More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

[J T]

Fennville. This signal was moved to extend the block between Wells and Fennville, and Helper was removed.

The Helper signal has been removed...and not replaced?

I bet they leave the codeline up between Fennville and Holland just to piss me off.

[Typhoon]

The Helper signal has been removed...and not replaced?

Correct, Helper is gone. Something that I have not seen mentions, and is a nice upgrade, you can now get a signal onto a train at the West end of Wells. No more talking pushers onto a train .

[J T]

Fennville. This signal was moved to extend the block between Wells and Fennville, and Helper was removed.

Jeff, from which crossing did you take that picture?

[Saturnalia]

Thanks for the in-depth report Jochs...I'm going to update my TT.

[csxt4617]

Fennville. This signal was moved to extend the block between Wells and Fennville, and Helper was removed.

Jeff, from which crossing did you take that picture?

128th Ave.

[Jochs]

Here's good news for J_T

I heard the RN dispatcher talking to a maintainer about track time between Grand Junction and Wells to work with the contractor who is removing the line poles. Looks like the line poles will be down very soon between Grand Junction and Holland.

[J T]

Jeff, from which crossing did you take that picture?

128th Ave.

Actually, it's 126th Ave. Drove by there this morning after getting a shot of 371 passing the new signal in New Richmond.

They took the wye at Helper out too.

What does that mean?

Here's good news for J_T

I heard the RN dispatcher talking to a maintainer about track time between Grand Junction and Wells to work with the contractor who is removing the line poles. Looks like the line poles will be down very soon between Grand Junction and Holland.

[amtrak1007]

The Helper signal has been removed...and not replaced?

Correct, Helper is gone. Something that I have not seen mentions, and is a nice upgrade, you can now get a signal onto a train at the West end of Wells. No more talking pushers onto a train .

Good to know they added a small block onto the siding The ATCS'rs among us thank you for that tidbid

I don't suppose anyone has a running list of the new intermediate signals on the line? Might have to start my own this weekend If I get that far out of GRP.

[Saturnalia]

The Helper signal has been removed...and not replaced?

Correct, Helper is gone. Something that I have not seen mentions, and is a nice upgrade, you can now get a signal onto a train at the West end of Wells. No more talking pushers onto a train .

Good to know they added a small block onto the siding The ATCS'rs among us thank you for that tidbid

I don't suppose anyone has a running list of the new intermediate signals on the line? Might have to start my own this weekend If I get that far out of GRP.

I'd like a list too, especially if they include milepost info.

[csxt4617]

Jeff, from which crossing did you take that picture?

128th Ave.

Actually, it's 126th Ave. Drove by there this morning after getting a shot of 371 passing the new signal in New Richmond.

Oops, sorry about that. When I replied, I was looking at the Michigan Gazetteer and trying to remember whether it was 126th or 128th. Both had a curve to the right just after the crossing. If I'd looked at google maps satellite view, I would have known for sure, since it has a dirt road next to it (which the one at 126th does)

They took the wye at Helper out too.

What does that mean?

Yeah, I was wondering that too...doesn't look like there was ever a wye there. I've got an old pic of a PM 1200 series sitting in a little siding next to the main with a small building signed "HELPER" in the background. I would assume after shoving a train over the hill, they would have just backed back down and pulled back in that little siding.

Something that I have not seen mentions, and is a nice upgrade, you can now get a signal onto a train at the West end of Wells. No more talking pushers onto a train .

Good to know they added a small block onto the siding The ATCS'rs among us thank you for that tidbid

I don't think they added any blocks...they just added "call-on" type signaling, so you can get a restricting as soon as the previous train clears the OS section, which also works good for putting helpers on the rear of a train As to ATCS, aren't they using satellite based stuff now? I've never gotten into the ATCS stuff, so I'm not really sure...just thought I'd heard that somewhere.

[Saturnalia]

With the new signals, are all ABSOLUTE signals lit up all the time?

[amtrak1007]

With the new signals, are all ABSOLUTE signals lit up all the time?

Doubtful. I'd guess they went with all approach lit signals, then again Holland seems to be lit constantly so maybe the old DTC block limit signals are constantly lit, and the others aren't?

[Saturnalia]

With the new signals, are all ABSOLUTE signals lit up all the time?

Doubtful. I'd guess they went with all approach lit signals, then again Holland seems to be lit constantly so maybe the old DTC block limit signals are constantly lit, and the others aren't?

The only Searchlight signasl that were always lit that I ever saw were the one at the depot in holland and the Westbound Signal on the main 1 at Pleasant Street. However, the newer signals at Seymour and Fox, along with the lit ones we saw above at Saugatuck and Wells, as well as the EB signals at the Holland Depot, which if I remember correctly were NOT lit last time I saw them.

Also, I'd like to try to debunk or prove a thought my dad and I have had about the EB Signal at Grandville since I was 3: When does that signal turn on? Is it when the dispatcher lines a train through? Or is there a spot where a train passes that turns it on? We always guessed Holland, but thats not right looking at Amtrak, where its lit for them by 8:30, when they are not that far past Riverside...

[SD80MAC]

I would assume that they'd be set up like they are between Jefferson and Elmdale, sidings are constantly lit and the intermediates are approach lit.

[Saturnalia]

I would assume that they'd be set up like they are between Jefferson and Elmdale, sidings are constantly lit and the intermediates are approach lit.

intermediates are the one like Thornapple right? that turn on when the train is a few blocks away?

[amtrak1007]

Also, I'd like to try to debunk or prove a thought my dad and I have had about the EB Signal at Grandville since I was 3: When does that signal turn on? Is it when the dispatcher lines a train through? Or is there a spot where a train passes that turns it on? We always guessed Holland, but thats not right looking at Amtrak, where its lit for them by 8:30, when they are not that far past Riverside...

I wanna say that one sounds like its dark unless protecting against a train in the block or a route lined through the control point. The only reason it was constantly lit a few winters ago was the storage of the autoracks on MT2?

[Saturnalia]

Also, I'd like to try to debunk or prove a thought my dad and I have had about the EB Signal at Grandville since I was 3: When does that signal turn on? Is it when the dispatcher lines a train through? Or is there a spot where a train passes that turns it on? We always guessed Holland, but thats not right looking at Amtrak, where its lit for them by 8:30, when they are not that far past Riverside...

I wanna say that one sounds like its dark unless protecting against a train in the block or a route lined through the control point. The only reason it was constantly lit a few winters ago was the storage of the autoracks on MT2?

Well, when a train is Westbound on the Main 2, It looks like the signal dosn't turn on until the train gets to the signal:

Go to 3:45ish

The lined through part seems like the right answer to me. I've always wondered that. We used to go across the tracks at Wilson, and if the light was on, we would stop in the parking lot and wait or we'd go look for it between Grandville and Holland.

[J T]

They took the wye at Helper out too.

What does that mean?

Yeah, I was wondering that too...doesn't look like there was ever a wye there. I've got an old pic of a PM 1200 series sitting in a little siding next to the main with a small building signed "HELPER" in the background. I would assume after shoving a train over the hill, they would have just backed back down and pulled back in that little siding.

Yeah, there was a little spur off the east side of the tracks there just south of the old signals. There is still some evidence of the siding with what appears to be tie "lines" in the ground. Also, just east of the tracks at Helper, right near the tree line is the largest tree house known to mankind (aside from that at Disneyland/world). I don't know who built it or if it's still used/occupied, but it's quite amazing. I should have taken a picture of it the last time I hiked to the Helper signal.

[J T]

With the new signals, are all ABSOLUTE signals lit up all the time?

Doubtful. I'd guess they went with all approach lit signals, then again Holland seems to be lit constantly so maybe the old DTC block limit signals are constantly lit, and the others aren't?

As far as I can tell so far, the signals at Wells are lit all the time, all red (unless a train is coming, of course). The new signals (5 lenses...???) at New Richmond were dark until Amtrak was completely past them.

[Jochs]

With the new signals, are all ABSOLUTE signals lit up all the time?

Doubtful. I'd guess they went with all approach lit signals, then again Holland seems to be lit constantly so maybe the old DTC block limit signals are constantly lit, and the others aren't?

As far as I can tell so far, the signals at Wells are lit all the time, all red (unless a train is coming, of course). The new signals (5 lenses...???) at New Richmond were dark until Amtrak was completely past them.

With the new signals, absolute signals are lit all the time, and the intermediates are approach lit.
For example, Riverside is always lit (and always red when I get off work )
If D700 goes east by Riverside, the intermediate at Coloma lights up as soon as the Riverside signal is knocked down..otherwise it is dark.
This comes in handy at places where signals are easily seen from the road because you can tell whether or not something is lined.