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Discussion relating to the D&H. For more information, please visit the Bridge Line Historical Society.

Moderator: MEC407

 #846086  by Mem160
 
yeah I know right? I just asked the Same question on the D&H Yahoo group
 #849015  by Champlain Division
 
And the D&H Yahoo Group answered that question.

D&H "Cabins" were what are known as Interlockings, Plants, Control Points, etc on other railroads. The Cabin itself was usually, and typically, physically the small equipment hut or box that was at the end of each passing siding or crossover or junction or etc that was controlled remotely by a Dispatcher through the railroad-wide Centalizied Traffic Control system. This hut housed the electricals and relays that operate the turnout motor and the typically three sets of signal heads at each end of a siding. The hut had a square sign attached to it prominently displaying the cabin designation for its location for all employees to see. Many are still in operation on the D&H, but have been redisignated by CP Rail as Control Points or "CPs", typically "CP-XXX" using the milepost corresponding to the location.

Sometimes the dispatcher's display would flicker or otherwise give the DX reason to question its accuracy and he would call the train to verify its location. Typically, a train would report their location to a dispatcher, when requested, by stating where they were in relation to the nearest cabin. For example: "Colonie dispatcher to WR-7. What's your location?" "WR-7 answering DX. About 2 miles from SW Cabin. Anticipating diverging route." This northbound train is telling the DX that he is approaching, on the Penn Division, the junction of the Penn Division with the Susquehanna Division at SW Cabin in Nineveh, NY and that he expects the DX to have his route through that point cleared with a red over red over green signal indication and the switch properly aligned when he arrives. The dispatcher would typically reply: "DX to WR-7. Thank you. Signal indication at SW Cabin." This would tell the train that the DX has done already what the train was expecting and that the route through SW Cabin is safe to proceed. Normally this exchange would not happen and the only radio call required by the train would be to report the signal indication as he sights it: "WR-7. Diverging Clear. SW Cabin."

Disclosure statement: Radio terminology used here may or may not be exactly what was historically used by the D&H. However, the terminology used is to give the uninitiated laymen a generic understanding of the concept.

I hope this helped clear things up.
 #850688  by Engineer Spike
 
The CPC, CPF, and CPO, designations came in under Guilford. I can see on the fading paint on some cabins that they first used a controlled point numbering system based on D&H mileages. Later the designations and mileages for the freight main came from Guilford.