Jacob Alan
Single Semaphore
Despite most semaphore signals being taken out of regular service years and years ago, it is quite surprising how many of these unique signals still stand alongside railroad tracks, operative or not. One of such cases is the distant signal for the NS interchange with the CNUR in downtown New Castle. The signal has long been taken out of service, but still sits right beside the New Castle Depot as it did in Nickel Plate Days. The Depot is now used as NS’s MOW office in New Castle, and now the CNUR ceases to exist, as their lease expired and NS took over operations once again starting today. The engine pictured (WBCR 6, an ex IC GP11 rebuild) is now back at home on the Wabash Central, where it was originally based on before coming to New Castle nearly 10 years ago, and the CNUR is now another short line in the history books. Pictured; after a short day working Neal Scrap Metals, the only customer on the CNUR, the train begins to finish up the day, perfectly framed by the station and the default semaphore signal for the NS interchange. In the background NS 143, a near 260 car monster freight is creeping south. Conductor Branden Bailey (pictured) mentions to me how trains can’t be and shouldn’t ever be that long or problems will occur. He would be correct, as the train would stall out climbing the hill at Hagerstown about a half hour later.
Single Semaphore
Despite most semaphore signals being taken out of regular service years and years ago, it is quite surprising how many of these unique signals still stand alongside railroad tracks, operative or not. One of such cases is the distant signal for the NS interchange with the CNUR in downtown New Castle. The signal has long been taken out of service, but still sits right beside the New Castle Depot as it did in Nickel Plate Days. The Depot is now used as NS’s MOW office in New Castle, and now the CNUR ceases to exist, as their lease expired and NS took over operations once again starting today. The engine pictured (WBCR 6, an ex IC GP11 rebuild) is now back at home on the Wabash Central, where it was originally based on before coming to New Castle nearly 10 years ago, and the CNUR is now another short line in the history books. Pictured; after a short day working Neal Scrap Metals, the only customer on the CNUR, the train begins to finish up the day, perfectly framed by the station and the default semaphore signal for the NS interchange. In the background NS 143, a near 260 car monster freight is creeping south. Conductor Branden Bailey (pictured) mentions to me how trains can’t be and shouldn’t ever be that long or problems will occur. He would be correct, as the train would stall out climbing the hill at Hagerstown about a half hour later.