Tuckahoe Questions

[glennk419]

I am planning to build a diorama of Tuckahoe to hopefully be incorporated into a larger layout at some point and had a few questions regarding timelines.
When was the signal system deactivated and the remaining switches converted to manual (as in ground thrown) operation? I have a track diagram which shows what I suppose was the last configuration of the plant as of 1/1/1968 with signals intact and two switches still operated from the tower. Did the signals remain up until the termination of passenger service? The first time I ever got to Tuckahoe was in the early 80's and everything was gone at that point. Also, how were the switches to the wye operated? Were they always ground throws or were they at one time remotely operated from the tower? The only thing the diagram seems to show was an electric lock on the wye switch (as well as one on the controlled siding) from the Cape May main as being operated from the tower.

[glennk419]

WOW, 132 views and no one knows when the TUCK signals were taken out of service?

[JJMDiMunno]

The signals on the Clementon Branch were taken out of service I believe in November 1983. I am 90% sure the ones south of Winslow on the Cape May Branch were pulled at the same time.

Mike DiMunno
SJRail.com / SJRA

[glennk419]

Thanks Mike. I must have literally missed them by months.

[Steam man]

I worked Tuckhoe enough times but it's been a long ways back. Soooooo all I can give you is this from my issued Employee Timetable No. 4 in effect June 14, 1971 . I edited the list down to just the switches at Tuckahoe. At the time I was there they were ground throws and I don't know if they were ever controlled from the Interlocking sation directly. I wouldn't want to have to pull them in the winter with 1600 ft. of pipe to move along with the turnout.
Page 28 says:

Hand Operated Switched with Electric Locks
1104-D1 - The following switches are equipped with electric lock;permission to unlock must be obtained from operator before switch lock is removed from keeper:

Tuckahoe- Wye switch, Cape May Br.

Tuckahoe-Siding switch 1600 ft. south of Interlocking Station (Cape May Branch)

This still don't answer the question really as I don't remember how the whole mess worked. I do remember well pulling off locks, signals and throwing turnouts with the Armstrong machine and the whole tower shaking when the turnout levers were pulled. This was fun when the lines seperated cars at Tuckahoe, did a reverse move past the tower and then bang, bang, bang, grunt, pulling levers to line up the railroad and then the signals. It all had to be done in a quick choreographed no bull way. One thing they were still sticky about was keeping schedule and if you hung a line, you would hear about it.
As always...Be governed accordingly

[Steam man]

Further incestigation on an older track chart has revealed that there were as January 1961 in theTuckahoe Interlocking station's 28 lever machine, 10 levers for 13 signals,3 levers for 3 switches and 3 levers for 4 F.P. switches. What F.P. indicates I don't know.

[glennk419]

Thanks Steam man. Your timetable seems to reflect the diagram that I have from 1968. Could F.P. mean Facing Point, possibly for the sidings near the tower and east of the grade crossing?

[ExCon90]

Possibly Facing Point Lock? I don't know about Tuckahoe specifically, but in many armstrong plants a switch in a main track was operated in connection with a facing-point lock which had to be released before the switch could be thrown. The lever actually controlled a rod which slid at a 90-degree angle through the rod that moved the points. To line a diverging route, the sequence was 1) unlock fpl; 2) reverse switch; 3) lock fpl. To restore after the move: 1) unlock fpl; 2) restore switch; 3) lock fpl. Normally the levers controlling fpls were painted a different color from the switch levers. If details of the track and signal diagram can be made out, the fpl numbers should be indicated.

[glennk419]

That would make sense. The 1968 diagram I have says 10 levers for 13 signals, 2 levers for 2 switches and 1 lever for 2 F.P. locks with 10 spare levers. The locks were both on the Cape May Branch, one each for the wye and the siding.

[glennk419]

Reviving an old thread....sorta. For whatever reason, Tuckahoe intrigues the hell out of me. Maybe it's since I'm a Reading guy and have spent so much time there and have actually been in the tower (legally). Tony and I need to meet for coffee one of these years.

When levers were thrown for signals, did the signals drop ala automatic block signals once the train passed or were they strictly operated by the position of the tower levers?
Tuckahoe had several relay cabinets external to the tower which I would have assumed provided some electrical interlocking outside of the Armstrong machine. The signal diagram that I have from 1968 does not seem to show any track circuits other than for signals R507 and R538 which were the approach signals for the interlocking, SB and NB respectively.

[Steam man]

Yes Glenn, the signals did drop automatically .

[glennk419]

Yes Glenn, the signals did drop automatically .

Thank you sir.