When I came on board with Amtrak, are position lights were the all amber lens variety. But, since we’ve gone to color position, I like them better because from a distance, even in day light, I know what the signal aspect is. This was something that couldn’t be done with the original PRR signals. It’s nice to know which way traffic is set if we happen to be working out on the tracks that has a view of the signals. We’re signaled for bi-direction train moves (rule 261) and knowing the direction traffic is set does help you. Especially, when the trains are breezing by you at 125mph. You may have a north bound train go by you on #2 track (which is how most of the trains travel on #2 track), then, see the signal is now displaying a clear for a south move. And, as was stated on an earlier post, the train’s engineer definitely knows what signal aspect he/she is looking at from a longer distance with the color position signals.
We still have a few Pennsy position lights on the old PRR main as it approaches Union Station here in Chicago, most notably on the line as it parallels I-90 (you can see them from the expressway). But those, as I understand, are on their last legs as well. [:(] I have gotten a lot of shots of them so that I can show my kids the signals as they used to be. One of my personal favorite photos is the one I got of the old C&NW semaphores before they took those down.
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Oh, I do hate to see the past signals disappear, too. The color positions do have their advantages, but, I’d like to see some of our old style PRR signals stay lit somewhere! Bowie, Md keeps, I believe, is a Caution signal lit steady with the old PRR type signal at the High Bridge Rd crossing on the Pope’s Creek Branch. The old Bowie Tower is now a museum and open to the public that sits right on the high speed mainline of Amtrak.
Went by Point of Rocks on Sunday. The remnants of CPLs are still there, near the storage trailers, along the “old” alignment of the wye track (before it was rebuilt for MARC Frederick service).