Signalling Query

Lot of low traffic branch lines had signals at the stations. The stations were in telegraphic contact with each other. The station master would set the signal to "Stop" as the train passed, and leave it set until the next station master telegraphed that the train had made it past him and the line was clear as far as his station. I'd go with semaphore signals, the position light and searchlight signals have a flavor of high traffic eastern roads like PRR. A lot of stations (depots) would have a semaphone signal mast built into the roof.

David Starr

It varies wildly depending on the line. For example, TMTC uses full automatic block signalling, though before the second track was built east of Ruby Junction, Gresham, OR, the light rail engineers would hand off a frog plushie to a pole located between the tracks at each end of the single line section. The frog plushie came back into service on the westside through the Robertson Tunnel until both tunnels were electrified during construction.

Er, no, that's not how it was done. The stations had "train order signals." The normal position of these signals was clear. The signal would be set to stop if the agent (not "station master") had orders for the conductor of the train (the conductor is the person in charge of the train.) The engineer (engine driver) would also get a copy. If the signal was clear, then no train orders would be delivered to the train. The train would of course stop if it had business at the station, regardless of train order signal indication.

Actually, industrial and logging lines usually had no signals at all, standard or narrow gauge. AFAIK no narrow gauge line had position light signals.

Try a search on "Maine two foot railroads."

HTH

That's because in general narrow gauge lines didn't have any signalling.

Never heard of manual block, Wolf? Because in essence that's what he's described.

You'd be wrong, then, unless you're referring *only* to North America...

But considering the question was about " US" railroads................well, I havent heard about "US" railroads anywhere but North America. Of course I will stand corrected of you show me an example of US railroads NOT in north America and no, sugar cane railroads in Hawaii don't count......:-)

Yes, the original question was - Wolf's statement doesn't have any such qualifier, does it?

Defined how? US owned? US operated? US locos, stock and infrastructure?

OP said he was going to model N. American narrow gauge. So your point is?

Mark, I'm getting testy - why should i qualify a comment as being about N.America when the thread is about N. America????

Quit picking your nits. Or else get a good wash in sheep dip to get rid of them.

Infrastructure - right of way, operating trackage. maybe I assumed too much ? Of course, I'm an ass even when I don't assume !

Yes, the *OP* did. But *your* answer was neither correct, nor specific to North American practice. So, your point is???

You're only getting testy because you posted something that was wrong and then got called on it.

No sheep around here. Thinking of New Zealand again?

Oh, I've heard of manual block. Not relevant here. AFAIK, it's a UK term. In N. America, trains run by timetable and train orders.

And you're picking nits again. You really do have an obsession with Being Right, don't you.

Bye bye.

PS: The time a train passed through a control point was telegraphed to the next one, and _to the dispatcher_. The term was "train O/S", which IIRC meant "train on sheet" (the telegrapher's record of the times the trains came through.) But manual block as described above was not a N. American practice. It gives the agents control over train movements. But train orders from the dispatcher governed train movements, even when there was a timetable.

HTH

Washington Park and Zoo Railway has position light signals still in use.

No, it's just wrong, even in NA. WPZR.