stimac@tymix.UUCP (Michael Stimac) (02/12/86)
> Also, the B&O has color position light signals - same arrangement as the > PRR's but no center light, and red, amber and green lenses. Also, the > Pennsy converted most position light signals to amber lenses - at least > I've not seen any lunar white lenses lately. As the person who posted the original remarks on Pennsy position light signals, I must reply to this possibly mis-leading comment. I would be very interested in knowing your source for stating that the Pennsy signals were converted to "amber" lenses. I have just spent the past several months researching the topic of Pennsy signals for a project on my model railroad, and have seen NO allusion to such a change. My sources include both ARA signalling publications, and articles published in the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society publication "The Keystone". Since the lunar white color was chosen originally for maximum visibility (after scientific tests), I can think of NO reason why the railroad would spend the kind of money it would take to go change the roundels in 100s of thousands of signals. Remember, the Pennsy (like most RRs), was pinching its pennies all through the 50s and 60s. On a recent trip to the East, the signals I saw on the NE Corridor between Washington and New Brunswick, at least, were the same color that I always remember them to be. Where, specifically did you see "amber" signals? By the way, although the color of light signals may appear to be red, green and "amber", the 3rd color is referred to, in all signalling documents I have ever seen, as "yellow". The word amber is used in speaking of highway traffic signals, not RR signals. The Pennsy color, called "lunar white" is NOT what your average person might call white. It may even look a little "amberish". However, the color is referred to in technical discussions as "lunar white". During the mid-50s, some Pennsy position light signals had the 2 horizontal lamps (stop) changed to a red roundel, while the others remained lunar white. This change was not introduced by the signal dept. but rather by a vice-president of the personal opinion that it would be safer. Michael Stimac ...hplabs!oliveb!tymix!stimac
mosier@iubugs.UUCP (Steve Mosier) (02/14/86)
In article <662@tymix.UUCP> stimac@tymix.UUCP (Michael Stimac) writes: > >> Also, the B&O has color position light signals - same arrangement as the >> PRR's but no center light, and red, amber and green lenses. Also, the >> Pennsy converted most position light signals to amber lenses - at least >> I've not seen any lunar white lenses lately. > >As the person who posted the original remarks on Pennsy position light >signals, I must reply to this possibly mis-leading comment. [...] Michael, I worked on the Pennsylvania (Indiana Ohio and Ill) and saw only lunar white on dwarf signals, *all* the high signals had amber roundels, though some had two red ones for stop position (no center light). -Steve mosier@indiana.csnet {cbosgd, ihnp4, seismo}!iuvax!mosier