Harlem River Lift Bridge

[Backshophoss]

Head end view,from mainline 2(Hunterspoint ave) and line 2 out of Penn Harold interlocking home boards on signal bridge 16
That may have changed with the construction work being done at Harold.

[Stephen B. Carey]

Anyone have any pictures of these signals? I have been searching and found nothing. Thanks!

[DutchRailnut]

Its just square box with white LED arrows one pointing up, other one points towards line veering off .

see signal bridge just before bridge : http://www.bthayerassociates.com/images/741-Harlem.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Head-end View]

Seems to me I once saw the arrows at Woodlawn from a street overpass just south of the split. Probably E. 233rd St.

Thanks Backshopboss. If I somehow ever get another front window view from a LIRR train, I'll look for them.

[RearOfSignal]

Seems to me I once saw the arrows at Woodlawn from a street overpass just south of the split.

Thanks Backshopboss. If I somehow ever get another front window view from a LIRR train, I'll look for them.

That's the other location that these indicators are used on MNR, southern limit of CP 112.

[Head-end View]

Yeah, looking at Google Earth it was probably the 233rd St. bridge, looking north.

[Ridgefielder]

I'd only seen the signals at the Harlem River bridge because of the sharp curve- if you're toward the rear of an outbound train it's visible from the right hand side.

So were they installed by the New York Central or PC? Sounds like they predate MN by a bit.

[RearOfSignal]

Yeah, looking at Google Earth it was probably the 233rd St. bridge, looking north.

Doubtful as 233rd street is north of the signal bridge where the indicators are mounted. I would think the only public road you could see the indicators from is Webster Ave along the cemetery. Possibly the BRP if you take your eyes completely off the road and look through the trees.

[Head-end View]

I'm amazed that there were enough mis-routed trains to cause the railroad to actually spend the money to install these unconventional signals. Surprising what you can accomplish with a simple "picture" like an arrow. LOL

[RearOfSignal]

I don't think it was the number of misrouted trains that created the need for these indicators, rather the effort needed to correct such an incident was quite costly in time. For a railroad time and on-time performance are big. Remember the changeover for the wire was at Woodlawn way back when. So a mis-routed train scheduled to go up the Harlem would soon run out of third rail and become stuck and need to be rescued. That could foul up the evening rush pretty good.

[Stephen B. Carey]

Thanks for the picture Dutch, one more question regarding mis-routing trains. What would happen if your were an engineer on a train going down the "wrong"(I.E. a train to New Haven heading toward Poughkeepsie) line? Would and emergency call to the RTC be in order or would it just involve some careful track changes?

[RearOfSignal]

It wouldn't be an emergency call but the engineer would stop the train and communicate with the RTC once he notices that he is lined incorrectly. It may or may not require the train to reverse direction in order to be re-lined.

[Rockingham Racer]

I'm amazed that there were enough mis-routed trains to cause the railroad to actually spend the money to install these unconventional signals. Surprising what you can accomplish with a simple "picture" like an arrow. LOL

Back when, if you were in Woodlawn tower at evening rush you'd understand why. Trains coming at you on three tracks. Tower director copying verbal OS reports from MO tower to the DS to get the line-up. Then, calling the required moves to the lever man. Between the radio and the verbal instructions, things once in a while got screwed up. Then if something went wrong, things really got crazy. Once in a while, some train would break down on track 3. That took out the local trains who had to highball up to Mt. Vernon on an adjacent track, turn, and go back south on track 4 to drop their passengers. These signals prevented a lot of delays and confusion at MO and at Woodlawn.

[Rockingham Racer]

Yeah, looking at Google Earth it was probably the 233rd St. bridge, looking north.

No, further south than that.

[DutchRailnut]

these route indicators are at least 50 years old . even with old signalling a Engineer would not know if he was routed to other line or another track.
depending on speed and eyesight a engineer could stop his train , even if a backup move were necessary.
no the route can not be changed while train is in interlocking.

at woodlawn the indicators are at south end of interlocking near cemetery. http://binged.it/22jRMWc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;