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After a short break, we are now ready to announce the topic of the September 2013 Photo Contest "Signals"

With the major signal upgrades going on right now due to PTC, we thought this would be a good time for you to showcase your best signal shots. The standard rules of the contest apply, but please limit your submissions to "old" signals. Searchlights, CPL's, NYC Tri-color ect of NS and its predecessors. .if its OLD its fair game! Images do not have to include a train, and can be B&W, Color, Day or Night as long as the signals are the main subject matter. We will accept images of any time frame as long as you are the photographer. Please feel free to include detailed captions with your images. 

We will take submissions until September 30th, limit of TWO per person. Spread the word, and lets see what you have! 

First submission: Gainesville, GA - Greenville, SC turn P8G passes under the aging cantilever in Cornelia, disrupting the silence of the small Piedmont town on an early summer morning. Many of the replacements on the Greenville District are up and awaiting activation, making scenes like this just a memory.

Second submission: Amtrak's northbound Crescent splits the intermediate signal "Belton" in Lula, Georgia as they try to catch lost time between the station stops at Gainesville and Toccoa.

Peru Junction, where Illinois and Lake meet.  (http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t550/kdewald/DSC05597_zps02675fd6.jpg) (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/kdewald/media/DSC05597_zps02675fd6.jpg.html)

Southern over and under.  The Tuxedo of the S&A rolls under the (no longer with us) Southern signal bridge in Georgetown  (http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t550/kdewald/SampAGeorgetownM795-19-134_zps41c910c3.jpg) (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/kdewald/media/SampAGeorgetownM795-19-134_zps41c910c3.jpg.html)

NS 8099 leads train 319 by a pair of old Southern searchlights in Southern Indiana near Louisville on a hot summer day. The new "darth vader" signals have been in place here for over a year, but have yet to be turned and put into service. This is a shot I had wanted ever since the Southern heritage unit had come out last year.

I'm going to go with two westbound ABS signals on the NS Reading Line, formerly the Conrail Reading Line, and before that the Reading's East Penn Branch.

First up is the back of an ex Reading searchlight, signal 22.1 between Alburtis and Shamrock, PA.

And for the second photo we are looking west at the 16.1 signal and the village of Bowers, PA in the background. The target on this signal originally was a larger diameter like the one still present at the 22.1 signal, but was replaced by Conrail with this small diameter one in the early 1990's as I recall.

Enjoy!
PA Dan

Here the old Southern signals at Orange, in Orange, VA, on the Washington District Mainline stand silent with the depot and crossing signals on a winter afternoon. The line to the right is the beginning of the Buckingham Branch RR. We can see who was running today... and who was not. DE Dan

Here is the old Reading dwarf signal at FRONT on the Lurgan Branch Bridge in Harrisburg, PA. As you can see... this bridge was built in 1922! DE Dan

Photo 1: "We give a green light to innovations" was the Southern's slogan for a long time.  In the early 50's, these GRS Type SC searchlights were state of the art.  In October, 2010, this searchlight at Bowen gives a green light to a northbound, while a southbound waits on #2.

Photo 2: "Diverging clear, Junction City, 2 to 1."  A southbound lights up the signals at Junction City earlier this year, before the mass replacement began.

OIPI passes one of the last 2 ex EL semaphores that was still in on the Southern Tier Line at the time - 12/29/1999 at Barton, NY.

NS local H2E is about to duck under the last ex EL signal bridge that is still in service on the Southern Tier Line at Elmira, NY on 8/21/13.

A semaphore next to the Lawrenceburg Ky. station on July 3,1991. SW1 1007 sets off in the distance.

There are not that many tunnels that have signals near them  :)

Here is a NB on a gloomy November 2012 day at CW Tower.

The second train followed the July 2011 OCS through Tunnel 26 at Oakdale.

Just a reminder, the deadline for entries is fast approaching. Monday September 30th is the last day, so be sure to get your best signal shots in by then!

Old (and gone) Signal Photo 1: Just a couple days into 2012, the unique signal at Mascot, TN is still standing, awaiting a westbound coal train. Uniquely taller and having longer hoods that its contemporaries, the SOU era signal could only last so long. By the time I returned for Winter Break a year later it had been replaced, now in history.

Old (and still around, maybe) Signal Photo 2: While returning to Nebraska after the summer, my route followed the St. Louis District (Missouri side) along I70 that still has Wabash era searchlights in use. Just before taking a rest for a few hours, I stopped by Wright City, MO to grab a few shots.

#1 They don't call them Searchlights for nothing.  The Southbound signals at SJ Tower (On the CNO&TP just North of Danville KY) are almost a 1/2 mile away, and yet those 60 year old signals are still bright and clear, causing the rails to glow red in this view looking South from the road crossing at Faulkner.  October, 2011
(http://jreb.org/v-web/gallery/albums/Bellpost13/northwye1050111.sized.jpg)

#2 The unique single mast with 3 GRS model SC searchlight heads protects the South yard lead at Oakdale, TN as Southbound 23G streak by, ready to plunge into 25 tunnel. This set of signals will be saved and displayed for future generations at the Southern Appalachia RR Museum in Oak Ridge, TN once they are removed from service.  October 2012
(http://jreb.org/v-web/gallery/albums/Bellpost13/NS23goakdaletn102612.sized.jpg)

Lilly, Pennsylvania - NS Pittsburgh Line

Alton, Ohio - NS Dayton District

A name so synonymous in keeping the infamous CNO&TP operating.

Just a black & white shot, paying small tribute to a system that has run this railroad for over 50 years...
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3826/10030073213_8d5bbc5052_b.jpg)

-Alex
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58689037@N04/10030073213/
(For browsers that do not load the image on this page)

Thanks for all the entries the poll is up and running for the next 5 days.

Just a reminder, the poll closes Sunday evening Oct. 6th, so be sure to get your vote in before then!

For the first time in a long time we have a 4 way tie in this months contest.  Look for a "Sudden Death" runoff to be posted shortly in a new thread.  It will be open for 48 hours.