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Re: Signals Being Installed In San Rafael and Etc.
Author: Dr Zarkoff
Date: 07-23-2015 - 11:48
>... IMO crossing protection lights can be considered "signals" to drivers of vehicle traffic.
Yes, they are signals to vehicular traffic, but this is a layman-style use of the word "signal", for want of a better way of expressing it. It tends to lead to confusion on these discussion groups (including the paid one) because to most railfans, the word "signal" conjures up mental images of semaphores, searchlights, colorlights -- all those things used to provide trains with information concerning track conditions ahead.
RR operating employees almost always use the terms "wig wag", "flashers", or "gates" when speaking of crossing protection devices, as that Governmental agency so eupemistically calls them, and apply the term "signal" strictly to those green-yellow-red lights along the track for trains movements.
The differentiation between terms is crucial when making shoving movements controlled by trainmen with pack sets (radios) on the point of the shove. "Gates are down" and "signal is green/yellow/red" have two distinctly different meanings. In order to avoid confusion, I adhere to this distinction, and I'd much rather type "gates" than "crossing protection devices".
I noticed a power switch in one of the OP's pix. This means there will be (RR) signals installed for the trains eventually -- most likely colorlights, and those big ugly ones at that. But there wasn't any evidence of them visible in the pix. All this means is that either the signal mast foundations haven't been installed yet, he didn't take any pix of them, or if he did, he didn't post any. The foundations appearing in his post are for gates and flashers.
Yes, they are signals to vehicular traffic, but this is a layman-style use of the word "signal", for want of a better way of expressing it. It tends to lead to confusion on these discussion groups (including the paid one) because to most railfans, the word "signal" conjures up mental images of semaphores, searchlights, colorlights -- all those things used to provide trains with information concerning track conditions ahead.
RR operating employees almost always use the terms "wig wag", "flashers", or "gates" when speaking of crossing protection devices, as that Governmental agency so eupemistically calls them, and apply the term "signal" strictly to those green-yellow-red lights along the track for trains movements.
The differentiation between terms is crucial when making shoving movements controlled by trainmen with pack sets (radios) on the point of the shove. "Gates are down" and "signal is green/yellow/red" have two distinctly different meanings. In order to avoid confusion, I adhere to this distinction, and I'd much rather type "gates" than "crossing protection devices".
I noticed a power switch in one of the OP's pix. This means there will be (RR) signals installed for the trains eventually -- most likely colorlights, and those big ugly ones at that. But there wasn't any evidence of them visible in the pix. All this means is that either the signal mast foundations haven't been installed yet, he didn't take any pix of them, or if he did, he didn't post any. The foundations appearing in his post are for gates and flashers.
