What are the two arms (top and bottom) for on the former B&O signals for?
Ed Burns
NP BN BNSF from Minneapolis.
A full B&O CPL is made up of the main disk and two sets of markers, above and below.
The markers provide additional information on speed. Depending on the installation, they may also give an indication of routing coincidentally.
Search online for B&O CPL - there are a number of sources of the rules and plenty of illustrations of the various aspects.
CPL (Color Position Light) signals only include those components that will be used at a given location. Thus, a signal that will never display “Approach Slow” using the upper right yellow maker won’t even have it installed.
You can see CPLs at work on the Deshler cams, especially the PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) signals for the main and the two transfers/wyes (southeast and southwest). The signal governing the SE wye onto the Toledo Sub always gets me as it does not have a top marker, but there’s a streetlight in the distance that looks like a top marker.
Such ‘things’ are the reason that crews must be QUALIFIED on the territory they operate over. Knowing what the signal indications are SUPPOSED to be able to be displayed at a location - independent of street lights and traffic lights and all the other lights can befall a location. In urban areas it can be difficult to discern the lights of signals and all the other lights that abound in the urban areas.
Absolutely!
I should point out that in this specific instance, we’re seeing the side of the signal, and only at night, as the same view during the day cannot see the signal indication. That particular signal does have a lower marker…
But as further illustration of your point, during the day there is a sign that lines up with the top center marker (as viewed from the camera) that makes it look like that marker is lit…
Phantom indications that originate on the signal itself can be a problem.
I was eastbound on single track approaching double track at Lambert, Ohio just west of Akron when I heard a westbound telling a signal maintainer that he had a restricting indication to head west onto the single track. The maintainer told him that that was impossible since there are no lenses on the signal to give that indication.
I looked back as I passed the signal and could see that snow was piled up on the lens hoods of the signal. However when I reached the position of the other train about ten cars from the signal it did indeed look like a restricting indication.
A fellow engineer once got in trouble for passing an absolute red signal at Gibsonia, Pa. He swore that the top marker light was lit but the dispatcher swore that he had not cleared the signal. The union finally talked the officials into going out to look at the signal at the same time of day and they saw that the sun shining on the marker light made it appear to be lit.
Most of the signal installations that have happened because of PTC installations are being referred to as ‘Darth Vader’ signals account of the large hoods that are placed on each signal head. These hoods are an attempt to eliminate false indications caused by weather anomolies - such as identified in the preceeding post. Time will tell how successful they will be.
Another factor with recent signal installations is that they are generally LED, meaning red is red, amber is amber, and green is green. They aren’t white light as viewed through a colored filter.
It will be interesting to see what happens during a blowing, sticking snowfall into the face of the so called ‘Darth Vader’ signals - since LED’s don’t generate the heat that to some extent kept signals with bulbs visible by melting the snow.
Do you mean cameras, not signals?
The signals placed on PTZ are a new profit center for CSX. [/sarcasm]
That was about as clear as mud, wasn’t it…
You can see the CPLs on the PTZ cam.
Two times I climbed a signal mast to clear snow from signals. One was a B&O CPL and the other a P&LE US&S searchlight signal. The conditions were such that the bulbs did not melt the snow.
Doubt that CSX will authorize T&E personnel to climb signals to ascertain the indications being displayed.
A signal that doesn’t display a indication is to be acted upon as the most restrictive indication that signal is able to display. Co
Are you an engineer or conductor? Are we talking about stopping the train, climbing down, then climbing up the mast just to ascertain what you were supposed to do?
Or are you a signalman?
I was the engineer. I had to stop anyway since I had an approach signal coming up to the absolute signals. It was quicker to clear the snow off the signals than to call the dispatcher for permission to pass a signal that couldn’t be seen and then procede at restricted speed to the next signal.
It also eliminated any problem for following trains which also would have been delayed.
[quote user=“BaltACD”]
mvlandsw
BaltACD
tree68
BaltACD
Most of the signal installations that have happened because of PTC installations are being referred to as ‘Darth Vader’ signals account of the large hoods that are placed on each signal head. These hoods are an attempt to eliminate false indications caused by weather anomolies - such as identified in the preceeding post. Time will tell how successful they will be.Another factor with recent signal installations is that they are generally LED, meaning red is red, amber is amber, and green is green. They aren’t white light as viewed through a colored filter.
It will be interesting to see what happens during a blowing, sticking snowfall into the face of the so called ‘Darth Vader’ signals - since LED’s don’t generate the heat that to some extent kept signals with bulbs visible by melting the snow.
Two times I climbed a signal mast to clear snow from signals. One was a B&O CPL and the other a P&LE US&S searchlight signal. The conditions were such that the bulbs did not melt the snow.
Doubt that CSX will authorize T&E personnel to climb signals to ascertain the indications being displayed.
I would opine that an issue might be the crossing of crafts. Thus you probably wouldn’t find it in the rules, but in the agreements. I could be wrong.
issue may be
With the newer signal installations I would guess the base areas of the signals would be constructed in such a manner as to prevent ‘unauthorized’ climbing - such has having no ‘steps’ for the 10 feet or so nearest the ground. Most telephone poles in today’s world are configured in a similar manner - need pole climbers spikes or a bucket truck to access the climbing steps that the pole contains.
The ones around here have locked security guard things around the ladders.
Actually, I’m not so sure there is any access to the front of the signals at all. Most I’ve seen have ladders/platforms on the back side of the heads, as that’s where maintenance is going to occur.
You’d need a long pole to reach the face of the signal from the ground…