signal brackets

[NW Mailing List]

Larry, Your description below is extremely helpful and clear.

I've attached the 1984 N&W (not NS!) Track Chart of Chillicothe with a 
Red Arrow pointing to our signal in question (yes, we do agree on it's 
location. thx). The eastbound #1 Track is marked blue. The westbound #2 
Track is marked in yellow. BTC and ETC stands for 'Begin Traffic 
Control' and 'End T.C.' Note the speed limits shown at the top. I'd be 
interested how and engineer would take advantage of that short 60 mph 
stretch btwn the 20 mph and the 35 mph :)  Hope this makes things 
clearer for everyone.

Thx for reminding us that NW didn't use Diverging indications for 
converging moves.

What would be the procedure for a westbound to continue west on 
eastbound Track #1 past the 'Restricting' signal?

And here's a very helpful link regarding NW Signals c.1981.  
https://www.jmri.org/xml/signals/NW-1981/aspects.xml

John Garner, Newport VA

P.S. I'm proud to say that my brother was in charging of creating and 
maintaining these NW track charts for the entire system.



Eric, then we are in agreement (but on your note below, you said you’d 
have Diverging Clear here - perhaps you mistyped). As I said somewhere 
earlier in this, N&W did not use diverging signals for converging moves 
(two track to one or out of a siding onto the main) unlike many western 
roads (such as the former Milwaukee Road where I used to commute). 
Therefore from either track at the pictured point, you not get a 
diverging signal as you went from two tracks to one. But the next signal 
is the move to double track where you either diverge to the westbound 
track or continue straight against the current of traffic on the 
eastbound track. The only possible signals there are Diverging Clear (or 
Diverging Approach as appropriate to block status) for the move to the 
westbound track or Restricting to the eastbound track. Hence, one signal 
back at the point pictured, it’s Approach Diverging if lined to the 
westbound track or Approach if lined to the eastbound track or not 
cleared at all there.

And for the others, as I know how confusing signal names can be, 
Diverging Whatever means you’re diverging here and then doing whatever 
the rest says (Diverging Clear means diverge then treat it as a clear 
once clear of the turnouts, Diverging Approach means diverge, then 
approach next signal prepared to stop, and Diverging Approach Diverging 
means diverge, then approach next signal prepared to diverge again) 
while Approach Diverging means you’re not diverging until the next 
signal (it’s real easy to confuse Approach Diverging and Diverging 
Approach).

-- 
Larry Stone
lstone19 at stonejongleux.com
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