signals at night, I suggest that no one did this better than the late, great artist of railroading, Ted Rose. But I like photos such as yours, too.
BaltACD: Thanks for the photos of the differernt types. I’d sure like to buy one on Ebay and position it by my driveway where one lane goes to two. But then again, I’d like to have been able to install streetcar tracks in the concrete of my new driveway when I had it rebuilt a few years ago, too.
Firelock76: Thanks for seeing what I saw (see?) in those colored lights. I think many of us here have long appreciated what I might call industrial beauty.
I should point out that the photo is not mine… I just did a web search for “Railroad Dwarf Signals at night” and found that photo (along with lots of silly unrelated images), and just linked to it in my post.
I like the image too. I am sure I have seen others (that I was thinking of when I did the search) but didn’t find. But, I like the trackwork more. I enjoy the tracks in the snow I make when I turn my car around in my driveway (so I don’t have to back down the narrows between my neighbor’s gas meter and a window-well of my house). The tire tracks in the snow remind me of the tracks in the throat of a terminal like the one shown. Always makes me smile when I see them.
