NYC concrete w-posts

Over the years i have walked much of the old abandoned NYC's Norwalk branch and have seen several of the old flat top concrete whistle post's laying broken and very few still standing all shot up that have just a 'W' on them that used to warn trains of the road crossings along the line,but am puzzled as to why i have seen about 3 with a 'S' above the W. Does anybody know what this stands for and why there were only a few like this?Did they perhaps mean "sound whistle"?or were they for something else.Has anybody else ever seen these SW post's on any other NYC line?In one spot one was about 1500 ft. from a road crossing and another plain broken W post was lying in the ditch within a hundred feet of it.

S could be marking for a 2ed crossing?? just like some signs have a W with an X below it marking for a 2ed crossing. Will have to look it up in my 1958 NYCS Rule Book and see what the S means.

I've seen those newer aluminum metal WMX whistle post markers along some old Conrail lines where there was multiple crossings close together in a row.Where the one SW post was located that i mentioned there wasn't a second road crossing for at least over a good mile.There was however a switch off the main to a quarry spur about a half mile away.It wasn't a facing point switch though.The other two places where i had seen them there had been switches not to far away for sidings,but there was also a road crossing about the usual 1/4 mile away.So i don't think they were a marker for a upcoming switch.It just seemed odd to me that i had only seen a select few of these SW post's and they seemed to be near road crossings.I can't find anything mentioned in some of the older employee timetables i have from the 30's,50's,and 60's from the line in the areas where i saw the three SW post's.Hopefully maybe your NYC rulebook from the 50's might give a clue as to what SW means.Thank's!

Ok here is what I have found in my New York Central System Operating Rules Book from 10/28/56. The S could stand for 2 things.
First the S is placed on a Round Sign a White S on Black Back Ground is a Rule 293 indication report is: Be Governed BY Indication and Take (Or Leave) Siding at next Switch. Name Take (Or Leave) Sideing.
But its not to say that they did not put them on the Whistle signs to save on money for a 2ed sign.
The Seconed meaning if the Switch points are pointing against traffic the S could also stand for "Spring Switch" which would automaticley reset its self to normal if a train runs over the switch against the switch points. As for the Whistle warning they maybe warning the crew to sound the horn just in case the switch is against them and that they should toot the horn in case a local maybe working that line as well.
Rule 293 was still common on Conrail till CTC and Form D's replaced it. Some of the Conrail Rule Books no longer show Rule 293 later books show it crossed out. The book that I have from 1985 shows this rule crossed out.
Spring Switches are still in use today I don't know if they mark them anymore thow.

I would suggest looking in an old LS&MS rule book, if anyone has one. The whistle posts could possibly date back to the Lake Shore era, and the "S" could be the result of a rule that only pretained to the Lake Shore.

One thing that seems quite evident when comparing the various operating companies that made up the NYC RR is that they all had their own individual differences, from signaling and lineside structures, to items such as whistle posts.

This is always anouther possablity someone here on these forms might have more info on this one I'm wondering what these signs ment as well.

I got out some of my really old rule books and i had a 1881 LS&MS rule book.Although it was very interesting to read it really did not mention much about whistle posts or signals.I had a few others from other RR's from around the turn of the century and some of the old whistle signals are much different than todays.One long whistle blast back then was for approaching stations and crossings at grade.I now wonder if the SW posts were for the stations along the line as the few i have seen were about exactly 1 mile from where stations once stood in the towns.As i mentioned in one of the previous post above finding a broken plain W-post laying about a hundred feet from a SW post, most likely the plain W-post was for the approaching crossing 1500 ft. away and perhaps maybe the SW post could have been for the station 1 mile away? could SW have meant station whistle?

I would have to say that your book and your findings maybe right it makes sents to me. Most trains blow the horn with in a half mile of the station today. Maybe these were put up in areas where the stations sat in areas where a blind curve or an obstruction would hide the train for a seconed or two.

I never gave it any thought my self that any railroads had such signs here in the states. Most of the Rule Books or Time Tables That I have show this listed in the rule book but no signs to go by. My Conrail and my New York Central Rule Books had this printed in the books but did not list anything about any signs just ring the bell and sound the horn with in 50 yards of the station/flag stop.

I have seen signs like this in Canada on both on CN, and CP Rail.

Unless a local subsidiary had some obscure standard, the SW posts indicated "Station Whistle," Rule 14 m, one long blast.

SW's were placed one mile in either direction from a station, junction or railroad crossing at grade (not a highway crossing).

The W posts indicated "Crossing whistle," ____ ____ o ____ in later years, but in the 1937 book it was still ____ ____ o o, Rule 14 l (14 L).

Thank's Chief troll for solving the SW post mystery for me.You get one long blast of applause from me.You deffinately are an asset to the NYC railroadnet forum! Thank's again!