I have been traveling around the Aiken, SC area today and have been driving along a lightly-used NS line. I saw a white marker with two black stripes, one on top of the other, a black dot below that and another stripe below that. Does anybody know what it means?
In other railroad-related news, the city of Aiken is nearly done building an exact replica of the 1899 depot. Once finished it will house a railroad museum, complete with two heavywieght coaches, an operating HO layout that recreates the towns along the South Carolina Railroad and Canal corporation line between Charleston and North Augusta, SC. Should be pretty cool when it opens.
Yes - that’s what it is. A little digging might find a rulebook or other ‘official’ depiction and explanation to confirm that. The model railroad - any idea what era it will portray ? The 1820’s, 1860’s, 1900’s, 1960’s ? - Paul North.
It is the old SOU RR whistle post for road crossings. TWO LONGS - 1 short - 1 long thru the crossing. Most other RRs and now NS uses a post with the letter “W”.
I’ve read that the Southern Railway and associated companies were users of that style of whistle post.
By chance, the current Classic Trains (Spring 2010) has a picture of a whistle post with two longs and two shorts. That is explained as being the crossing warning signal before about 1920. I looked in a rule book that I have from the early 1900s and it confirmed that signal.
Classic Trains gives an explanation as to why the signal changed.
My guess would be the 1940s, when the route was in it’s headday. most of the line between Windsor and Branchville, was removed. It should also be noted that the line being depicted was the one Best Friend of Charleston blew up on.