Eastern Railroad Discussion > 2 questions

I would like to know some history on the NS(ex.CR)line to Omal, Ohio. What is it called, what division it's on, who dispatches it, and what is the amount of train traffic during Pennsy, PC, Conrail, and NS days? One more what is the difference between an automatic block signal and a block signal? I thought all signals showed aspects by themselves so what more could be automatic. Are the automatic one's the king that go dark after a train leaves the block?
-Happy Fanning!

Block signals in use today are primarily automatic, but even a dispatcher-controlled signal is a block signal.

The Omal extension is the ex-PRR line down the west bank of the Ohio River below Powhatan Point, Ohio. Originally built to serve the Marcoll coal mine in...uhhh, year forthcoming when I find my dratted book, but about 1920, the line was endangered when Marcoll blew up during development. The owner's son and four other workers (I think) were killed in the explosion, the mine was closed and Maher Collieries sold all of their local interests. The line was left in to serve the small town of Clarington, some miles below, and there was an attempt to connect with Marietta, but the Depression put an end to the project. The spur now sees only sporadic service when the Ormet Aluminum plant needs transformers and electrodes. A mile or so of track just south of Ohio Valley Transloading is used as a load-out for coal. The NS Cleveland Line dispatcher handles traffic, which tends to be "Can I get this MW equipment by the shuttle?" or "I'mn ready to leave the load-out. Is anything coming off the Captina branch?"

"Block signal" is the generic term for the wayside signals that control the entrance to any signal block. Automatic Block Signalling is the description of the total signalling system, and it can include CTC under the definition, but to confuse things, it is also the name of a specific type of system under the operating rules. Centralized Traffic Control is also considered as an automatic signalling system, and at one time was defined in the rule books as a type of ABS system. Recent rule books have a distinction, since different sets of rules apply.

Under the rule books, an automatic signal is one that the dispatcher has no control over. It automatically displays an aspect according to the conditions in the signal block it protects.

The other type of block signal is a controlled signal, which the dispatcher can hold at stop, or set to a proceed aspect. The specific aspect that shows up is determined automatically by the signalling system depending on conditions. Other than the ability to hold the signal at stop, the dispatcher has no control over what the signal displays.

The signals that you see that light as a train approachs and go out after the train passes are called approach lit signals. They can be found under any system, and there is no significance of this feature as far as the type of signal is concerned.

Did Olin Matheson have a large plant located at Omal, OH on this line at one time? Is this the present day aluminum plant? It seems to me I remember Olin having a plant there while driving thru back in the late 1960's. At that time, the line was in pretty good condition. Don't know what traffic levels were like, though.

In common usage, "automatic" signals line themselves according to track conditions. "Controlled" signals can be cleared only by a dispatcher or operator, but as described, the actual aspect shown is determined by the track conditions, just like automatic signals.

Olin Matheson did indeed have the reduction plant (I think) while Ormet had the rolling mill next door. Believe it or not, for many years the gate between the two facilities was locked and the Olin side barged out their ingots while Ormet rolled aluminum imported from Russia. Go figure.
Sometime about 1990, both plants began to use the Ormet name. A couple of years ago, the gate was unlocked with great fanfare and the small in-house rails now move warm ingots over to the rolling mill.

--Becky