by BobfromPitman
Life magazine dated August 27, 1956 page 136 shows a full page picture of a Pennsylvania signal placed in the middle of one of the railroad tracks. The picture was taken by Dave Wilson.
The writing at the lower left says: "A RIDDLE IN MIDDLE OF RAILS", "A railroad block signal is a safety device and as such should be situated where an approaching engineer cannot miss it. But to riders on the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines, one signal in Wenonah, N.J. may seem too emphatically placed. Signal C-119 was once more conventionally located. But when, because of light traffic, the railroad decided to shut down one of the lines two tracks, the signal had to be transplanted close to the other rails. That is how the riddle in a track's middle came about."
I remember a similar signal on the line located at the Pitman-Glassboro border being located within the rails. After ten years of off and on searching, I found a reference on the internet and purchased the magazine.
Some questions. Does anyone know Dave Wilson? Are there other references to the removal of the tracks. Having a signal in the middle seems to indicate it was a more labor intensive task.
Maybe this is a Positive Train Control signal enforcing an engineer to fully stop on the right track.
The writing at the lower left says: "A RIDDLE IN MIDDLE OF RAILS", "A railroad block signal is a safety device and as such should be situated where an approaching engineer cannot miss it. But to riders on the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines, one signal in Wenonah, N.J. may seem too emphatically placed. Signal C-119 was once more conventionally located. But when, because of light traffic, the railroad decided to shut down one of the lines two tracks, the signal had to be transplanted close to the other rails. That is how the riddle in a track's middle came about."
I remember a similar signal on the line located at the Pitman-Glassboro border being located within the rails. After ten years of off and on searching, I found a reference on the internet and purchased the magazine.
Some questions. Does anyone know Dave Wilson? Are there other references to the removal of the tracks. Having a signal in the middle seems to indicate it was a more labor intensive task.
Maybe this is a Positive Train Control signal enforcing an engineer to fully stop on the right track.
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