Lehighton Ghost Signals and stuff

In Lehighton, PA the ghost signals are still there and illuminted as of last week when I passed them! I'm told that in order to remove the ghost signals and keep the other signals working proeprty the whole jct would have to be rewired and it's too difficult and expensive. So they just keep the ghost signal there. A few years ago the lower bulb burned out and NS replaced it. I'm told that if a bulb burns out the dispatcher gets a warning. Like the system can sense the circuit not being complete.

The real tall telegraph pole that followed the CNJ bridge is also still there.

Also in Packerton Yard behind the Kovatch dealership a large light tower was there until about 2000. The light heads were there as well still pointed they toward the tracks that used to make up the yard (now gone). This was one of those original ones painted black with those huge glass, incandecent light heads on them. Talk about energy IN-efficient. This thing must have dated back to the 1930s-40s. All the LVRR yards had them. I've never seen it illuminted in 30 years or so. So I'm assuming the wiring was torn out by the mid to late 1960s. I know there were quite a few of them in Packerton, but for some reason this one was left standing all those years.

There are lights set up in a similar way in Hornell NY's "yard" (which is growing actually) but I've never seen them lit either, however I'm not sure I've been at that end of the yard at night so I'm unsure either way.

I've seen this in the past as well. 20+ years ago when I lived in the Mid-Hudson Valley, Conrail ripped out the ex-New Haven tracks between the Poughkeepsie Bridge (which had burned 10 years earlier) and Hopewell Junction, NY. The eastbound home signal at Hopewell continued to be lit for several months after the tracks themselves were removed, kind of funny to see a signal protecting a pile of ballast. Another more recent example is the signal that still stands in Bethlehem at the old Beth interlocking. This signal remained lit, along with the HEM approach signal, for over a year after the diamonds and turnout were removed from the ex-LV main and other breaches cut into the RDG tracks a half mile away.

A guy told me they were passing ex-LV tracks near Rochester NY in mid-'76 or in '77 and saw lit signals and checked it out to find no tracks left at all. So this happens fairly often - I'm surprised they can't change it so the extra signals don't need to be lighted though.

Posted this previously, but in the case of Lehighton, when Conrail applied for regulartory approval to remove the ex-Lehigh Valley mainline south (RR east) of Lehighton it failed to request permission to remove the interlocking. So legally NS as Conrail's successor must maintain the interlocking in working order to the point having a signal that protects an active rail line from nothing more than the ballast left behind when the abandoned rails were torn up.

A friend of mine who is a manager with NS out of Allentown told the expense of getting permission and taking out the signals far outweighs the cost of maintaining the interlocking.

that light tower in lehighton was removed in the fall of '97, and was placed in nesquehoning, PA to serve the kovatch corp. in testing fire truck water pumps. if the water can reach the top of the tower, then the pumper passes the test.... it's painted safety yellow/green, and is hard to miss by Route 54...

micah

Wow has it been since 1997 already!?!?! I know the yellow tower you are speaking of at Kovatch's. I'd never have guessed it was the same one as in Packerton yard. I wish someone would have saved the lenses. They were still in tact. Even still aimed as they had been since early 1900s.

I know there was a photo of that signal posted somewhere on this forum several years ago but I can't find it. Does anyone know of any links to pictures of it or have any that they can post? As a metaphor it would probably make a great desktop photo.
You have to love the idea of a signal being maintained to guard a diamond that no longer exists. The irony is so strong you don't know wether to laugh or weep.

I believe there is still one (or more) of the LV yard lights still standing in coxton yard, (Pittston)
I would love to get measurements for a model!
it appears to be identical to the 4 light towers that illuminated the Sayre yard..(all the Sayre towers are now gone..been gone since the late 80's)

can anyone confirm if a Coxton tower is still there?
I have seen photos of it in the background of RMDI deadline photos:
http://www.geocities.com/smeghead_75149 ... eyard.html

if it still stands, the height could be determined by simple triangulation,
then the dimensions of the "head" could be worked out from photos..

I always wanted to get dimensions for the Sayre towers..but perhaps its not too late!
im quite certain the Coxton towers are identical to the Sayre towers.
thanks,
Scot

here is a shot of the Easternmost Sayre tower..there were a total of 4 of them spread across the Sayre yard.

Scot, if you are so inclined, this same light tower exists, in 4 locations, at Oak Island yard. One at the diesel house, one in the east yard, one at the receiving yard, and another one in the bowl. The one at the diesel house can be viewed, from the bridge along side of it, and you can measure, and photograph it from all sides. Just a thought........

Here is a rather dark shot, showing the one at 91 bay, Oak Island.


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/G ... 251974.jpg

This was one of two, at the Island, which carried a 4 foot by 4 foot LV diamond, visible to passing motorists, on the nearby highways. Although the LV diamond has long since been removed, the tower, and lights, still remain today. Regards

thanks G.A.!
good to know several of these towers are still around..
are the ones at Oak Island actually in use?

Scot

Last time I was there, they had lights, and one had a small radio antenna on it. There are new poles, with new lights, but the old ones are still there, waiting to be scaled down, and modelled.......

Jason W wrote:I know there was a photo of that signal posted somewhere on this forum several years ago but I can't find it. Does anyone know of any links to pictures of it or have any that they can post? As a metaphor it would probably make a great desktop photo.
You have to love the idea of a signal being maintained to guard a diamond that no longer exists. The irony is so strong you don't know wether to laugh or weep.

Is this the one you're looking for? http://www.thebluecomet.com/lvWestCatasaqua1988.jpg

Those are NOT the signals at Lehighton. That link on the BC web site shows the signals at Catasaqua, PA along the LV main.