Tower/Interlock Designation

[livesteamer]

I have a 1959 New Haven EET and the designation S.S. followed by a number is see throughout the ETT. Just what did that designation stand for? It is clear that the location was a tower or interlocking plant.

[crij]

SS, stands for Switch Station or Switching Station, IIRC.

I am not sure which numbers are for which other location, but the following are known to me:

Norwalk SS 44
Devon SS 71
New Haven, Union Station SS 77 IIRC
Groton SS 92 IIRC

I am sure others can confirm the tower numbers and fill in others.

Rich

[livesteamer]

Hey, I appreciate the quick response--kind of figured that what S.S. stood for. The old New Haven sure had a lot of towers for such a small road. Grew up on the Old Colony lines in Scituate and the ETT I have was issued in April 1959 with the note that the passenger service might cease for the Old Colony--which it did--now the tracks are going back on the same roadbed to Greenbush.

[Noel Weaver]

The NEW HAVEN RAILROAD was NOT a small railroad!!!!
Maybe in terms of total miles, we had less than others but in other terms,
we were a giant.
How many railroads had a electrified four track main line?
How many railroads had a train over that four track main line every two
minutes at times of the day?
How many railroads had a huge fleet of electric locomotives of all types
for all types of service and ran them many miles every day?
How many railroads ran as many passenger trains each and every day as
did the New Haven?
How many "fallen flags" of over 30 years still have locomotives running
every day in their "fallen flag" paint scheme?
The New Haven was one of the BEST railroads in the country especially
before McGinnis and McGinnis and after certainally one of the most
colorful.
The remark about it being a "small railroad" is a slap at every former New
Haven Railroad employee (of which I am proud to be one) and a slap at
the thousands of New Haven fans today.
Noel Weaver

[Statkowski]

As an addendum, the Signal Station numbering system was a renumbering from the original, which itself was a hodgepodge from all the lines that made up the New Haven system.

Three things of note:

First, not all Signal Stations were actual interlocking towers. They were locations from which signals could be controlled. Some were operated, as necessary, by switchtenders (e.g., S.S. 98, Danbury).

Second, although the numbering system essentially works its way from west (New York) to east (Boston), gaps in the numbers exist. Some of the gaps were spares, available for use if necessary. S.S. 1, Harlem River, may indeed be such a case. The interlocking tower there existed from 1927 until 1939. Prior to that, there apparently was no interlocking tower (although the passenger station may have served as a Block Station). S.S. 2, Bowery Bay, did not exist until Hell Gate Bridge went up, long after the numbering system was in place, and disappeared once the overhead wire went up and eliminated the need to change from New Haven steam to PRR electric for the Penn. Station service.

Third, many of the numbers originally used, and subsequently dropped (e.g., S.S. 6, Westchester Avenue), date to the time before Automatic Block signals were installed and were instead part of the Controlled Manual Block signal system.

The entire subject matter is a fascinating one, filled with holes and occasional speculation, and much data has been lost over the years.

[Noel Weaver]

I remember SS-198 in Danbury, it was nowhere near Wildman Street
but was located in the yard not too far east of the passenger station.
It had a model board and levers but the switches were hand thrown with
a mechanical locking system. It also had home signals on tracks one and
two on the Maybrook Line and two home signals on the Danbury Branch.
There was an operator in the station but SS-198 was manned by a
switchtender who had to be especially qualified in order to work at SS-198.
The facility went very soon after the Penn-Central takeover.
Noel Weaver

[crij]

After reading the signal station list, I am surprised that there was a station for Middletown DB & Middletown, would the Middletown DB SS be within the bridge operator's shack and only control approach and river signals? IIRC 3 lines used to meet in Middletown: Valley, Berlin and Airline branches, correct.

With this in mind, I am surprised that there was none in Willimantic, which had the Midland, Airline, and Providence Branches, along with the CV & CNE all meeting and crossing within the Willimantic Yard.

Are there other major intersection points on the system that never received a signal station?

Take care,

Rich

[Noel Weaver]

My guess, and it is only a guess, is that the Central Vermont wanted no
part of an interlocking tower at Willimantic.
It was truly a unique setup. At one time, it was probably busier than some
places that did have a more modern set up.
Noel Weaver

[crij]

From what I have been told, by the other guys at the Ct Eastern RR Museum, up into the 40's Willimantic averaged a train every 3-5 minutes, 24-6 or 24-7. It is amazing, to me that all that trafic was controlled only by the Gallows (sp?) signal at Bridge St. As far as I know none of these lines had electric signals.

For those who don't know what the Gallows signal looks like, it was a wood stick tower, approx 20-30 feet tall, with 2 arms (2 track street crossing at Bridge St.) Depending on the position of the 2 arms in relation to each other dictated which route was passing through, and where it was going. Unfortunatly I know of no photo, online, of the signal. East of Bridge St was the Airline north, Providence line and CV south. West of Bridge St was Airline south, Hartford line and CV north.

Still it seems that there was a lot of traffic for such a primative control set-up.

Take care,

Rich Cizik
MoW Foreman
Ct Eastern RR Museum
Willimantic, Ct
http://www.cteastrrmuseum.org

BTW: If anyone has blueprints for the gallow signal, please let one of us at the museum know, since we are planning on recreating it, eventually, within the property. Currently, we only have photos to go by, and will be scaling it from those for now.

[Noel Weaver]

I do not think Willimantic had anywhere near the trains mentioned
previously. Certainally, the timetables in my collection do not indicate
anything of that nature.
I do believe there was a switcher (NHRR) working in Willimantic during the
period and that helped with the number of moves but through trains, I do
not think so.
There is no doubt, however, that there was enough activity to keep the
operator/switchman at Bridge Street very busy during the 1940's.
Noel Weaver