Nostalgia & History > Signal Sunday: double aspect, triple track

A once-classic scene! This overhead signal bridge with everybody’s favorite searchlight signals governs eastbound movements. This is the Wiggam crossover plant east of Emporia, Kansas. The standard 2-main track CTC from Kansas City becomes 3-main track CTC on into Emporia. This westbound train is crossing over to the south main track. It will likely stay on “3-track” right through town. The 3rd main track here becomes Yard Track 3, and keeps parallel to the regular 2 main tracks. It is customarily used for block switching through trains. When all cut & fill work is done on a train it will depart off Yard 3 and will access the main line at the Merrick crossover plant of the west side of Emporia. This terminal block-switching method saved tons of time by letting the trains avoid having to arrive & depart via the regular westbound yard.

This was a highly routine practice for many years. Then in the early ‘90s Emporia was done away with as crew change point and its status as a major terminal was downgraded. The 3rd main track seen here was torn out. The signal bridge was retired. Now there are single-masted signals standing on both sides of the remaining 2 main tracks. Thank-you, pencil-pushers...

1. AT&SF 3612 on train 305 K-1 at the Wiggam crossover plant east of Emporia, KS.
Photo date: January 11, 1982.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Very nice signal bridge and shot !
Gary

Great shot!

JG

Lance, that's a classic ATSF slide with the crew showing and the signal bridge . Thanks for sharing it with us. 

Thanks guys! I sure wish I had moseyed out to get this shot more often. It was ALL of a 10" jog out the east side of town... :^/

Lance

That is a very nice shot!

RC Lundgren

Excellent shot!!

Larry