Steve,
My memory is you are correct. Otherwise when the machine was in “hand throw” mode the brakeman would be standing between the main and the siding where footing was tough and there probably also wasn’t clearance for hand throw mechanism.
Now speaking of those occasions where you and other DS’,s would state”take the switch off power and operate per ruleXXX” (i know that’s not it exactly but close). It seemed that most of those events were in the dead of winter with temps well below zero and the wind howling. It was tough enough to wrestle those massive mainline switches over on a warm summer day but in winter it was poor hell.
Usually these failures were when one was trying to enter or leave a siding on the head end but one night we played with the west switch at Mored two or three times from the rear end after we were in the clear and the switch wouldn’t return to normal. And yes indeed it was minus 15 or 20 degrees with a wind chill of minus 40 or 50 and lots of snow blowing.
Switch machine never responded to the DS so the next few guys westbound had to be talked by the west signal at Mored until the maintainer got there. We sat in the siding there at Mored for awhile.
Leo Phillipp On Feb 9, 2026, at 7:04 AM, Steve Moerke via groups.io <smurky=gmail.com@groups.io> wrote:
Just to clarify, in addition to the motor end toward the frog aren’t the dual control levers always on the field side? Steve On Feb 8, 2026, at 17:07, zephyr98072 via groups.io <glenehaug=msn.com@groups.io> wrote:
Rich:
There was an article written in "Railway Signaling" in April 1930 describing the CTC installation between Steward Junction and Flag Center, and the article along with a photo of a typical switch machine installation confirms everything that Brandon indicated,
including the orientation of the machine with respect to the turnout. I think there is a copy of this article on the BRHS website.
I can't remember if your layout extends east of Steward or West of Flag Center, but if so, there are also articles describing the 1942 installation of CTC between Aurora and Steward Junction, and the 1947 installation between Flag Center and Savanna Tower.
Both of these articles also include photos, and reference to GRS Model 5 dual control machines. From these photos, it appears that CB&Q used the above machine orientation universally.
Glen Haug
From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io> on behalf of Brandon Otterstrom via groups.io <brandono13=yahoo.com@groups.io>
Sent: Sunday, February 8, 2026 8:30 AM
To: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io>
Subject: Re: [CBQ] GRS Switch Machines
Rich,
The GRS 5H (Dual-control)would be the machine you want to use for your layout. The "Q" typical placed machines on the side of the normally-closed point. The motor end of the machine is toward the frog.
Brandon Otterstrom
BNSF Rochelle, IL Signal Maintainer
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