I miss Drake

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

Don Galt wrote:

> I barely understand the signalling principal as described earlier, but
> haven't a clue as to what "leaving the siding on a dark headblock" means.

		If a car is sitting in the siding at a signal on a red over 
red (car "B") and the car in front clears the block immediately in front 
(this could sometimes be seen on the Overbrook single track and the time 
elapse would be another clue), one would normally assume that car "B" 
sitting at the siding would then get a yellow over red to proceed.  But if 
a car sitting at the next siding (car "A") heading the opposite direction 
and had established its right to the single track before car "B", then car 
"A" gets a green light and car "B" gets a totally blank signal - no lights. 
 But this reverts to red over red shortly - don't know if the approaching 
car has to go one block or just completely clear the switch entering the 
siding.

>  Operating orders forbade
> "stealing the light" (leaving the siding on a dark headblock), which 
> would indeed give you protection but would wreak havoc on the schedule! 

	I was riding with Charlie Diehl one winter evening, so it was dark 
already.  We were going back to the barn to turn the car in and we were 
sitting at Bon Air inbound waiting for the light to clear.  One outbound 
car cleared the single track, our light turned green and then *almost 
immediately* went red over red again.  A short red-haired, hot rod operator 
came along outbound with his chin buried in his chest - he knew he had 
broken the rules.

	Think it was the same trip that as we were approaching Washington J 
inbound, we could see the headlight of a Drake car also approaching 
inbound.  Charlie tromped it because it was a slow poke operator but 
Charlie didn't know that slow poke was off that day and wel almost dumped 
each other over at the junction.  The Drake car was supposed to use the 
dinky track and the 38 line to go back to the barn but he didn't and kept 
running the light behind us, running in the same block we were in!

	Tremendous amount of fun for a railfan, but dangerous practices to 
say the least!

James B. Holland
       PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS COMPANY (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
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