Nostalgia & History > tilting target in Kokomo, IN

I chanced upon this signal while driving through Kokomo, IN, this past Tuesday. It's located at Washington and Madison, and I believe the tracks are NS-NKP. Looks like the tracks have not been used much lately. According to one source, there are several more of these increasingly rare signals in Kokomo. 

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There was another tilting target near Main and Broadway and a sorta smash-board thing at the diamond (Grand Jct?) in Madison St.  It's been a decade or more since I last prowled around there, so they may be gone but it sounds like they may still exist.  There was a crossing watchtower on Buckeye St. too.  Keep searching- North Central Indiana is/was home to many old ghosts- semaphores (gone now, I think), coal docks, tilting targets,...

John

Does anyone know how the signl works? In other words, what message does it display to the train crew? Does it govern one or both tracks? Any explanation would be appreciated!

Here is the "tilting target" at Madison & Main Streets:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4965368,-86.1313025,3a,15.4y,313.13h,93.87t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sik2DerDmg2NoSmls77rzVg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Here is the device at Grand Junction. It is not a "smash board."
It is manually operated by a crew member.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4927106,-86.1287846,3a,25.2y,298.7h,84.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srwSHhugvQN_JZZz4J_k5zg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

ghemr Wrote:

> Does anyone know how the signl works? In other
> words, what message does it display to the train
> crew? Does it govern one or both tracks? Any
> explanation would be appreciated!

It's a manually operated signal that conveys the same sort of information as a gate.  The arm horizontal means one of the routes has the right of way and may proceed; the arm diagonal means the other route has the right of way.  A train approaching a crossing protected by a tilting target has to be prepared to stop in case the signal is lined for the other route.  I don't have the rulebook applicable to this particular line handy, but usually after ascentaining that no conflicting movement is approaching the diamond, the train crew can line the signal for their route and proceed on their way.