Thanks for the response, Steve. Pointing me to the employee timetable
really helped me understand your response. I have an employee timetable for the
Ottumwa and Creston Divisions dated February 1, 1953. Connett and Illinois Junction are shown on the timetable as having no office. Wood Tower
has interlocked in parentheses. A note at the bottom of the page says Automatic
Block System in effect between Galesburg and Connett and from Wood Tower and Ottumwa.
CTC was in effect from Connett to Wood Tower. No train order signal Galesburg,
Wood Tower, and Burlington. Clearance Form A required at these locations.
Passenger trains were cleared at the depot, and all other trains were cleared
at Wood Tower. Rules D-251, D-252, D-253, and D-254 were in effect. Manual Block
System Rule 318(B) was in effect for trains moving against the current of
traffic. The bridge was interlocked, presumably by Wood Tower.
I think this means that Wood Tower had interlocking
control of the mainline and K line connection and the bridge. CTC was in effect
from Connett to Wood Tower, and ABS was in effect from Wood Tower to Ottumwa.
All mainline traffic had to stop at either Wood Tower (freight) or the Burlington
depot (passenger) for clearance since train order signals were not in use at
those locations. The yard tracks were switched manually. There is no mention of
yard limits except between on the spur between Gladstone and Oquawka. The
maximum speed limit across Main Street in Burlington was 10 mph, so all trains
passed through Burlington v e r y s l o w l y.
The Washington branch line had manual block system (train order
signals?) under Rule 318(B) There were no train order signals in Mediapolis and
Washington, so all trains stopped in both places for clearance. Rule 907 was in
effect. The normal position of the crossing gate at the M&StL crossing was
against CB&Q, requiring a stop to open the gate and presumably manually set
restricting signals for the M&StL. All tracks in Washington
are yard tracks from the East switch West. The Rock Island crossing near Havre
isn’t mentioned, but I’ve heard it was by ABS, and the single
target signal there suggests that to be the case.
I don’t have a CB&Q rulebook, but I’ll look up the
rules cited above in a consolidated rulebook The question of upper quadrant or
lower quadrant train order signals on the Washington branch line
remains unanswered. 1960-70 photos show upper quadrant, and all are shown in
the yellow position. There was a 25 mph maximum speed limit on the Washington
branch, with many slower speed restrictions between Mediapolis and Washington.
Let me know if I’ve misinterpreted anything. I think I have the
basic information I need to design the signal system for my layout.
Nelson Moyer