Western Railroad Discussion > Sad Signal Sunday

Found this sad pile of signals on the Nampa Sub (Idaho) this afternoon.

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Sad sight indeed. But times are changing. Tell me. Was this because of a line being removed? Or is a modern system being installed to take their place? If it's the latter, then shouldn't that be a GOOD thing? I would think that giving some new business to whoever makes the signals, giving the crews a paying job to install them, and most of all, helping assure the safe and efficient operation of the trains should far outweigh any sentimental attachment to an outdated and obsolete setup.

I've seen similar piles of retired signals along the BNSF Brush Sub east of Denver as the old search light signals were retired. It is progress but sad to see anyway, I prefer the search light signals over the 'Darth Vader' types...

I've seen scrap dumpsters full of the old Rock Island tri-light signal heads that have come down off of the Golden State route in favor of newer signal heads.

mojaveflyer Wrote:
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> I've seen similar piles of retired signals along
> the BNSF Brush Sub east of Denver as the old
> search light signals were retired. It is progress
> but sad to see anyway, I prefer the search light
> signals over the 'Darth Vader' types...

The signal maintainer out there fixing one of those old searchlight signals at 0200 may have a slightly different opinion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/12 17:03 by PHall.

Doing almost anything at 0200 can change your outlook.

I can understand the searchlights being trashed, but there are some tri-lights in that pile, the older kind with the wider backing plates. No moving parts. Why are they dumping those?

I wish I could buy the working ones and donate them to RR museum lines...like Niles Canyon RR.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/12 20:54 by coach.

Is that a depot at the right in the background? What town is this? Thanks.

I accidentally stumbled upon this in Weiser, Idaho yesterday.
that's the old Weiser Depot in the background.

Coach asked "I can understand the searchlights being trashed, but there are some tri-lights in that pile, the older kind with the wider backing plates. No moving parts. Why are they dumping those? "

It may have something to do with PTC implementation with the older style being incompatible with the new system. Around here (NE and IA) they have been installing new signals for at least the last eighteen months and most of the new ones are still not activated.

EDS/Papillion NE