Old Signage

neman2 wrote:
How about the granite ones? I would like to know how that house on Route 117 in Weston near Hastings station got that one in their backyard that is clearly visible from the street. They have to be about 1000 pounds.

Whats the number on it? A number of years ago there was a tribute to the late rail photographer Arnold Wilder in the B&M Bulletin. One photo depicted a grinning Wilder and cohort standing beside a milepost on a recently abandoned line, with shovels. In the background was a flatbed truck. It can be done, its just tedious as hell.
The granite posts don't have the need for steel reinforcement, besides, steel and granite have different coefficients. For an example of what happens when you combine the two and factor in freezing temperatures, visit the little park on the corner of Market and Shattuck in Lowell, and check out the granite posts there.

arthur d. wrote:

neman2 wrote:
How about the granite ones? I would like to know how that house on Route 117 in Weston near Hastings station got that one in their backyard that is clearly visible from the street. They have to be about 1000 pounds.

Whats the number on it? A number of years ago there was a tribute to the late rail photographer Arnold Wilder in the B&M Bulletin. One photo depicted a grinning Wilder and cohort standing beside a milepost on a recently abandoned line, with shovels. In the background was a flatbed truck. It can be done, its just tedious as hell.
The granite posts don't have the need for steel reinforcement, besides, steel and granite have different coefficients. For an example of what happens when you combine the two and factor in freezing temperatures, visit the little park on the corner of Market and Shattuck in Lowell, and check out the granite posts there.

I don't drive that way any more but it can be seen on Google Street view 160 North Street in Weston, the number can't be seen on street view.

Granite is 170 lbs/cu ft. I'm guessing 10"x10"x6'-0" size. Calculates to about 700 lbs. Concrete 150 lbs./cu. ft.Calculates to about 600 lbs. Not sure what you mean by coefficients.

Coming back to this thread for 2 reasons. 1st, recall that there was discussion of whether the mile markers are reinforced inside. Passed a broken one a few weeks back and noticed that there was exposed metal rods on either side inside the marker.

2nd is I couldn't find a better place to try to identify a piece of signage a friend showed me. Supposedly RR related, he got it from a scrapper. Plain rectangular sign, yellow on one side, green on the other, affixed to a thin round pole. Long sides of the rectangle makes up the top/bottom. Can only guess that it was to tell the train how to proceed, but then it appears as if the sign would be fixed in the ground so one direction is always yellow and the other always green.

ExCon90 wrote:One possible explanation is that it was used to indicate the limits of a slow-order section. Different railroads used various indicators, but the sign would be inserted into the ground alongside the track; yellow on one side and green on the other would indicate the beginning for trains approaching the yellow side and ending for trains seeing the opposite side of the sign. A similar sign would be posted at the other end of the site. The actual restriction would be contained in a bulletin order, the signs serving to call attention to it at the actual work site.

Best explanation I've seen or heard yet, thank you. I feel as if I have seen these signs on the RR before but did not pay much attention as they are essentially blank, will have to see if I can locate a reference for that.

I am currently trying to obtain a set of rails that I found.

Last year, while riding my bike along the former West Shore RR and with an early spring [no scrub brush growth] I suddenly see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn around and I see two rails in the brush. They are not sitting on the ground horizontally. They've been driven straight into the ground. I can't tell how long these rails are. Could be 3 feet, could be 39 feet. I poked at them and they don't want to move. It will likely require a back hoe to dig them out. I left them behind with tons of brush covering them so nobody see's them. I want those particular rails.

I have a small layout of WS ties, plates and spikes in place. I want those rails to complete the WS track.

Because I can't just go in and get them, I have to get permission. I first thought they were on park land. I was told they are not. That means I have to go to the town supervisor and discuss it. I have no idea if he'll let me on the property with a back hoe to pull them out or maybe he'll offer to pull them out for me.....for a fee. Time will tell.

The area of abandonment where I got the ties and plates from was abandoned and ripped up by RJ Corman. The day they ripped everything up, my brother and I drove to where they were working and they ended up giving me 5. I was happy.