I miss Drake

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

Ed!

	In another post, I mention a *blank board* also but I think we are 
talking about two different things.

Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
> 
> Sorry...when a car established a preference, the signal at the critical
> point (siding) would turn from green (or amber) to dark for the
> opposite-bound car.  If that signal was red at the time, it would go dark
> when it was otherwise time to change color.

	If I understand you correctly, a signal cycling from red to yellow 
will go blank in between for a couple seconds.  This can happen on double 
track with signals as well.  Is this correct?
	But by example:  If there is a constant flow of streetcars outbound 
and each is one block apart, a car heading inbound (car "A") in this single 
track section can interrupt this flow by reaching that point where he 
establishes priority for the next single track section before an outbound 
car (car "B").  When the signal for the inbound car "A" goes green, the 
outbound car "B" waiting to enter the same single track gets a completely 
blank board.  (As I am describing this, I think the actual sequence of 
events are clear to me now - couldn't remember exactly in the last post).
	This outbound car "B" gets a blank board.  Car "B" could *also* 
expect to get a yellow signal because we already established that the 
outbound cars are running one block apart and there is an outbound car "C" 
already in the single track.  When car "C" outbound clears the block midway 
between the two sidings, outbound "B" outbound gets a blank board and it 
stays blank until car "A" inbound enters the single track.  At this point, 
the blank board for car "B" outbound now goes to red over red.  This 
procedure alerts car "B" outbound that he is *now* waiting for an inbound 
car "A" to clear (and possibly one or two others) before he will get his 
signal!

	This is the type of signal that the little red-haired operator ran 
on us at Bon Air.  We had gotten our green inbound interrupting the flow of 
cars outbound.  Red had received a totally blank board but jumped it 
throwing our signal red again!  Ane he knew it!

	Do you think we have Uncle Don thoroughly confused by now, or should 
we work harder on it?!

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