Signal Malfunction

Signal Malfunction at Milepost 210.0, UP Canyon Sub, Oroville, California, January 19, 2009.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• union
• pacific
• train
• signal
• hi-rail
• truck
• mow
• equipment

[Eng8492]

Nah there is mainetenance going on. Assuming the signal is approach lit, it could be a high rail truck activating the circuit intermittently, or somebody working on a rail, or whatever. The signal is at 210, and one of the MOW people said he was at 212.

Alot of signals are designed to show the approach aspect when changing from clear to stop so that explains the amber.

Out east I see this happen sometimes in rain, when the water shorts a block.

[C60AC]

@Eng8492 There were quite a few welds being shot within the 212 vacinity that day IIRC. And yes, approach lit. And this was in early 2009 no less; these signals along the ex-WP here have since been ripped down and replaced with newer tri-lights, last December. This signal at 210 was always interesting, I thought. It was the only Safetran, as far as I know, anywhere along this route. The majority were all old WP target signals until they were ALL replaced. New ones are approach lit as fuck..sucks

[JetMechMA]

I see what you mean malfunctioning. They've got the colors backwards with red on bottom and green on top. Anyone knows that red should be top priority like it is on about several million traffic lights. It doesn't matter wherther you see the green or not, the MOST important signal is STOP!!!!! So why would the railroad relegate red to bottom position?....just to be different? Not very safe. Surpised the DOT signs off on that.

[C60AC]

@JetMechMA The malfunction is the indications lighting up continuously at random and dropping, flashing, etc. All Safetran tri-light signals in the US that I know of are configured with red and green opposite that of what you would find on a standard traffic light because of snow. If snow should build up on the top of the signal, red would be the most important indication to identify. Anything else would otherwise be noted as a "clear" or other proceed indication.

[The18Jake]

wow I've never seen that before at the end

[C60AC]

@The18Jake It's called a speedswing, or pettibone.

[oldtoot]

They're out there... aliens from another world..... and.they're sending us messages on our railroad block signals!

[Maxqstl]

onetime in cahokia Ill on the signals at where the S P and Unoin Pacific comes together the signal was yellow for approach as the train passed by it went from yellow to green and then red and went off for about 5 min i was like ahhhh no that is not suppose to happen

[onrr1726]

I have never ever seen that happen where MOW equipment or welders would make a signal light up and flip on and off must be the signals are wired diffrentley in the West compared to the Northeast?

[TrainSignalingFan]

Even with a malfunction, I would have thought two things would happen: #1 the signal should latch, not flap, and #2 latch to a failsafe state, in this case red. Unless this line is still using pure relay logic, and not modern CPU/software based systems.

[mathuetax]

Wow, that's a new one to me. Can't say I've ever seen a signal do quite a light show as that!

[Applachia0928]

This is gonna cause an accident.

[trainman25ict]

nice light show. what was the cause?

[YouTransistor99]

Perhaps the Pettibone was not shunting properly. That could cause the signal to bob.