Paintin' block signals (NW Mailing List)

[NW Mailing List]

I'll tell you what.  If they want these 89 year old signals to last, they better keep a good coat of paint on them.  The rust will structurally compromise them over time.
   
  Most folks don't know or realize that this equipment (except for the signal heads themselves) goes back to the semaphore days.  The relay cases, poles, and ladders all go back to the late 1910's and early 1920's.  The upgrade to position lights was done over many years between the late 30's through the 40's and maybe even the 50's.  I have no idea when exactly when all of them were done.  I do know that the Bristol Line was changed to PL's in 1946-47.
  Here is a photo of the signal that used to be at Dublin.
  http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns269.jpeg
   
  This signal's pole bracket has been moved to Wysor.  Here's a photo of it taken in February.
  http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/100_1720.jpg
  The signal was moved sometime before the 40's, and converted to PL in 1947.  Colored in the early sixties.  This signal was known in the N&W days as East End Wysor.  In keeping with Southern practice, is has been renamed.  The old West End Wysor is now known as Newbern.  
   
  I don't believe that most, if any of the folks that maintain this equipment now, even know how OLD that equipment really is.  Note how rusty this signal was in the photo.  The ones around Marion here were just as bad.
   
  The N&W was real good about keeping them painted through this area.  The black on these signals hasn't been repainted (except the target background) since the N&W days.  NS did paint the silver last in 1991.  I have the pictures to prove it.  Hopefully they'll get a good coat of black paint on the rest of them and they should last for many more years.
   
  Ben Blevins
  

NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
  Paid the Columbus District a visit this weekend and the many of remaining CPL have been repainted on the line too - both silver and black. They look great!
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