I have noticed that NS has perpetual signals but what I want to know is, do they have a rhyme or reason for which stays lit. I was chasing the NS between Leipsic and Oakwood Ohio and it seems as if the signals had no rhyme or reason to them. At one point on a single track I could see in one direction three signals, they went red, green, red, then other direction was green, red, red. Is there a way they have them up or is it just random to keep them lit in some way, shape or form?
Green, then straight to red? That’s not right, shouldn’t have been like that. Are you talking about three consecutive signals or are you talking about the signal aspects you observed on the signals? I’m not sure what the question is. Green over red over red is a clear signal and red over green over red is a diverging clear signal.
I mean three different signals. There were no trains whatsoever so I was wondering if they just light up different signals to keep them on or what.
Interlocking signals are red until it’s “train time”. Automatic signals are red when a train is in the block ahead, or the system is set up to operate in the other direction. And no, the dispatcher does not randomly display signals to confuse railfans.
Steven,
ValleyX is correct. You must have missed a yellow signal somewhere.
Although that might be fun…