The end of the searchlight era on the CNO&TP....Tunnel 26

[E.M. Bell]

Its still somewhat hard to believe that the time of the Searchlight signals on the mighty CNO&TP is over, but sadly it is.  As I have talked about (probably incessantly) for the last Three years from the prep work to the torch, the end of an era is here...there will be no more reprieves, no more last shots....a week from today 60 years of history will be gone, replaced by the same shiny aluminum and plastic that you can see on any RR in the  country.  

Did it need to be done.....Yes. The old installations have been maintained the best that they could, and have safely guided trains right to the end, but time has not been kind to them. Parts to fix them are not made anymore, and rusted metal and aged wiring are a concern. The new equipment will be safer to work on for the maintainers, and parts will be easy to come by, but the unique character and look of those old GRS model SC signals will be missed.

The signal crews have moved quickly since the project started, and today (11/02/14) The only SC's still in service on the CNO&TP are the CP's at Rice and Erlanger, Ky (scheduled to be removed on Monday 11/03) Deliplane, KY (which will remain in service a few more months until upgrades between there and Rogers Gap are made) and then down in Tennessee the signals at Camp Austin, North Oakdale, Tunnel 25 and Tunnel 26 are scheduled to be removed from service on 11/09 and 11/10 2014.......yes, in less than a week they will be all gone, except for One.

This feature will cover the signals at Tunnel 26, just South of Oakdale, TN.  This location is remote, and extremely hard to gain access to (and the only CP on the entire CNO&TP that I had never photographed before).  On Sunday, October 26th, Carmon and myself joined Aaron at Tunnel 26 (thanks to an invite from a person that could grant us passage across private property to get there) to spend the afternoon documenting this location before the signals were gone forever.  

The control points at Tunnel 25 and 26 are unique in the fact they protect what is in effect a long (think over a mile) CP  between double track on each side, and a single track section through the twin tunnels. Going South, The signals at Tunnel 25 (Oakdale) are absolute, and Tunnel 26 is a intermediate (trains know what track they will take at 26 by the indication they get at 25) and the same thing in reverse Northbound, with 26 being the absolute and 25 being the intermediate)  

I felt lucky to be able to spend a little time down in the hole along the banks of the Emory River and get a few more of those "last" shots before it was gone. We had gorgeous weather, plenty of trains, and it was simply hard to think that the scene would soon change forever.  During this trip we had been lucky enough to shoot an Alco in freight service, Southern Steam in the Ga hills, and then ended on this rather somber note    I have said it before, and I will say it again...Progress is inevitable, and progress sucks.  

You can find the entire set in full size at this link if you care to look >>>>  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/nscs3rd2014

Friday 10/24/14

A Southbound grain train eases around the big curve at Oakdale, TN. On the left you can see the South yard lead which has been cut to allow a shift in the mainline here, and to the right the new upright for the signal bridge that will replace the seachlights. The new signals will be a little North of the current location, as will be the turnout to single track.  


Northbound 224 pops out of Tunnel 25 and under the old signal bridge at Oakdale.


Sunday 10/26/14

The Northbound signals at tunnel 26, just South Oakdale, TN


A Northbound manifest comes under the signals at T26. As you can see, this is only an intermediate for Southbound trains.


197 comes South under the signals at T26


Clear Signal (NOT a diverging clear) #1 track, across single track through the tunnels and then back to #1 track at T25.


Southbound 50G with a EMD leader at T26..










 

[John Mark Crowder]

Not to be off subject,It just needs to be said that I and other members really enjoy reading your post on JREB. You and Carmon are very dedicated and shoot some very awesome pictures.Not to mention all the traveling,expense,planning,and weather.Keep up the good work !

[leroy]

EM.... Great pictures and narrative on the Tunnel 25 and Tunnel 26 locations... I have shot lots of pictures on the Tunnel 25 side (...Oakdale...)... It's one of my favorite locations... Thanks for takin the time to do this; especially the Tunnel 26 portion of the route.... It is, in fact, hard to get to....

Thanks again...
leroy

[chipallen16]

Great shots, EM. We lost some of our best today, too. Being torched as I type.

https://flic.kr/p/nSDjC9

-Chip

[Matt L]

It seems to be the end of an era up and down the eastern US. NS is getting ready replace the old signals on the east side of Corning, NY. CSX is also doing it- they took down some old NYC signal bridges near Rochester today.

[E.M. Bell]

Thanks for the comments guys.  Sadly, the carnage we are seeing on the CNO&TP is not localized, and old signals are falling all over the country.  I guess we all have our favorite type and favorite spot, and the sadness of watch them go is for all of us.