So it drops off and picks up passengers, but the signal ahead is still red. 174 slowly approaches the signal and then comes to a complete stop. They contact dispatch to get permission to continue through the red signal (rule 241) but it takes a while for them to communicate with dispatch to get the necessary permissions.
Meanwhile, Acela 2166 is approaching Kingston. They are aware of the red signal and are slowly creeping up at 5 miles per hour. The staff onboard the Acela got quite antsy due to the slow speeds and made hilarious noises over the radio. Then NER 176 turns the corner. So we have NER 174 stopped at the red signal just past Kingston, Acela 2166 about a mile from the station, and NER 176 about a mile behind the Acela. These three trains were crawling along this five and a half mile stretch of the NEC.
Each train had to stop at the red signal and get permission from dispatch to go through the red signal (rule 241). It didn't take long for maintenance to start working on the signal...because it was obviously broken. I drove up to the signal and saw an Amtrak maintenance guy working on the area near the signal in an attempt to find out why it was not functioning properly.
Here is a 20 minute video I recorded of the entire process (starting with NER 174 stopped at the red signal and ending with NER 176 proceeding past the red signal). The conductors and engineers are in very high spirits too! They make tarzan noises, played music over the radio, and showed an impressive sense of humor. I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed experiencing this!
Post your comments or questions as I want to know what people think about this.
Admin Note - there is strong language in this video not appropriate for all viewers.
Not alot...just a few f-bombs........
Here is a picture of the red signal.
Edited by brandon02852, 02 August 2012 - 01:29 PM.
