Bob,
Thought I had deleted this but I guess I didn't. Occupancy indicators
would have been white.
The turnout indication lights were not there when I worked there but
I know why they were added. Around '62 or '63 the CB&Q converted
the Montgomery IL interlocker from levers to CTC. They were
putting switch machines on the switches but still using the levers to
actuate the switch machine. Problem was that when you moved the
levers and threw the switch with a pipeline the switch point movement
matched the movement of the lever. That was the way it was supposed
to be. At Montgomery they put contacts on the levers to send current to
the switch machines. THERE WAS A TIME DELAY! If the Operator
returned the lock lever to the locked position before the switch threw
the power was cut off and the switch never threw. Since the signal
circuits were still interlocked through the bed of the interlocking the
signals would clear according to the LEVER position rather than the
switch position.
The result was a head on collision between a CB&Q and a detouring
CRI&P passenger train that killed, IIRC 7 people.
The Signal Department's defense was that they had taped a note to
the bottom of the board to remind the Operators about the time delay.
The ICC did not find that amusing. There were NO point detectors
on the switches interlocking with the signals at all.
They had started doing the wiring at West Eola just before I got off
the job. No switch machines had been installed. On two occasions
I called the Maintainer out because I discovered that the signal gang
had disconnected something and that the latch on a lock lever would
move while a train was going over the switch it locked.
You may understand the reason for the switch indicators now. They
must have been added as soon as they started putting switch machines
in. I would think that they would have been red and green but from
a personal viewpoint they should just be covered up. They were
only temporary.
West Eola was set up with occupancy locking, not route locking. I
can recall looking out the window and feeling the latch on the lock
lever release as the engine footboards were just clearing the switch
points. One night had a yard move stall. Tower did not have a radio
and the Yardmaster called me to ask if they could pull West for slack.
After my permission was passed along the phone rang again. Crew
was a little nervous about the fact that they had shoved East from
Track #1 but were now going West down Track #2. That's what
you can do with occupancy locking. Everyone might not understand
the implications of this. Between towers there was a check lock
system. This determined the current of traffic on that track. Both
tower's lever or handle positions had to match to clear a signal.
The switch crew had gotten a signal to go West out of the West
Yard on Track #1. This meant that the current of traffic on Track #1
had to be Westbound. They got verbal permission to go West on
Track #2 but no signal indication. In theory there could have been
an Eastbound train out of Aurora on Track #2 coming right at them.
I knew that the current of traffic on #2 was Westbound but they did
not.
Even after the CTC was in service there were still problems. Had
a head on between a BN train and a SSW trackage rights train during
the 80's. With route locking this would not be possible.
Still would like a digital image of that board.
Russ
> Hi Everybody,
>
> I just acquired a CB&Q interlocking tower model board (circ. 1934) at a
> flea market. I thought it would make an interesting addition to the hobby
> room. I would like to restore the indicator lamps to the proper colors.
> Does anybody here know what they should be?
>
> I'm guessing the occupied block indicators are white or yellow, similar to
> other railroads. I belive signals glow green when allowing movements. The
> weird thing is this board has turnout indicators. I've never seen a model
> board with this feature. I don't know what the lamp color might have been
> for turnouts. It could be green indicating that the turnouts are aligned
> for a cross track movement...or then again they might be red...
>
> -Bob
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