Suprise today at E Mahony Jct!

During exploration today stopped by EM Jct to get some pics. What a surprise...physical plant of RR in great shape. shiny rails and well maintained, ballasted track in both directions. The R&N has installed a remote opearted switch. And there were signals...looked brand new. Although they were not functioning. Anyone know if they are going to be illuminted or just there for decoration?

I remember in the mid-90s there was just rusty rails in weeds.

And to top it all off...saw a train! Came down from the catawissa branch, stopped, picked up around 15 mixed frieight cars on the mainline and then took off toward Tamaqua!

I'll post pics soon.

carajul wrote: Anyone know if they are going to be illuminted or just there for decoration?

Of course they will be illuminated..... Why on earth would R&N waste all that money upgrading E.M.J. just for signals to be "decoration"?.....

M.T.

Most of us learned long ago that railroads if anything operate illogically more often than logically, so while the logical assumption is they will at some point activate those signals, I wouldn't place any bets until you see them lit. After all, how long did Conrail/NS keep a lit signal at Packerton for an LV mainline that was devoid of tracks, simply to save a buck reconfiguring the plant where the LV cut to the ramp onto the former CNJ?

That signal at Lehighton stayed lit until this past spring. From talking to the signal maintainers, it seemed it wasn't about saving money, but taking that signal out of service would have required undoing all the post-1965 wiring in the bungalow, which was quite prodigious.. Why fix what isn't broken?

MJK

56-57 wrote:That signal at Lehighton stayed lit until this past spring. From talking to the signal maintainers, it seemed it wasn't about saving money, but taking that signal out of service would have required undoing all the post-1965 wiring in the bungalow, which was quite prodigious.. Why fix what isn't broken?

MJK

Probably the same reason that the signal protecting the long removed LV / RDG diamond at Bethlehem is still in place, albeit not lit.

http://jrevans.fbody.com/beth_11042005/ ... 0405-1.jpg

56-57 wrote:That signal at Lehighton stayed lit until this past spring. From talking to the signal maintainers, it seemed it wasn't about saving money, but taking that signal out of service would have required undoing all the post-1965 wiring in the bungalow, which was quite prodigious.. Why fix what isn't broken?

MJK

Removing wiring = gotta pay someone labor to do it = not doing it saves the railroad a few bucks.

The new signals are now operational:

http://mst145.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1890885

http://mst145.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=1890889

M.T.

What is the purpose of those new signals? Just to show switch alignment?

Correct sir

Im confused. Is this a dispatcher controlled interlocking? It looks as though there are signals in both directions. If it only displays if the switch is open, what are the indications that it shows?I dont see signs under the signal heads making it a switch open or closed signal per the Norac rules. Its nice to see the new signals

lvrr325 wrote:

56-57 wrote:That signal at Lehighton stayed lit until this past spring. From talking to the signal maintainers, it seemed it wasn't about saving money, but taking that signal out of service would have required undoing all the post-1965 wiring in the bungalow, which was quite prodigious.. Why fix what isn't broken?

MJK

Removing wiring = gotta pay someone labor to do it = not doing it saves the railroad a few bucks.

Or, for $0.00, someone could have turned the bulbs 1/2-turn counter-clockwise, thereby rendering them unlit!

Red Arrow Fan wrote:

lvrr325 wrote:

56-57 wrote:That signal at Lehighton stayed lit until this past spring. From talking to the signal maintainers, it seemed it wasn't about saving money, but taking that signal out of service would have required undoing all the post-1965 wiring in the bungalow, which was quite prodigious.. Why fix what isn't broken?

MJK

Removing wiring = gotta pay someone labor to do it = not doing it saves the railroad a few bucks.

Or, for $0.00, someone could have turned the bulbs 1/2-turn counter-clockwise, thereby rendering them unlit!

Thereby causing everything in the interlocking to default to STOP/RED. This is the definition of 'Interlocking'. Everything is interlocked for absolutely the safest possible operation. So no, not quite. When the ghost signal had a burned out bulb, it would be replaced within a day or so at the latest, as none of the other signals would show anything else but STOP.

-MJK

Hence the name "ghost signal" as in the ghost of the cnj would not let the signal die. The former CNJ guys loved it,and always pointed it out when working up there to us new guys.

So we are all on the same page...

This is a fully operational Interlocking controlled by the Port Clinton Train Dispatcher. Before this was installed and EMX was just a hand throw switch. Train crews would have to stop each time to line their route and sometimes have to line it back for other crews, this was a pain sometimes. Having it as an Interlocking, now makes life a lot easier for us train crews and we can also cruise through there at track speed now. Northbound trains lined for the Main will get a "Clear" while trains lined for the M&S Branch will get a "Medium Clear."

Hopefully this answers some questions

Thanks for the information and for bringing things back on-topic.