Today while on the eastbound platform at Newark, I noticed a signal I'd not seen before. At the end of the platform there was the usual green "clear" signal. But next to it, at lower right was a flashing red light. It looked like a LIRR "order board". I'd not noticed it there before. Does anyone know what it means? It's not shown on either of 2 PATH signal aspect charts I have.
Head-end View wrote:Today while on the eastbound platform at Newark, I noticed a signal I'd not seen before. At the end of the platform there was the usual green "clear" signal. But next to it, at lower right was a flashing red light. It looked like a LIRR "order board". I'd not noticed it there before. Does anyone know what it means? It's not shown on either of 2 PATH signal aspect charts I have.Assuming it was in a separate housing, it was indeed a "radio for instructions" signal. There's one at the front of the eastbound Grove St. track as well. I'm not sure how well maintained / used they are - even years ago, the one at Grove was acting up a lot - flashing even though Control didn't need to talk to anybody, staying on solid after the train cleared the block ahead, and so forth. I haven't seen the Grove one active in a number of years, though I don't ride the system as often as I used to.
If it was in the same housing as a regular signal, that would be rather bizarre at that location. There are a few spots where repeater signals at curves blink, to differentiate a repeater in an unusual location from a normal signal on another track. There's one one just before you get to the Journal Square yards, coming from Newark.