500 or 50? 500 ft is a long walk.
It takes real skill to choke on air, fall up the stairs and trip over nothing. I have those skills.
Railroad Forums
Moderator: MEC407
TomNelligan wrote:Does seem to be a bit of a walk... not sure how strictly that 500 feet was enforced.Especially when your blocking multiple grade crossings heading east on MEC or North on the B&M.
Otto Vondrak wrote:I assume the ball signal is out of service, not listed in the timetable, and just preserved for historical purposes, right?I believe it's still used by NHC to run around the cars they drop off for storage.
Photos by Mike Foley/Yonkers Rails:
http://yonkersrails.zenfolio.com/mainec ... #h2493089c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://yonkersrails.zenfolio.com/mainec ... c#h7c1d122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-otto
ExCon90 wrote:During hours when Whitefield was an open train-order office, would the operator be responsible for the ball signal, or would the distance from the station require a separate operator in the shanty or else have the train crews operate the signal? An employee TT from that period might have the answer, if anybody has one.I had a chance today to dig out a B&M employee timetable dated October 28, 1956, at which time Whitefield was still an active agency. Unfortunately it doesn't answer your question. Whitefield (the station and operator's office) and Whitefield Junction (the diamond) were listed as separate timetable points a half mile apart and my guess is that the operator was likely busy enough that he didn't make the trip every time a train showed up, but the ETT doesn't specify yes or no. The instructions for operating the ball signal are identical to those in the 1978 timetable I referenced earlier. In 1956 there was also a lengthy special instruction about B&M and MEC trains using each other's tracks for switching moves within yard limits, including setting an "electrically operated" (probably a semaphore?) signal south of the diamond.