One more Picture. This was taken about 2 weeks ago from Holimont ski resort in Ellicottville. Nice day and good view. The ROW really sticks out.
SST wrote:When I'd go out to East Aurora, I'd usually take Rt 400 to Maple Rd so I would drive along the ex-PRR and pass Gravity to check out the signals. They were usually on in both directions. A few years ago, I'd get off at Maple and make a left turn onto W. Blood Rd. At the crossing, I "discovered" a set of signals there and they were almost always lit. This became a repeated route I'd travel on. It is at MP 15s. But the sad thing is, late last Fall, I drove by it, and it was dark. As I drove home on the 400, I saw a MOW crew at Gravity. I thought maybe it was a repair or something. But each time I crossed the W. Blood crossing since then, the light have been dark. I assumed that night was actually a signal replacement in progress. Here are several pictures of both Gravity and W. Blood Rd.Seeing as they were the original Pennsy Position Light signals, they're quite old. As to when they were installed I'm not sure, but I do remember reading somewhere that NS was having issues with the block signalling back in the day, even before they turned over the line to B&P for operation. My guess is since B&P really only operates one train at a time over the line, the block system wasn't worth trying to keep maintained, with or without assistance from NS (as the line owners I'm not sure how much involvement they would have - I really don't know how that arrangement would work).
<snip>
Anybody have a good guess as to when these older signals were installed? Sad to see the W. Blood Rd signal go dark. Always loved watching it as I crossed.
The southbounds at Gravity would also be original Pennsy signals. As for the northbound, it didn't "replace" the automatic block signal at MP15, it is a part of the absolute signal system at Gravity. Likely the original Pennsy position light one was damaged at some point, probably during the Conrail era - Conrail was famous for using tri-lights as their "go-to" replacement signal, had NS done the replacement it likely would've been a straight color-light - the "predecessor" to the "Vader" signals of today.
Your second post with the Paint drawings depict the standard top head for probably 90% of the Pennsy Position Lights. The Dual-head Tri-light on the bottom is capable of showing a number of aspects, and is two- or three-head signals are not uncommon to see at diverges.
Edit 1: BTW there are also a pair of autos at MP12, 3/4 of a mile north of Bowen Rd. The northbound signal would've been a "distant" or "approach" for Gravity, but I'd guess these are probably dark now too.
Edit 2: If you want better shots of the position light signals in action, go to the Warner Hills Rd crossing in Wales - the two Northbound absolutes are right at the roadway, and you'd even see a somewhat rare dwarf version of these signals. http://goo.gl/maps/YWDXr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
