Russ and list
Last night, for my bedtime reading pleasure I pulled out BB 41 and Russ's
notes re the Buda depot interior photo on page 82. I couldn't resist the
urge to make some additional comments.
In paragraph 5 Russ mentions Check Locks MT#1, MT#2, with block designations.
I would assume that MT means Main TRack. I have forgotten from which
direction the tracks are numbered. Is MT #1 the North (normally westbound
track) and MT#2 the South (normally eastbound track). ?
In the penultimate (that means next to last for those in Rio Linda) paragraph
Russ says. "If the crossovers are or have been lined correctly the Operator
had a small panel (NOT VISIBLE BUT TO HIS RIGHT) with four toggle switches to
clear the absolute signals".
Well, Russ you must have been concentrating on Louis Menk or Chairman Mao and
hence developing "tunnel vision" when you were looking at the photo.
The panel with the toggle switches is very clearly in sight on a small shelf
just to the right of the operators desk right beside the train order form
shelves (looks like 31's on the top shelf and 19's on the lower shelves).
Just a couple of other comments to stir things up.....Note the standard issue
UNDERWOOD NO. 5... probably all caps Typewriter...I have one just like it. I
can't figure out what the black hood thing is just to the right of the
operators right elbow???? Looks like a passenger TT under the right side of
the "hood". Just to the left of the train order form shelf "on the hook" are
the live train orders for delivery. I'm not very knowledgeable about
telegraphy (and a lot of other things), but I think the instruments on the
extreme right and left end of the upper desk shelf are telegraph sounders and
the thing in the middle on the top shelf just to the right of the operator's
head is a relay.
There is one vital item which is missing from the telegraph equipment, and
I'll pose it as a question??? for someone to display his knowledge of the
typical small town station's telegraph instruments.......Hint....it has to do
with the main sounder just to the left of the operators left ear.
Note the high tech wiring setup for the desk lamp on the operators work
table. also, I would assume that the device on the wall to the right of the
bottom of the center window shade is an annunciator which would buzz when a
train was approaching.
Again, Russ...thanks for enlightening us on the Check Lock System...It's
something that I was not at all familiar with. I had always assumed that
before the CTC was installed that the trains just ran from Station (or tower)
to Station (or tower) with the current of traffic and a reversal would
require the usual train orders and moving without benefit of signals. I
would like to see the TT rules and/or special instructions which covered this
operation.
Pete Hedgpeth
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