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  • Wenonah Signal Move 1956

  • Discussion relating to the PRSL
Discussion relating to the PRSL

Moderator: JJMDiMunno

 #1508882  by BobfromPitman
 
Life magazine dated August 27, 1956 page 136 shows a full page picture of a Pennsylvania signal placed in the middle of one of the railroad tracks. The picture was taken by Dave Wilson.

The writing at the lower left says: "A RIDDLE IN MIDDLE OF RAILS", "A railroad block signal is a safety device and as such should be situated where an approaching engineer cannot miss it. But to riders on the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines, one signal in Wenonah, N.J. may seem too emphatically placed. Signal C-119 was once more conventionally located. But when, because of light traffic, the railroad decided to shut down one of the lines two tracks, the signal had to be transplanted close to the other rails. That is how the riddle in a track's middle came about."

I remember a similar signal on the line located at the Pitman-Glassboro border being located within the rails. After ten years of off and on searching, I found a reference on the internet and purchased the magazine.

Some questions. Does anyone know Dave Wilson? Are there other references to the removal of the tracks. Having a signal in the middle seems to indicate it was a more labor intensive task.

Maybe this is a Positive Train Control signal enforcing an engineer to fully stop on the right track.
Attachments:
Wenonah, NJ August 1956
Wenonah, NJ August 1956
IMG_3702.jpg (817.57 KiB) Viewed 5770 times
 #1509459  by Backshophoss
 
The only thing that comes to mind is that track was taken out of service,and the rails will be pulled up shortly.
 #1509519  by edbear
 
The line was being single-tracked and the rails hadn't been lifted yet. Life Magazine's last page for many years had a photo of something unusual in every issue, every week.