From the Museum’s webpage, at: http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/visitors/calendar.shtml
Railroad Communications & Signaling
Saturday, April 16 through Saturday, December 31, 2011
Engineers and conductors may move the trains, but it takes an army behind the scenes to run a railroad. From solitary signals to centralized traffic control centers, learn about the history of railroad technical operations and try and run a simulated railroad in this exhibit. Photographs, artifacts and video from the Museum’s rich collections will round out the fascinating story of rail communication. Regular Museum hours. Included in the regular Museum admission.
See also the article titled “New Exhibit at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Focuses on Rail Traffic Control” and a photo on it at: http://www.railresource.com/content/?p=1259
A few dozen miles northwest is HARRIS tower, which has been preserved by the Harrisburg, PA Chapter of the NRHS, and which has been open to the public on summer Saturdays. For more info, see: http://harrisburgnrhs.org/
http://harrisburgnrhs.org/Harris.htm
Last year’s - 2010’s - Open House Press Release:
http://harrisburgnrhs.org/pdfs/HarrisTowerOpens2010.pdf
And about 70+/- miles further NW is the preserved HUNT Tower in Huntingdon, PA:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_vogel/2079917490/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/captain_railroad/5020114290/
Thanks for posting, Paul. Sounds like the “Railroad Communications & Signaling” exhibit is an excellent presentation! Too bad this west coast forumist won’t be on the east coast anytime soon.
I got get down there.
I wonder what inspired this exhibit? [%-)]
Just visited the exhibit Saturday. Exhibit isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t travel long distances just to see it. The museum only has limited space for these temporary exhibits, unfortunately. I could go on a rant about all the money that was spent on a new entrance/store that could have instead been used to provide more space for stuff like this, but I won’t.
There were some armstrong levers from CLY tower, a NYC searchlight signal, some trainorder forms and hoops revolving around Conrail’s late practice of hooping up orders, a short old video, and a bunch of photos.
There were two interactive exhibits. The one was a section of HO track, depicting a basic interlocking (one track turning into 2). One switch allowed you to throw the, well, switch, and the other switch allowed tyou to change the current of traffic. Thus you could see what signals would display red or green. Neat concept, but would have been cooler in G-scale, methinks. The other interactive exhibit had an simulated modelboard of Alliance, OH, and you were supposed to throw the switches to route certain trains. Then there were also toggle switches that had something to do with signals - the provided information/instruction had me completely confused, so I doubt the average non-rail visitor was any better off. Don’t get me wrong, the interactive exhibits have promise, but were a bit “rough”. And I don’t think the little toggle switches they used are going to survive the year.
But the museum is in the middle of putting in a geo-thermal HVAC system, so that is pretty cool in its own right.