Railroad Forums 

  • Newsday - LIRR brings on new signaling system

  • Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.
Discussion of the past and present operations of the Long Island Rail Road.

Moderator: Liquidcamphor

 #1504510  by Head-end View
 
Is the LIRR's plan to also install them from Floral Park to Hicksville as part of the 3rd track project? And if so, is there any chance that the employees can or will kick up enough of a storm to pressure the Railroad to use conventional signals instead like those in the Harold area.
 #1504556  by Head-end View
 
All new signals on LIRR are color-light signals now. The question is whether they will use conventional signals (like those at Woodside, Wantagh and Amityville) or their new Reduced Aspect Signals like they installed from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma.
 #1504583  by MattAmity90
 
In my honest opinion, all signals have to meet a minimum height. These reduced aspect signals are similar to the ones you see on the sides of subway tunnels. They should be at the minimum of the engineer's eye-level, or above the tracks (signal gantries). After all, these are the traffic signals of any railroad, but instead of sitting 2 feet above the pavement in a car, the engineer of a LIRR train is sitting 5 feet above the rail (50 inches from rail to leaflet doors, plus 10 maybe 12 inches for the seat. I have another idea of what RAS should stand for, but I'm not a basher, I've been riding the LIRR for over 25 years and it has earned my respect and I respect it.
 #1504600  by njtmnrrbuff
 
Yes, signals should meet a minimum height. Not all of Metro North's signals are dwarfs. They use plenty of line side signals. In fact, there are dwarf signals that are on structures that go several feet above the ground on Metro North.

On the LIRR, yes, the new signal systems are color light. There are ones that go three down while there are others that go two across and one below, forming an equilateral triangle.
 #1508913  by Head-end View
 
It seems like the LIRR has the attitude that position-light signals are no longer available from the signal manufacturers, hence the switch to color-lights in recent years. So imagine my surprise this week, when riding SEPTA in Philadelphia, and seeing brand new position-light pedestal signals in and near the west end of the Center-City tunnel.

The heads are distinctly different in appearance from the traditional Pennsy heads. They are thin rectangular shaped boxes mounted on the standard type pedestal. LED lit with very bright silvery-white lights; very sharp looking. I've asked on the SEPTA board if anyone knows who the manufacturer is. I assume they were custom built for SEPTA, given that pos-lights are not common in new installations anymore.