Tracks out of service

[Nimhster]

Click this link.

I don't remember ever seeing tracks there, but it's really amazing to see that these two Griswold signals survived. The one on the right still has a wishbone gate equipped.

[gedunk]

Click this link.

I don't remember ever seeing tracks there, but it's really amazing to see that these two Griswold signals survived. The one on the right still has a wishbone gate equipped.

That's a great find!

[Nimhster]

That's a great find!

Thank you gedunk. I've recently gained access to the Stockton, CA traffic signal boneyard and I'm going to ask them about the Griswold signals and see if they have any plans for them. I'll be heading to the boneyard this Thursday afternoon.

What's interesting is that those signals belong to the city of Stockton and not the railroad. I showed one of my uncle's friends the same link I had supplied here back in December. His friend who happens to be an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad said that it belongs to the city and not the railroad because the tracks are no longer there. So hopefully, I might be able to retrieve what I want from the signal.

[gedunk]

Borrow a truck and take it all.

[BigTbird1974]

It's been a while since these lit up!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 3,,0,-6.38

Going back to the original crossing that started this thread...the one in Canton, IL. My folks live just outside of town there...?

And I drive a pickup...do I need to plan an impromptu visit (rescue/recovery mission) to Mom and Dad's...??

--Tim in Little Rock

[cabman701]

It's been a while since these lit up!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 3,,0,-6.38

Going back to the original crossing that started this thread...the one in Canton, IL. My folks live just outside of town there...?

And I drive a pickup...do I need to plan an impromptu visit (rescue/recovery mission) to Mom and Dad's...??

--Tim in Little Rock

That crossing is actually not in Canton, it is in Farmington about 15 miles north of Canton. I'm pretty sure those signals are gone now.

Small world... my grandmother lived in Canton for many years on South Main street right next to the TP&W which is what got me into railroads and crossing signals. The signal pictured in my avatar is from the crossing on next to her old house. I took that picture on Easter Sunday in 2009.

[BigTbird1974]

It's been a while since these lit up!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 3,,0,-6.38

Going back to the original crossing that started this thread..

That crossing is actually not in Canton, it is in Farmington about 15 miles north of Canton. I'm pretty sure those signals are gone now.

Small world... my grandmother lived in Canton for many years on South Main street right next to the TP&W which is what got me into railroads and crossing signals. The signal pictured in my avatar is from the crossing on next to her old house. I took that picture on Easter Sunday in 2009.

I absolutely know where Farmington is! I actually grew up in Galesburg, and my mom's family was in Fulton Co. (Canton, etc) and I still remember all those little towns and state highways when I get back up there.

What's more noticeable when I visit now, I guess, is the number of crossings/lines that go dead or disappear altogether...I wonder where all that old equipment actually goes to die, and/or how much stuff is truly just "abandoned" to the elements...? I do think, the next time I go to Mom and Dad's, that I might have to take a few hours one day (maybe with a few of my grandpa's enormous old farm-wrenches along?) and go driving around the backroads...just to see what I might discover...?

--Tim in Little Rock

[TrainmanKight]

Up here when PC was formed we had a bunch of NYC and PRR lines that were abandoned. There are abandoned B&O and ERIE lines too. Abandoned railroad beds crisscross both Ohio and Indiana. They are all over around here. When they were abandoned they came through and dropped most of the signals (unbolted them from their foundations and let them hit the ground hard) and scrapped what was left. When all that old cast iron stuff hits the ground it shatters so a bunch of the really neat stuff we had around here went to the scrap yard as shattered railroad junk. Some people got stuff as they removed it (usually beat to hell), but the majority of everything went to the scrap yard. I have come across stuff that they left behind. Usually I find old post mounted relay cases, concrete battery boxes, old code line poles, concrete property markers and occasional concrete whistle posts. Every now and again on the more recently abandoned lines you can come across signals or signal masts. Usually they have been all vandalized or parted out.

Occasionally you can find something good like this,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34086110@N06/4691009630/

But usually you will find stuff like this,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthony_t/ ... otostream/

When they abandon or do upgrades they often will bring what is left back to the railroad signal dept and load it into scrap gons.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bob_wall/4 ... otostream/


Here is a pretty good pile of signals. The bottom two photos are property of greenwichlirr. I cant remember who owns the top picture.

HOLEY SHIT
now thats a scrap pile

[Josh]

On Google maps, I found an abandoned line in the Boston, MA suburb of Malden. Kind of depressing to see in this condition... it would have been interesting to see this line in operation.

Pretty sad:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.423916,-71.067574&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.423829,-71.067527&panoid=ypWKuW9eVZFTMBts9KaxOw&cbp=12,17.63,,0,0

The geometry of this crossing is very unusual. It looks like the traffic lights that are right at the crossing are no longer in operation, although the main traffic light at the road intersection still is:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.426149,-71.063454&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.426207,-71.063081&panoid=UWjIYz04CO6nuPFbV4KUZQ&cbp=12,43.21,,0,0

Check out this artifact. An old 45-degree crossbuck sign on a tall post:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.427986,-71.060064&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.428073,-71.060102&panoid=8oaZBSXY5tnqt3VfN9BOvA&cbp=12,174.95,,0,0

The relay case for a lone mast signal on the opposite side of the street. What a mess.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.429539,-71.057017&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.42944,-71.05698&panoid=gIEmrz8j_0O8Pr0Ql_hNUA&cbp=12,65.99,,0,0

Rusty with a mini-bell:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.429935,-71.054313&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.429842,-71.054274&panoid=3tMyxCkDHxXManvva4LUPg&cbp=12,1.14,,0,0

These long cantilevers are in better shape than the other signals along this line:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.430837,-71.040044&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.430738,-71.040079&panoid=e1aHpLcPUaEqBEp7JNC2GQ&cbp=12,1.2,,0,0

This looks like it used to be a traffic signal for the crossing? There's some remnants of an 8" mast signal to the left:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.432389,-71.026011&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.432437,-71.026119&panoid=NUZ05I8XBk-myAbbr6Jb4g&cbp=12,139.64,,0,0

Another complicated intersection. I would like to know what the complete signal configuration was when this was still active... I assume it had more than just this one remaining mast:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Boston,+MA&aq=0&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.505328,113.994141&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&ll=42.432975,-71.024122&spn=0,0.027831&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.432897,-71.024271&panoid=AYHOQOnQxaUthV9ab34gOg&cbp=12,20.19,,0,0

[gedunk]

In Providence Ky. Just filed for abandonment.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Providenc ... 47,,0,0.51

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Providenc ... 0,0.3&z=16