CSX signal replacement across New York State

Got news..

There are some new automatics are up, in smattered areas.. but heads twisted in Central New York. CP334 has new signals in Lyons, but not in service.. CP335, the one with the rare "mini" 2 track signal bridge is in danger.. Workers are putting in final touches of cabling for the new Vaders.. With nice weather hitting NY State, it looks like its going to be quick and done earlier than expected.. The rare "pitchfork" signal is on borrowed time in Lyons, as new Vaders are already up and sprouting next to them.. so get some pictures as you can...

Dave

Photos by a local fan name Zane Smith of Lyons, NY, as it was posted on Facebook as "Save Conrail"

the bottom photo looks like it was taken in Weedsport, NY just East of Centerport Road. All new signals out that way are still covered in black trash bags and the signal heads are facing away from the tracks.

All these new signal installations will stay turned and bagged, untill CSX completes all signals within their designated zones. Only then at a designated date and time will CSX do a signal switch over. Because these new signals will also incorporate different signal rules (B&0/SB) from the current CR rules currently used. This gets the former CR regions in line with the rest of the CSX system and eventual implementation of the PTC system.

roadster wrote:All these new signal installations will stay turned and bagged, untill CSX completes all signals within their designated zones. Only then at a designated date and time will CSX do a signal switch over. Because these new signals will also incorporate different signal rules (B&0/SB) from the current CR rules currently used. This gets the former CR regions in line with the rest of the CSX system and eventual implementation of the PTC system.

so what dose this mean there going to do away with the NORAC Rules as well??

I believe NORAC has been done away with some time ago.

Charlie

Are or were there other regional signals rule sets like NORAC?

Do the signal bridges themselves have "names"?
how are they identified? by milepost?

On the first one I photographed, at Westside drive in Chili,
I marked MP 378.60 right on the photo:


because I could see that clearly stenciled right on the signal bridge itself:


So would that be the best way to "name" an individual signal bridge? its exact MP? or is there something else?

I photographed the two signal bridges at either side of Attridge road tonight..(photos coming soon)
the location is "CP 382"..but is there something more specific I could name each of the two signal bridges?
Here is one of the track maps Dave posted earlier, this one shows Attridge road and CP 382.

http://www.rochester-railfan.net/images ... 404373.jpg

(what are the red lines on that map?)
I see the green lines across the tracks are the signal bridges..MP 374, 376, 378, etc..
but there is no indication of the two signal bridges at Attridge on that map..
anyone know what they are called?
Staying right at the Attridge road crossing, they were too far away to get a read on their milepost stencils..

thanks,
Scot

roadster: what is ptc you just mentioned?

Scott,

We must be neighbors! I live on Golden Rd and I see old 378 atleast 4 times a day. She's still got her grey paint! I've also found concrete foundations at the end of Golden Rd which I assumed to be a signal bridge, I then stumbled upon these gems.. http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4001/4218 ... 17c3_o.jpg http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2789/4218 ... c3e1_o.jpg

Corey

scharnhorst wrote:the bottom photo looks like it was taken in Weedsport, NY just East of Centerport Road. All new signals out that way are still covered in black trash bags and the signal heads are facing away from the tracks.

photo is not in weedsport... its not even remote closely resemble of weedsport.

it was took at QC334 as indicated in that post. and that photo is clearly in east of Lyons. Former agway plant is behind that bridge.

charlie6017 wrote:I believe NORAC has been done away with some time ago.

Charlie

You are correct with regards to CSX, but NORAC is still in use by a number of short lines and regional RR's.

lakeshoredave wrote:roadster: what is ptc you just mentioned?

PTC = Positive Train Control. It is a system that (among other things) is designed to bring a train to a stop in the event it exceeds its limit of authority (i.e. passes a stop signal). Congress mandated its installation on RR lines meeting certain conditions after the head-on UP/ commuter train collision in Chatsworth, CA

din't the New York Central use PTC on the line with there passenger trains at one time??

Scott, Your signal bridge at MP278 is refered to as "auto 378" or simply "378" which is what you'll hear the crews call them as they call the signals on the radio. The bridges at CPs are refered to as such, IE: CP 382, "Eastbound Absolute Signal" (EAS) or "Westbound Aboslute Signal" (WAS). So the bridge West of Attrdige rd is the CP 382 EAS. You'll usually hear this with track mobiles or other Hi-rail equipment during EC-1 issuing, compliance, and location radio reporting. Train crews will simply refer to the signals on radio reports as CP 382 TK _, direction. The same for the autos or "intermediates". (CSX Q_ _ _ , TK _, _____bound auto 378, "Clear", CSXT eng #, out). Or some variant of that example.

CSX stopped using NORAC rules several years ago, and has their own rules identical to NORACs, regarding the former CR signals. This signal replacement program will eliminate that section of the CSX Signal rule book. Only crews operating within other RR's territorys still subscribed to NORAC must be qualified on NORAC as well.

Most railroads have their own signal rules.

Yes, NYC back in the steam era, used a form of PTC. Utilizing sensors mounted on engines and installations along the tracks, actually more simular to cab signal tech., and was labor intensive to maintain. This new PTC system utilizes GPS, including constant telemetry between the locomotives and the computerized system to maintain train separation, speed and signal rule compliance.