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[NW Mailing List]

That chart answers one thing I wondered about. My 1981 ETT mentions the 20mph speed limit ”within city limits Chillicothe” without saying where the limits were. So I see it was up to the Scioto River Bridge leaving about 1/3 mile of 60mph before 35 for the turnout westbound. I’d ask why bother with that short stretch of 60 except by my ETT, it was almost 50 miles of 60mph from Vera (Cincinnati District junction) to MP 657 except for the 20 restriction within Chillicothe. So it was 60 for that short stretch simply because it was not 20.

I think someone also asked why the short single track. Looking at the Scioto River bridge, it looks like it was one two tracks. I wonder if as cars became heavier, it was too much for the bridge so the N&W single tracked the bridge so there could never be side-by-side trains there. But that’s pure speculation on my part.

-- 
Larry Stone
lstone19 at stonejongleux.com





> On Mar 28, 2024, at 3:06 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> 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<N&W Chillicothe NW Track Chart c.1984  MP.655-MP.657.5.jpg>________________________________________
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