Hi there. A friend of mine is in the process of building a generic (ie not a particular prototype) Z scale railroad. It will be a mix of UP/CP/CN/BNSF/CSX. His question today is which prototype signaling would be the best, depending on: 1) What's available (I'll post the same thread into the Z scale sub-forum). 2) What's the broadest expansion, considering all the mergers / mega-mergers of these last 30 years in the US (BN, Santa Fe, D&RGW, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Conrail, Norfolk & Western, Southern Railway, Soo Line, Wisconsin Central, etc). Otherwise said, has been there a sort of "standardization" of signals after these mergers (for example, are still there original signal systems - ie BN on one side, ATSF on the other side on BNSF system, and same question for each mega system)? If the answer is "no", which are the former railroads whose signals are the most commonly seen here and there? I hope my question was clear enough... Dom
Dom If you look at the current rulebooks for UP and BNSF you will see that the core aspects are the same, with the older aspects from the pre-merger and pre-acquisition western USA lines added in making the rulebooks very similar. If modelling a generic location you can use route signalling that will work for any by using the common subset of route aspects and ignore the more recent speed aspects. The CSX rulebook is just all the aspects from the constituent railroads, perhaps simplified a bit, but there is much in common with the western lines. The Canadian bit will complicate things because the signalling in CROR rules is purely speed signalling (diverging is a speed in Canada not a direction!) with the position of the heads on the mast (staggered or straight) conveying meaning too, so your friend will have to decide North or South of the border for the most part. The same appearance on a CROR signal means something completely different to what it would on a UP or BNSF signal mast. In conclusion since your friend is not modelling a specific prototype it will probably be best to go for BNSF and that will allow everyone to think it is where they think it is in the USA, while visiting Canadian trains trundle through as well en route. Just need to get hold of 'Z' scale single and double head searchlight masts now. Using other types of mast will tend to tie things to a specific date and location. Suzie x
For a modern, current-era pike, the "Darth Vader" signal is emerging as the standard in many places. Here in the southeast (and likely elsewhere too), many of the old signals are being rapidly replaced with these. This one is on NS's line between Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC.
