Signals on the NEC

RRspatch wrote:

ExCon90 wrote: When the gauntlet track was installed in the B&P Tunnel in Baltimore (1960's?) horizontal and vertical arrows were displayed alongside the signals at both ends; horizontal indicated that the route was lined for the gauntlet. Much later the same thing was done at New Carrollton.

Both Gauntlets at the B&P tunnel and at New Carrollton have been removed. I believe there are directional arrows at "Swift" interlocking just east of Newark. This is to prevent trains from the sent down the wrong track by having arrows that show which route is set. I guess at arrows would be the US version of the BR feather signals.

Hunter has directional arrows for trains going up to the Lehigh Line as well.

Maybe arrows are needed at south Alexandria on CSX. Remember an Amtrak going to Manassas got routed onto Richmond route. Signal indications could not tell engineer what route he was going on.

east point wrote:Maybe arrows are needed at south Alexandria on CSX. Remember an Amtrak going to Manassas got routed onto Richmond route. Signal indications could not tell engineer what route he was going on.

But how much do the arrows really gain? I would not expect that the arrow can be read more than a few seconds before the engineer can read the switch points. So the arrow might let the engineer start stopping the train sooner but will still probably get by it before stopping and still need to make a reverse move to get out of the interlocking and get a correct route (note that IMHO, an incorrect route, provided the speed is proper for the route, does not justify an emergency stop given that putting the train in emergency has its own risks).

Since all trains stop at Alexandria the engineers will be able to observe the arrow at AF before leaving the station.

lstone19 wrote:

east point wrote:Maybe arrows are needed at south Alexandria on CSX. Remember an Amtrak going to Manassas got routed onto Richmond route. Signal indications could not tell engineer what route he was going on.

But how much do the arrows really gain? I would not expect that the arrow can be read more than a few seconds before the engineer can read the switch points. So the arrow might let the engineer start stopping the train sooner but will still probably get by it before stopping and still need to make a reverse move to get out of the interlocking and get a correct route (note that IMHO, an incorrect route, provided the speed is proper for the route, does not justify an emergency stop given that putting the train in emergency has its own risks).

The arrows at MO are mounted on the Manhattan end of the 138th Street bridge, a good 2,000' short of where the routes star diverging. Same is true of the arrows at JO- it's ~2,000' from the arrows to the start of the interlocking plant under the Bronx River Parkway bridge. More than adequate distance to stop a train if you're running at track speed.

Ridgefielder wrote: The arrows at MO are mounted on the Manhattan end of the 138th Street bridge, a good 2,000' short of where the routes star diverging. Same is true of the arrows at JO- it's ~2,000' from the arrows to the start of the interlocking plant under the Bronx River Parkway bridge. More than adequate distance to stop a train if you're running at track speed.

Thanks. I didn’t realize the arrows were in advance rather than at the home signal.