Shouldn't this signal be red?

Shouldn't this signal be red?

I am guessing the locomotive did not trip the signal yet. If that is a tourist railroad maybe they do not have to worry about other trains.
A similar case is in this photo
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139943
Star Trek 40th Anniversary

looks like it is just a display, kinda far from the tracks

U-Haul wrote:I am guessing the locomotive did not trip the signal yet. If that is a tourist railroad maybe they do not have to worry about other trains.
A similar case is in this photo
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139943
Star Trek 40th Anniversary

I saw that one too. In both cases these signals mark a block that is already occuiped, not about to be occupied. These signals should have went red when the train entered the other end of the block.

Its a clear block for fun! Okay that was my corny joke of the day.

I'm going with the "Just for looks" idea. lol

Okay yes that one might be "just for looks" but U-Haul posted a pic that is not.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=139943

The same thing applies, that signal should have been red when the track entered the other end of the block. Isn't it in bi-directional signaling, when a train is going in one direction, many of the signals facing the other way are set to red.

Oops! That's not good! Need to get a maintainer out there and replace the bulb.

On the other hand, from what I have seen around here the train has to be in that particular block a couple seconds before that signal activates, which might be the case here.

JLJ061 wrote:On the other hand, from what I have seen around here the train has to be in that particular block a couple seconds before that signal activates, which might be the case here.

I don't think you are getting my point. The train is about to leave the block for that signal, which means it has been in the block for minutes. That signal should have went red many minutes ago, before we would have even seen the train.

It must be a burnt out bulb.

just a guess in the first pic could it be just a train order signal.most if not all block signals in the steam era were on the opposite side of the track enabling the engineer to see it down the boiler.

charles

In "bi-directional" signaled territory (261 territory here in NORAC land) the signals for teh other direction don't necessarily have to light up. They should be lit at interlockings and Controlled Points, but automatic signals, signal 959 in that BN pic for example, (generally signals with number plates are automatics, while Home signals or controlled signals do not have number plates) would be an automatic signal, for the other direction, and wouldn't have to be lit up, because the signals know that the dispatcher has set "the direction of traffic" in the other direction - what that means is the signals need to know which way the train is going to be going, so they know to show clear or whatever, and not all red signals (or stop signals, stop and proceed, or restricted proceed)

It saves on lightbulbs and electricity!!!

Those signals at Strasburg are connected to the switch points. If the switch is lined normal, then the signal is 'green'. If the switch is reversed, then you get another indication, either yellow or red.

I'm gonna jump on the band wagon by saying that signal is for looks only.

In the BNSF pic, could it be that the shot was taken just before the signal lit up?

That would be my guess too. Here on the NS the train has to be in that particular block a couple seconds before the signal for that block lights up.