Don,
Glen is right on target. In the days when these were towers
the Operator could wave a flag at a train and bring them up,
at least to the tower.
It was rather disconcerting to leave Congress Park yard on a
lunar and come over the Ogden Ave. bridge and see a Dinky
just leaving the platform at La Grange Rd, (or 5th Avenue, if
your'e old fashioned). Since the dinky still had to stop at
Stone Ave. it was really foot dragging time. There was no
point in rushing down to the signal just West of Brainard Ave.
but once you waited it out and it went to yellow the rule of
thumb was, at 35 mph, behind an all stops Dinky, you would
continue to run on yellows and not see any more reds or
lunars.
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: "zephyr98072" <glenehaug@m...>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 11 September, 2002 00:02
Subject: [BRHSlist] Re: Q in Color Volume 4
> --- In BRHSlist@y..., Don Zinnecker <dzinnecker@j...> wrote:
> On page 76 the top signal targets for
> > both tracks (westbound) have a bracket sticking off to the side of
> the
> > target signal with something attached to it. What is that? What
> > function does it serve? Thanks. - Don
>
> Don: It is a lunar signal target that is not in service yet. When
> lit, it provided a "Restricting" signal indication that allowed a
> train to proceed into the control point or interlocking, and follow
> another train into the block beyond the control point. This aspect
> was particularly useful between Chicago and Aurora where trains
> followed closely, but was used also between Aurora and Galesburg, and
> perhaps other locations.
>
> Prior to the use of the lunar targets, many control points had
> additional signals at the leaving end of the control point (see the
> top of page 67 at Earlville). When CTC was installed, these signals
> were removed, and at most locations, the lunars were installed (look
> at pages 52-55, pre and post CTC at Buda).
>
> At Montgomery, since the photo you are referring to was taken in
> 1963, these lunars were probably placed in service in 1964 when CTC
> was installed west of Aurora.
>
> Glen Haug
>
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