(erielack) Erie Signals

[Wdburt1_@_aol.com]

Gordon Davids writes:
 
> Now, for approach lighting on semaphore signals.  I don't have a  
> definite reference for the Erie, but it was common in the "old days" to  
> power those signals with primary batteries, which generated their own  
> power with no outside source.  The signal maintainers had to  continually 
> replace the acid and electrodes in those batteries, so it  was important 
> to conserve electrical energy as much as possible.   It was usually 
> cheaper to put an approach lighting relay in a semaphore  system than to 
> pay for the additional battery maintenance that would be  needed for 
>  continuous lighting.

> When searchlight or  color light signals were installed, they usually had 
> AC power provided  in the pole line, with rectifiers at each signal 
> location to charge a  secondary battery that floated on the power to the 
> lamp and control  circuits.
 
Hellman's January 2003 Trains article points out that ATSF continued to  
install hundreds of semaphores well after it started installing color light  
signals, due to unavailability of commercial electric power over long  
segments of its railroad.
 
 


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