Like on the BNSF’s Gateway Subdivision in Northern California, what is the basics of the “Lunar Signal”, and what is “Lunar Signal?”
In some Cab Signals, Lunar White is used to indicate stop or in some, any other indication other than clear.
signals that have a lunar white light in them for restricting indications… its not a true “white” light… its more like blueisth white…much like the moon in color…thus the name lunar white…
csx engineer
The aspect of a Lunar signal is a bluish white light…
The indication is proceed at restricted speed.
GCOR rule 9.1.11
Most of the time you find a Lunar at yard entrance or sideings, it is used to control access to a yard from a main line, and vice versa.
Ed
I have seen them on the Main line too.
lunars on csx basically mean to stop then proceed after getting clearence from the dispatcher. csx also uses them for when they have trains playing follow the leader on the main.
stay safe
Joe
It seems like any time I’ve seen collections of signal indications that the lunar is a separate head on the mast, as opposed to being one of the colors displayed by the main signal head(s). Sort of a “OK, here’s your signal, and oh, by the way…”
I’ll agree with tree68, I’ve never seen Lunar displayed on a single-head aspect, usually below one or two reds to display a restricting indication. The nearest that I’ve ever seen to Lunar on a single-head is on a color position light signal, where two lunar lamps are displayed in the lower-quadrant aspect.
On the GN, Lunar White signals were indicative of a spring switch, according
to their edition of the CCOR.
You mean Dwarf Signals.
You are never going to see Lunar on the Gateway sub as there are no signals there. It’s dark territory, TWC. There was a few miles on the exWP right out of Keddie that was once CTC, But that was taken out of service decades ago. The UP does use lunar aspects on the Feather River Route though. It will usually be a red over lunar at the entrance to a yard indicateing restricted speed.
Actually there are a couple signals on the Gateway sub. The distant and home signals at the automatic interlocking with the Modoc Northern line in Stronghold.
Not necessarily, although some of the dwarf signals at Chicago Union Station are color position light signals. B&O, Alton (which was owned at one time by B&O), and a handful of other roads used color position light signals as regular trackside block and interlocking signals.
No - on a signal mast.
|o - Regular signal head
|o - Maybe another regular signal head
|
|o - Lunar
|
|
I’ve seen the lunar signal used on the UP Geneva Sub at the Park Interlocker in Elmhurst, IL many times. The Park interlocker is the entrance/exit from Proviso Yard. The only time I’ve seen the lunar signal is for eastbound trains on track #1 going 1 to 1 (diverging (3 main tracks to 2 main tracks)) through the plant. I don’t believe (but I’m not 100% sure) that the lunar signal indicates to proceed at a restricted speed past the signal. I’ve never seen a train proceed past the lunar signal. The lunar signal appears immediately after the first train passes and seems to be more of a signal that the dispatcher has stacked or fleeted the signal. This is the usual signal pattern that I see when one east bound train goes 1-1 at Park and then a lunar signal appears for the next eastbound(s) going 1-1 at Park also:
train #1…train #2
-------------------…----------------------------------
.red …red…red…red…red
…|…|…|…|…|
green …red…red…yellow…green
…|…|…|…|…|
.red…red…lunar…red…red
After train #1 passes the green diverging signal on the signal bridge, the signals for track #1 east will be red on all three lamps for @2 seconds before the lunar signal appears for the next eastbound. Once eastbound #1 is a certain distance from the Park Interlocker, train #2 east gets a diverging approach signal 1-1 at Park and the lunar signal on the bottom most lamp returns back to red. Finally, eastbound #2 gets a diverging clear signal.
CC
Didn’t the B&O use them on top of there position signals? The one top center or offset to the left.
Jsmie
On BNSF a lunar signal is restricting which means proceed at restricted speed not exceeding 20mph, we engineers most often go about 10 mph because we must be able to stop within half the range of vision.
Rodney
Yet another application or interpretation of “lunar signal” are the bluish white signal lamps on top of a grade crossing gate and signal mast. These lamps are oriented towards an oncoming train and they flash in synchrony with the grade crossing warning lights, to confirm (to the oncoming train’s Engineer) that the gate arms are down and that the warning lights are working.
At least that was their description (by Bombardier, NJ Transit and Conrail Shared Assets) during the recent construction, testing and commissioning of the River Line, between Camden and Trenton NJ.
Lunar signals indicate something special. At a yard entrance, for example, it used to be that the Yardmaster would telephone the herder to go out and line a train into the yard into track so-an-so. The herder would do this and then give a “come-ahead” signal to the engineer of the desired train.
In technical teminology, this is a “come-on” signal. They can be a color light, a hand signal, a letter-indicator light, a Lunar, or some other appropriate device or person. Generally, now, when a Lunar is displayed, the crew will look into the special instructions under Rule 9.1.nn and under the station name where they are located, follow the instructions for “LUNAR”. This could be a switch indicator, a call-on, or anything else the railroad wants to use it for at that location and on that mast. This can include an implied or explicit “Flashing Red” depending on the need at that location.
Again, technically, a Flashing Red is “Proceed at Restricted Speed without stopping (that is, without stopping at the signal)”. The location of the head on the mast will determine which route this signal is displayed for.
I will use a specific example here ---- at one interlocking that I worked, it included a junction, several corssovers, a switching lead, two main lines, a diverging main and two yard entrances. Some switches were controlled by me, some by a herder, and all of the signals were controlled by me. So when the herder had completed the lining of his switches as instructed, he would inform me and I would light the call-on - a RED over LUNAR.
I have seen lunar white lights used as hotbox warning indications about two miles past a hotbox detector (servo type) on the former Erie, in signaled territory. I have also seen them in use to indicate spring switches facing that were out of their “normal”(as opposed to reverse) position. If a spring switch had to be spiked in reverse the lunar would be lit to warn oncoming crews of the reverse main running ahead. I can’t recall the rule that covered this circumstance,Nickel Plate (and N&W for about 35 years on ex-NKP after the 1964 merger)used this practice.
no…not true…on csx…unless your running on norc bleneded rules… it means proseed at resticted speed… the signal is your promtion…(at interlockings and what not) or as you did state that is true… to follow behind a train if the track block is occupied head…
csx engineer