One of the benefits of driving on the Chicago Skyway is that the NS (ex Conrail, ex NYC/PRR )mainline is adjacent and there is always a train or two.
Another neat aspect of that is the use of Pennsylvania Railroad type signals in use.
Well, today I noticed the NS has placed new signals in. While the new signals have not been cut in yet and are turned away…the writing is on the wall…the PRR signals will be removed soon.
So, get your pictures while you can.
Heading east on the Skyway today, the approach signal to the bridge and the home signal at the bridge both had the new signals in place.
This seems to be the way of things on the NE Corridor as well. I’ve noticed that color signals are starting to replace the old yellow PRR “Cat’s Eye” signals, though there are still plenty of the old ones left.
…Being a Pennsylvanian, it is sad {to me}, to see the bits and pieces of the Pennsy going, going and going and soon it will all be history.
It really makes one pause and ponder, thinking back {those of us old enough to have seen the giant in action}, of the mighty that was and now we’re talking about little bits and pieces of what is left of the once mighty giant…Sad.
Maybe I am just an old phart…but I don’t view the changes by the NS from the old PRR position light signals to color light signals, and by CSX from then B&O color position light signals as enhancing safety and signal recognition. Especially in Urban areas, signals, especially signals that only consist of one or two lights can very easily blend in and be confused with the ambient background lights. Undoubtedly the color light signals are cheaper to install and maintain and that is the bottom line for railroads today. But the real BOTTOM LINE for railroad operations is SAFETY and one can’t be truly safe, unless train crews can consistantly, without fail, see, understand and act up the signals that are displayed.
You two may be talking about different things. I, too, find B&O CPLs easier to see than PRR position-light signals (bigger lenses?). But with all of those white and yellow lights above and below them, or offset (right or left, above or below), they are harder to interpret unless you’ve got the training. The PRR signals required training as well, but were a bit easier to grasp.
Actually, I agree. With training, I learned that I preferred the B&O CPL’s. Before I learned what they were and what they meant, I didn’t. So, that would mean I still prefer the B&O signals but understand your comments very well.
Modern signals do not use bulbs! They use LEDs, which are brighter and have no moving parts at all, enabling a single target to display any color, now even yellow/amber, which was a problem until recently. The new signals can also be trouble shot from the dispatcher’s desk! BUT- If you have laid off or haven’t replaced retired/fired /just plain quit electricians, the savings are moot. CSX are you paying attention?
PRR-type position light signals (on PRR, N&W, LV) and B&O color position light signals were rarely found beyond their own roads so the parts market for these signals was relatively thin to begin with. Maintenance costs would be correspondingly higher than conventional color light signals or searchlight signals at the outset and they would only get even higher over time. It should be noted that searchlight signals (three lenses per bulb) are also being replaced by either three-bulb color light signals or single “bulb” signals with LED’s.
Well, Lost World, they’re putting up a lot of new signals in my part of the world and they are most definitely not LED’s. Where might these LED signals be?
The new dwarf signals which were recently installed in Chicago Union Station use LED’s. The new signals recently installed as part of the upgrade of Metra’s Southwest Service also use LED’s.
Don’t worry, those PRR-style signals aren’t dead yet. The Long Island Rail Road was once owned by the PRR and these signals were and still are used system-wide. Better yet, the State of New York, which currently runs the LIRR, doesn’t seem to have any plans to replace the PRR signals any time soon. In fact, several new ones have been installed near Bellrose, wher the Hempstead Brach and main line diverge. Hopefully these signals will be here to stay on Long Island.