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