Western Railroad Discussion > Brighton Park (Chicago)

I was watching a 1990 or so Pentrex video on railroads in the Chicago area, and one of the locations was Brigton Park. Evidently it isn't an interlocking plant, but instead all trains must come to a complete halt, including Amtrak, until the switch tender comes out of his hut and languidly waves them through with his flag. The guy doesn't even bother to get all the way out of his door, so looking for oncoming traffic doesn't seem to be a big concern.
I am curious as to how such an opreation came to be as it looks incredibly time consuming compaired to a "normal" interlocking with signals. And, does it continue to operate this way even into the new millenium?
Thank you for any information.

I believe it still runs the same way, Jeff

There are signals there though.

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The plant is being automated at this time.

The reason every train has to stop at Brighton Park, is due the signals are not located before the diamond. According to Illinois State Law, the signals must be located before the diamond to be classified as an interlocking plant.

On a seperate note: the semaphores are interlocked by an interlocking machine, but do not meet the criteria as mentioned above for an interlocking plant.

Cass Telles
"Slow-Approach-Slow" - 'Go by way of the B&O'
Railroads of NW Ohio
http://www.trainweb.org/rrnwoh

OK, then how come their aren't any distant signals? I'm not familiar with the area...are their other junctions so close that the blocks would be too close? Or, is this just one of those things that there really doesn't seem to be a rational answer to. Just seems strange that the railroads can automate just about every other junction imaginable, yet would pay some guy umpteen thousands of dollars a year to casually wave a flag at trains.
Anyway, thanks for the insights. Glad that Pentrex caught the moment on video tape as the anachronism it appears to be.

There are distant signals on the former GM&O St Louis line. Otherwise CORA (Chicago Operating Rules) has special instructions for all RRs including Amtrak & Metra trains must all come to a complete stop and now get verbal permission over the radio to enter the limits. The switch tender in the small wood shanty doesn't even have to come out now. He will give you a "clear" or green signal when you get the permission over the radio.
My understanding of interlocking is that for a train to get a proceed signal, first all other signals governing movement thru the plant must be in the stop position and all switches and derails pertaining to or in conflict with the move must be properly lined and interlocked in proper sequence in order to get the proceed signal.
Brighton Jct is not interlocked.
Automating Brighton still may not solve the complicated track layout and train delays on either side of the diamond. That may be the reason Brighton has remained a small island of 19th Century RRing in the heart of the rail capital of the world. Some of the old timers that tend the shanty are former Pennsy switchmen. They do have an easy retirement job. My last trip there we didn't get held long enough to walk up and chat with the tender.
Inspector Gadget

Oh the number of times I sat at that location for hours at times waiting to go to Cicero, on to the Altenheim sub, or to Global 1. Thanks for reminding me! =O)
Larry
P.S. the Burger King just off to the right sure did alot of RR business!!

Thanks for all the information guys!

MEKoch wrote:

> The plant is being automated at this time.
>
> [%sig%]


Lets see, the MC swing bridge, Brighton Park, and Dolton tower are all that's left for them old PRR and NYC ops to work. Seems to me the towers will survive the old heads for once. I heard that the actually had to hire new men in Dolton before one could retire.

The old day trick op at Dolton related a story about CSX wanting to automate the tower. He said "Just like moving the Chicago DS to Jacksonville, it just was too complicated, the software didn't work, &t". "Go figure, with about 60 to 80 moves a shift, how long before traffic would slow to pea soup?"

Some places were never made for high tech.

Ken
Mason City, IA

I went through there today on the CSX. The operator doesn't even come out anymore, you will get a verbal permission past the stop boards over the radio. You do not get a "highball" on the CSX it is signal indication after stopping. I'm not sure about how the IC part works but the Conrail side you still get the verbal and semaphore signal to pass. I believe these are some of the last surviving semaphores in Chicago.

Ken Larson
UP Chicago