Bristol Line signals ten years ago
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Sat Jul 22 19:46:24 EDT 2006
Go for it.
Tom Anson
"nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> said:
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> The recent topic of CTC on the Bristol Line brought back to mind my
project ten years ago in which I set out to photograph all the signals on
the line. While I missed quite a few by not knowing where they were, or
having to trespass, I did quite a bit of field research, study and
documentation. I have a notebook full of information that I learned and
noted, from footer locations, and long forgotten signal locations, to
photograph exposure settings, dates, locations, etc.
>
> Ten years ago at this time I was running all over the country in my
spare time taking as many photos as I could to capture the passing of these
signals, much in the same way a lot of you folks did all you could to
capture the passing of steam locomotives. I decided to share a few with
you, and if there's interest, I will post more.
>
> As a note, I had hoped at one time to publish a book about all this, but
I doubt that will ever happen. Besides, this way I can share them with
everyone at no cost to me or you!
>
> Let's start at Rural Retreat and head west.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/eastendlookingeast1
996640.jpg
> Here we have the East End Rural Retreat signals, with the station on the
left, and we are looking east. The date is July, 1996. The eastward signal
only has one arm on it as a result of the siding being removed about five
years previous to the photo, and the signals were modified accordingly, but
retained as a control point. The footers for the new Safetran signals are
highlighted to make them more visible. They were installed about a week
later. It would be the following January before they were turned on.
>
> Now, we're at the West End of Rural Retreat. July, 1996.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/westendlookingeastb
w.jpg
> This is the West End Rural Retreat signal, still a controlled signal,
but the siding is gone as we noted on the east end. The signal's lower arm
has only the center marker lamp, as the diagonal aspect has been removed,
and the corresponding westward signal in the distance also has no arm for
the siding anymore. There are no signals at this location anymore.
>
> Here is a pedistal box about a mile on west of Rural Retreat.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/pedistalbox640.jpg
> I have no idea what was in it, and I wanted to get one, but was unable
to.
>
> At the Brickyard, about three miles on west, I captured this train on
November 15th, 1996.
> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/356211-15-
96640.jpg
>
> Now we're at Mount Carmel, about a mile west of the East End Marion
siding.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/3611nightapproachdi
vergingretouched.jpg
> This was this signals last approach diverging aspect given, taken in the
wee hours before dawn the day of the signal cutover in February 1997 and
we're looking west. The constellation Orion was visible in the sky beyond
the signal, and is very clear on the slide, but didn't scan over well, so I
retouched it to make it easier to see.
>
> Here's the same location looking east. This was taken in the late
summer of 1996.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/looklingeastnight64
0.jpg
> This photo not only documents the signals better than any day shot I
have, but also emphasizes the pole line crossing the tracks to the north
side. After about a mile, they crossed back to the south side. I have no
idea why.
>
> Now, here's my most famous photo taken at McMullin, about three miles
west of Marion in April 1992, looking east to see the moon rise.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/Moonshot01640.jpg
> This was a twelve second time lapse photo, and a car passed over the
bridge to the left. This actually helped emphasize the bridge. This was
not a planned photo. It was a pure stroke of luck.
>
> Here's the same location in a daytime photo. You can see how
unremarkable the location is.
>
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/mcmullinday640.jpg
> I don't remember for sure, but I think I took this photo the very next
day. The night shot puts the emphasis on what I wanted to capture, while
this one is kind of bland and unremarkable.
>
> I hope you enjoy this little slideshow, and as I said, if there's
interest, I'll post more.
>
> Enjoy!
> Ben Blevins
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
> --0-1633769152-1153584353=:78704
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>
> <div>The recent topic of CTC on the Bristol Line brought back to mind my
project ten years ago in which I set out to photograph all the signals on
the line. While I missed quite a few by not knowing where they were,
or having to trespass, I did quite a bit of field research, study and
documentation. I have a notebook full of information that I learned
and noted, from footer locations, and long forgotten signal locations, to
photograph exposure settings, dates, locations, etc.</div>
<div> </div> <div>Ten years ago at this time I was running all over
the country in my spare time taking as many photos as I could to capture the
passing of these signals, much in the same way a lot of you folks did all
you could to capture the passing of steam locomotives. I decided to
share a few with you, and if there's interest, I will post more.</div>
<div> </div> <div>As a note, I had hoped at one time to publish a book
about all this, but I doubt that will
> ever happen. Besides, this way I can share them with everyone at no
cost to me or you! </div> <div> </div> <div>Let's start at
Rural Retreat and head west. </div> <div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/eastendlookin
geast1996640.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/e
astendlookingeast1996640.jpg</A></div> <div>Here we have the East End Rural
Retreat signals, with the station on the left, and we are looking
east. The date is July, 1996. The eastward signal only has one
arm on it as a result of the siding being removed about five years previous
to the photo, and the signals were modified accordingly, but retained as a
control point. The footers for the new Safetran signals are
highlighted to make them more visible. They were installed about a
week later. It would be the following January before they were turned
on.</div> <div> </div> <div>Now, we're at the
> West End of Rural Retreat. July, 1996.</div> <div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/westendlookin
geastbw.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/westen
dlookingeastbw.jpg</A></div> <div>This is the West End Rural Retreat
signal, still a controlled signal, but the siding is gone as we noted on the
east end. The signal's lower arm has only the center marker lamp, as
the diagonal aspect has been removed, and the corresponding westward signal
in the distance also has no arm for the siding anymore. There are no
signals at this location anymore.</div> <div> </div> <div>Here is a
pedistal box about a mile on west of Rural Retreat. </div> <div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/pedistalbox64
0.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/pedistalbox6
40.jpg</A></div> <div>I have no idea what was in it, and I wanted to
get one, but was
> unable to.</div> <div> </div> <div>At the Brickyard, about three
miles on west, I captured this train on November 15th, 1996.</div> <div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/356211-15-
96640.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/356211-
15-96640.jpg</A></div> <div> </div> <div>Now we're at Mount Carmel,
about a mile west of the East End Marion siding.</div> <div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/3611nightappr
oachdivergingretouched.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard
/signals/3611nightapproachdivergingretouched.jpg</A></div> <div>This was
this signals last approach diverging aspect given, taken in the wee hours
before dawn the day of the signal cutover in February 1997 and we're looking
west. The constellation Orion was visible in the sky beyond the
signal, and is very clear on the slide, but didn't scan over well, so I
retouched it to make it
> easier to see.</div> <div> </div> <div>Here's the same location
looking east. This was taken in the late summer of 1996.</div>
<div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/looklingeastn
ight640.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/lookli
ngeastnight640.jpg</A></div> <div>This photo not only documents the signals
better than any day shot I have, but also emphasizes the pole line crossing
the tracks to the north side. After about a mile, they crossed back to
the south side. I have no idea why.</div> <div> </div>
<div>Now, here's my most famous photo taken at McMullin, about three miles
west of Marion in April 1992, looking east to see the moon rise.</div>
<div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/Moonshot01640
jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/Moonshot01640
jpg</A></div> <div>This was a twelve second time lapse photo, and a car
> passed over the bridge to the left. This actually helped emphasize
the bridge. This was not a planned photo. It was a pure stroke
of luck.</div> <div> </div> <div>Here's the same location in a
daytime photo. You can see how unremarkable the location is.</div>
<div><A
href="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/mcmullinday64
0.jpg">http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/signals/mcmullinday6
40.jpg</A></div> <div>I don't remember for sure, but I think I took this
photo the very next day. The night shot puts the emphasis on what
I wanted to capture, while this one is kind of bland and
unremarkable.</div> <div> </div> <div>I hope you enjoy this little
slideshow, and as I said, if there's interest, I'll post more.</div>
<div> </div> <div>Enjoy!</div> <div>Ben Blevins</div>
<div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div><p> 
>
>
> <hr size=1>Do you Yahoo!?<br>
> Get on board. <a
href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42298/*http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/h
andraisers">You're invited</a> to try the new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
> --0-1633769152-1153584353=:78704--
>
--
Tom Anson
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