Okay cool that's what I remember. There was a blocking device that they had to first apply when verifying the track was clear before issuing that second Form D. The areas I worked where we needed paper (Rotterdam Branch, Worcester Main, Conn River North (before rebuild) we very rarely had enough traffic to warrant any of it. The only exception was on the Worcester Main we would get very very rarely get paper to Clinton and go in the hole for a meet.
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Hoosick Junction Signals
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There may still be blocking devices involved, I'm not very familiar with their side of it. That's kind of the nice thing about most of D2/D3, you don't really have to deal with Form Ds, versus D1, which is mostly DCS still. I don't mind taking Form Ds, but signals are a lot less of a hassle in my opinion.
There's also something to be said about knowing all of the turnouts are interlocked too!
Also a plus, until the usual code failures happen, and you have to handthrow them anyway!
I mean the hand throws, knowing you're not coming around a corner at 40 and some clown tampered with the switch! Taking switches off power is the worst. Especially when the interlocking is like a 1/4 mile long lol.