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Re: (erielack) Railroad Telegraphy.



Dave

Thanks for information on something that I was thinking about 
yesterday......you refer to 'poor man's CTC' as we all did, but on the Erie and EL those 
devices were known as "Telephone Train Order Signals."

We had several on the Mahoning Division that were the PRR sytle position 
light signal mounted under the searchlights.  The displayed the following:
Three vertical lights---Proceed.
Three horizontal lights---Stop
Three angular lights---Pull in Siding--Passenger trains call before pulling 
in siding

They were kind of like a 'holding signal or CP Point, but you were forbidden 
to use them to 'hold a train'  Without searching an employee's timetable I 
know they were in use at North Randall EB, SN JCT (West bound at Liberty Steel 
Road ----now known as MLK Blvd) Avon (EB for Mosier Yard), Westlake's Crossing 
EB (to protect the Yo Passenger Station), Boyce Crossover  WB ( at the east end 
of Ferrona Yard) and maybe others.  Also, Warren Ticket had Red East or Red 
West holdouts to protect the Warren Gauntlet and in later years, after the 
derailment and single tracking at Niles, Deforest had Red East and Red West 
holdouts for Niles.  At these two locations, you could make the signals EITHER Red 
East or Red West, but not both.  Think Sharon Single track was handled that way 
from either Ferrona Yard Office or Sharon Ticket also.

They were also used on the Allegany and Meadville Divisions at various 
locations.

SMT

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