CPL history lesson

[NW Mailing List]

You certain about that, Mason?  The fault of that collision didn't lie with the misreading of a signal.  I read not only the ICC report of that, but the N&W investigation (it was about four inches thick).  The crew on the westbound slept past the approach signal at the East end of Sardinia, then after the collision tried to convince everyone it was showing clear.  J. V. Henretta of the signal department testified that in order for that to be true, someone would have had to break into the signal case at the east end of Sardinia and hold five relays upside down at the same time.

Henretta's credibility was good because the Signal Department had owned up to false clear signals in two previous incidents, one on Roanoke Terminal and the other on the Shenandoah Division, both involving passenger trains; evidently the one involving #2 and #95 that Jimmy was talking about.  The Signal Department stepped in and said it was their fault, which is probably why no investigation was held.

Ed King
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 10:11 PM
  Subject: Re: CPL history lesson


  It was a 1958 collision at Sardinia Ohio which led to the change to color position lights.

  Mason Cooper
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: NW Mailing List 
    To: NW Mailing List 
    Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 9:30 AM
    Subject: Re: CPL history lesson


    "WHY did the N&W change the position lights to Color? 
    Ben Blevins"

        Who knows the real reason the N&W's changed over to CPLs? I will assume that "Safety" was behind it somewhere. I am sure I will get an arguement from some,but, I think the CPLs are safer.
        You read what I posted. With PL signals, the only color the crews were seeing was YELLOW. And that was my point! If the signal indication was obscured in some way, all you saw was YELLOW. If some of the lights were burnt out, all you saw was YELLOW.
        Now, introduce color into the signal system and what do you get? Now (with CPLs) when you look through the fog or smoke or steam or tree branches and you see a fuzzy green light you knew what you had, etc. etc. 
        I have also been told that the wreck between #95 and #2 at the South End of Cloverdale was related to the PL signal at the North End of Cloverdale being worked on that same day. I have yet to find an accident report on that one.
    Jimmy Lisle


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