Last of Their Kind

[C855B]

My understanding is these are the last operating semaphores on a US mainline. Taken today (5/12/18); I’ll upload videos in action when we return home.

[GhengisKong]

Wagon Mound to Springer has several sets operating. I drove that stretch back in March. Hopefully they haven't removed any since then.

[C855B]

Yeah, i wasn't clear about that. I need to go check my notes and see what was recently replaced. West end of Wagon Mound is new; I wanted to set up for video at the east end but trees and access were a problem. Had to settle for west Levy. Caught both trains at Chapelle, but was out of position and didn't capture the full "cycle" for #4.

[lock4244]

I would posit that the searchlight, as well as the PL and CPL, aren't too far behind relative to their service lives. Those damned tri light traffic lights popping up everywhere.

[Lenny53]

Those damned tri light traffic lights popping up everywhere.

The LED signals are visible from a much greater distance, which is great. 

[peteski]

The LED signals are visible from a much greater distance, which is great.

How do those bright and efficient signals handle melting snow off the lens in colder parts of the country where snow often sticks to the signal heads?  Incandescent lamps were their own heaters, melting snow off the lens. Do the LED signals have dedicated electric heaters built-in to do the job?

BTW, they are doing the same thing here in the Northeast US. The old Boston & Maine searchlight signals are slowly being replaced by the new LED signals.

There still are bunch of functional semaphores in Poland on the branch lines.  I saw them in action, few weeks back, when I attended the steam loco parade there.

[Lenny53]

How do those bright and efficient signals handle melting snow off the lens in colder parts of the country where snow often sticks to the signal heads? 

They have a fair sized shield around them to keep the snow from obstructing viewing.

[peteski]

They have a fair sized shield around them to keep the snow from obstructing viewing.

Here we often have very sticky wind-driven snow which sticks to even vertical surfaces. Even if there is a long shield over the lens, the snow could easily get blown under it (like s someone throwing a wet snowball at the signal).  I wonder if because the light is so intense, it will shine through  even a layer of snow (at reduced intensity of course).

Many of the street traffic lights use LEDs nowadays - I'll have to pay more attention during winters to see how those handle this type of snow.

[MK]

This past winter when we had a bunch of fierce Noreasters here in the Northeast, the snow that covered the traffic lights pretty much stayed until Mother Nature removed them, be it rain, wind or warmer temperatures.  The LEDs don't generate any heat as you said.

[jagged ben]

Clearly the solution is to go back to semaphores, which don't need a shield.

[lock4244]

They have a fair sized shield around them to keep the snow from obstructing viewing.

They're not attached very well. Maintainer buddy of mine was picking them up off the RoW on the Weston Sub after the windstorm the other week.

[lock4244]

Clearly the solution is to go back to semaphores, which don't need a shield.

This.

[nkalanaga]

The large snow shields aren't new.  The MILW used them, at least in the electrified districts, at least as far back as the 1920s.  The new styles look a little different, but are basically the same idea.