C&O canteliver signal distance

[dano99a]

as most C&O fans know they used A LOT of the latus frame canteliver signal bridges, the small ones and the larger ones. The signal bridge I'm focusing on in this question is the smaller:

9 times out of 10 the C&O would have the signals on a bridge all facing one direction and then another ("x" amount of yards away) facing the opposite direction.

Does anyone know what was the standard distance between bridges? Was there a standard distance?

Do I need to lay off the bottle and just stick em' on my layout??? [:)]

Thoughts, Input, rants raves, etc. etc.....

[Mark300]

No comment about the bottle but here's a thought......

I'm looking at a great Robert Collins 1956 color photo of an H-8 #1624 mixed freight (in Don Ball Jr's 'America's Colorful Railroads' pg 100) on a C&O mainline in Handly WVa. It's passing beneath a new set of 'lattice' style single pylon signal bridges as you describe. I say new because one does not have any lights and the frame is still in the orange primer. Signal bridges were used on multi-track mains (more than 2 tracks) to give the operating crew very accurate feedback on the track alignment over which, they were operating . In this photo the train looks like it might be moving between tracks so the signal will tell the crew which track belongs to them as well as what to do next.

Multi-track mains and vertical signals located to the side of the track were problematic for crews operating complicated locomotives at high speeds especially if the engineer was the only one who could see the signal's 'aspect.'

The opposite bridge is set in an opposing direction some distance away due to either the location of a cross-over, turnout or something to do with the electrical sensors in the rails telling the CTC where the train is. Solomon's book 'Railroad Signaling' discusses this. Anything any railroad did was always to aid in the 'Function' of the railroad and signals are the best example of that.

All locations and setups used by the C&O were designed to give the crew the true 'signal' on their particular track's status as well as their next move.......proceed, stop, stop and proceed, prepare to stop at the next block and so forth. In fact much of C&O's conventions are still part of the CSX system seen up and down the east coast.

While signals on real pikes are very functional, on models they add to the appearance and feel of the scene along the right of way...unless yours actually stops trains if they enter a 'occupied' block or something like that.

Hope this is helpful.

Mark

[dano99a]

Thanks Mark. That makes total sense.

To answer your question about functioning blocks, yes they do function in a manner that when the train enters an occupied block it stops (convienently done with small sections of track the switch over to analog versus DCC, creates a dead spot that stops the train) I just haven't put any signals on it to make it look real/convincing. [:)]

Thanks again!