CPL signals and how they operate

[NW Mailing List]

Harry,

     Ruby was a precursor to the post 1964 management style of officials 
hiding in the undergrowth to way lay lax train crew practices. In my 
rookie year before the merger I was on a "go-go" yard job at E 55th in 
Cleveland working the field. I was unaware of my safety mistakes that 
were unseen by my conductor, who had to keep a close eye on our less 
than sharp headman. When we came in to coffee some old guy took me aside 
and kindly offered some suggestions that opened my eyes to how one 
played the position. Never knew his name, but I returned to the field 
with a better sense of the right way to get things done - even in a 
hurry. I'm glad he had that friendly intervention with me rather than 
being called on the carpet for violation and punishment of rules x, y & z.

WJPowers

On 2/5/2020 7:10 PM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> One additional observation.  In the early days, Distant Signals were 
> first used in NON-Automatic Block territory.
> ____________________________________________________________________
>
> Into the 1970s, this practice continued on the former VGN and in two 
> sections of the
> Nickel Plate between Frankfort and East St. Louis. At the west end of 
> most VGN
> passing sidings, there was a spring switch allowing trains to leave 
> the siding without
> having to stop to let the crew on the caboose line the switch for main 
> track movement.
> The turnout was supposed to reline after the train left the siding.  
> The distant signal
> for eastbounds displayed "clear" if the turnout was lined for main 
> track movement.
> It offered NO block signal protection. Remember that after the 1959 
> merger, VGN
> was still  a timetable and train order operation Virso to Norfolk 
> Terminal.
>
> Same applied on NKP,  Except for a small amount of ABS territory, it 
> was a
> timetable and train order operation west of Frankfort.  W. E. Ruby was 
> an NKP
> official (and later Supt. - Pittsburgh Div.)  This is how he conducted 
> signal tests--
> he'd consult with the dispatcher to determine meeting points. On 
> arrival at the meeting
> point, he'd get his crow bar and hide in the bushes.  After the train 
> left the siding, he'd
> rush from the bushes, put the crow bar against the main track rail so 
> that the
> switch point wouldn't close after the train cleared.  If the crew of 
> the departing train
> failed to look back to see that the distant signal had cleared, they 
> were in trouble for
> not notifying that the signal had malfunctioned OR that the spring 
> switch had failed to
> realign.             Harry Bundy
>
> P. S. When moving from signaled to non-signaled territory, what is the 
> aspect
>         displayed on the last signal ?
>
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