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Re: (erielack) Railroad Telegraphy.

In a message dated 2/3/04 10:02:01 AM Eastern Standard Time, ELDL222 writes:

> OS'ers and open Stations that OSed trains(I have been told that OS= On
> Station, but I have also heard it is On Circuit, but I don't know where the
> "S" came from)  gave a dispatcher train location information on large
> sections of railroad where they had automatic signals and which they were in
> between control points(CP*).

OS stood for "On Sheet" or "On Station".
The OSers referred to may ahve been what some called "telltales" to let as 
Dispatcher or open station know the location  where a train was passing.

> 
> The Erie also had a large area that had automatics (and no CTC Control
> Points CP's) between Hornell and Corning, with, maybe in early years with
> open stations (to OS trains) at Canisteo, Cameron, and Addison.

Actually wasn't is between Portage(PB) and Binghamton? Recall Portage was a 
Spring switch, then there was West NT(est leg of wye to River Line) then River 
Jct
Was ABS 251(signalled in single direction on each track) between River Jct 
and Cass St in Hornell, then a short stint of CTC between Cass St and ZY(East 
Hornell) then ABS 251 essentially all the way to Bighamton. (CR CTC'd thru 
Corning in the late 70's early 80's, East, West, North Glass (Corning Sec 
connection) Gang Mills etc.. all the way to Horseheads and Elmira(FS) and beyond that 
to Binghamton was agin ABS251
with semaphores and a mix of searchlight and trilight signals.
 
> 
> An interesting thing about the Erie they had "poor man's CTC", this is
> where there was a double semaphore and the  dispatcher could set the lower
> blade semaphore to stop (remotely from his office), and the train would stop
> and call the dispatcher and be told to open the switch and take the siding.

I believe "Poor Mans' CTC " involves spring switches with controlled signals 
on single track, much like the Eries' Delaware Division in later years. The 
operation you refer to was "Take siding signals" at QN and VN, There were also  
call for train order signals(I beleiev they looked a bit like PRR Banjo 
signals) used at certain locations as well. 
GWL

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