RAILROAD SIGNALS of the U.S.
A PRIMER ON
AMERICAN RAILROAD SIGNALS
The Manufacturers of
American Railroad Signal Equipment
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CHAP 1 -
Introduction
CHAP 2 - Some Basic
Specs
CHAP 3
-
Glossary of Signal Terminology
CHAP 4
-
Reading And Interpreting
Railroad Signals 1
CHAP 5
- Reading And Interpreting
Railroad Signals 2
CHAP 6 -
The
Manufacturers of American Railroad Signals
There used to be a large number of suppliers for railroad signals "in the old days". Today, the main players are Alstom (GRS) and Ansaldo (US&S).
Here are links to the manufacturers
websites:
1) Federal
2) GE - Harmon
http://www.getransportation.com/na/en/signalingcommunications.html
3) General Signal
http://www.generalsignals.com/
4) GRS - General Railway Signal / now
Alstom
http://www.alstomsignalingsolutions.com/OurProducts/WaysideProducts/Signals/
5) Griswold
6) Hall Signal
7) National Railway Signal Co
8) Safetran (Invensys Rail Group)
http://www.safetran.com/
9) Saxby Farmer
10) Seermi Products
http://www.serrmi.com/
11) US&S - Union Switch & Signal
http://www.ansaldo-sts.com/AnsaldoSTS/EN/index.sdo
12) WABCO - Westinghouse Airbrake Co
13) Western Cullen Hayes
http://www.wch.com/
14) Western Railroad Supply
More pictures of vintage equipment can be found here and here
Federal Signal Company
GE-Harmon
General Signal
GRS - General Railway Signal
GRS Model 2A Semaphore motor.
A pedestrian crossing gate that uses a GRS semaphore motor in
Cumberland. These are still fairly common, as I have recently seen them in
Darby PA, Cumberland MD, near Berea OH, Harrisburg PA, Lancaster NY, and
Allentown PA.
Griswold
Griswold made crossing gates, and a unique style at that. They were based out of Minneapolis MN, and as such, the majority of their equipment was seen in that area.
(L) An unused grade crossing in Burnsville MN, at 155th St W
and Kenwood Trail.... 1/2mi north of 162nd St W, which is exit 86 off of
interstate 35. The bottom part of the housing, in which the motor sits,
was made by Raco. It is missing the rotating stop sign.
(R) A Griswold still in service on the Minnesota Commercial, a little south of Fridley and BNSF's North yard. This one no longer has a stop sign either.
the Hall Signal Company
The Hall Signal Company was in existence from 1871 to 1925. Hall is mainly remembered for its marvelous Disc Signals. (Yes, Virginia... even the N&W had a couple of Hall Disc Signals!)
In 1920, Hall introduced the first Searchlight Signal and was thereafter very quickly bought up by Union Switch & Signal.
Hall also made the early B&O CPL signals.
Below is a postcard, postmarked 1919, showing the Hall Signal Co's works in Garwood, NJ. Below that is a cigar cutter from 1902, given away by the company. These two pictures are courtesy ADB.
Pictures found from various places around the internet and from sources such as Google's digital book saving collection.
Hall Tyke K Semaphore.
Cross sections of Hall motors.
Magnetic Signal
A lower quadrant Magnetic Signal wig-wag in Ashland Oregon,
photo by Robert Ashworth.
You can find this Magnetic Flagman
at the Chattanooga Choo Choo in Tennessee.
National Railway Signal Co
I don't know much about them. They were located in Easton PA, and if that name sounds familiar, look on the bottom of a box of Crayola Crayons :-)
I'm looking for pictures of their signals if anyone has some they would like to share. All I can offer right now are pictures of a relay that appeared on EBay.
Two rumors afloat: one is that the company was started by someone that used to work for the Lehigh Valley RR, and two, Ziegler may have been the name of a "bigshot" within National.
According to one source, National made two models of Ziegler relays, one with 8 points (poles), and one with 4 points, nicknamed the "big Zig" and the "Little Zig". For additional photos of this relays, check out my relay page here.
Safetran
This is a Safetran Unilens signal. This particular
installation is on the south end of a CP Rail siding in New Milford PA, between
Binghamton NY and Scranton PA.... off I-81 at exit 223. They are similar
in appearance to a searchlight from afar, but use a separate bulb for each
aspect, using fiber-optics to funnel the light to the lens.
Saxby Farmer
Saxby Farmer made interlocking machines you would find in towers. The tower operator would move the levers to actuate signals and move switch points.
Seermi Products
US&S - Union Switch & Signal
US&S Searchlight signal with a doll
post in Lineville AL on an ex-SCL line. Photo courtesy
John Higginson.
US&S Semaphores operated by electro-pneumatics (L), and
electric (R).
US&S base-of-mast motor assembly, the actuating rod at the top
of the picture would go up thru the pole to move the semaphore spectacle.
WABCO - Westinghouse Airbrake Co
Western Cullen Hayes
WRRS - Western Railroad Supply
A wig-wag type crossing gate signal by WRRS, in my back
yard... came off the CNW in western Wisconson.
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NEW
6/13/2013
Last Modified:
26-Aug-2013