Re: (erielack) Railroad Telegraphy.

["Philip Martin" <martinpl3_@_earthlink.net>]

Banjos were smash boards, (with air whistles attached), to protect
interlocked draw bridges.  They were taken out in Jersey, in recent years.

Philip Martin
martinpl3_@_earthlink.net
Why Wait?  Move to EarthLink.


> [Original Message]
> From: <T190_@_aol.com>
> To: <ELDL222_@_aol.com>; <r.bart@adelphia.net>; <CONRAILDS@aol.com>;
<mp368_@_juno.com>; <deld@alltel.net>; <super7cr@rochester.rr.com>;
<Rkorth78145_@_cs.com>; <LV2RR@hotmail.com>; <mp366@frontiernet.net>;
<BlackDiamondRR_@_cs.com>; <Uboat@juno.com>; <Waterskeez@aol.com>;
<BPRR3000_@_aol.com>
> Cc: <dmvgvt_@_earthlink.net>; <Smtimko@aol.com>; <martinpl3@earthlink.net>;
<erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>; <railman@frontiernet.net>;
<drums3386_@_yahoo.com>; <caltrains@cboss.com>; <cwnewton@mindspring.com>
> Date: 2/4/2004 1:42:11 PM
> Subject: 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

------------------------------