I can't figure out what this is. Looks like a couple of basketballs on ropes. I know you guys know what it is so help me to understand.
This is an old signal. Surely you've heard the term "highball"? Well, it used to be a real ball. Apparently the idea came from the American and German maritime ball signal system.
If I remember correctly, the reason it is red and lifted to that height is so that it's easily seen by the headlight of the locomotive (steam engines, at the time). Not sure if lanterns were ever used with the ball system, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone had tried this.
Right. AFAIK it (and hundreds others like it) were called ball signals. And yes quite some few did have lanterns or spaces/fittings for same inside.
So if they pulled the ball all the way up it's like a green signal, right? A clear track ahead. All the way down was a stop??? Did half way mean anything??
From what I've heard, halfway ment the stationmaster didn't tie them down all the way. On Depots, it was a way for the Stationmaster to give clearence to the Engineer prior to the radios. In your case, it looks like a crew who pulled up to the Diamond on the Lowball side would stop, set the signal, telling the other track that they no longer had priority. Traffic would proceed this way until the cross traffic line would reset the ball again for their direction.
I was wondering why there was no tower. So you mean it was set by the train crew? They would set the signal to show they had right-of-way...correct?
You will see a telegraph line beside the little shelter. The shelter was only occupied when trains were expected. The little red mail box on the side (should be one on the other side) is for orders to and messages from the train crews. The operator didn't stay at the shelter but close by.
At one time the balls were very large and actually lowered in the path of the train. If you were having an alcoholic beverage at the time the train stopped for a low ball, and the county you were passing through was dry (prohibited serving of alcoholic drinks), the local sheriff would board the train and arrest all those drinking. If there was a high ball signal, then you could imbibe without fear of arrest, hence the current term "highball" for a hard liquor drink. BTW, I think these early ball signals were made in half shells of cast iron. If you hit one you would probably know it! It certainly is a simple method of signaling.
It was one of the first 'fail-safe' systems. If the ball was at the top of the mast (High-Ball) you could proceed at track speed. But, if the ball was lowered, than you were required to stop. The Porters in the Club Car took a couple of years to create the Highball....Enjoy your railroading!
Most ball signals were in fact the equivalent of a 4-way stop on the highways. This was of course subject to union work rules and agreements between companies. The engine would stop short of the signal and a crewman, normally the headend brakeman would raise the ball to its max height for his direction of travel. Some signals were then reset lower after the cab had cleared the diamond, some were not.
Cab? Wouldn't the entire train have to clear the diamond before it was reset? Seems to me that it would be unnecessary to reset the ball.
Hopefully he means the caboose. What you are looking at is one of the earliest types of interlocking and/or train order signals. As to the red box on the side of that shack- I have doubts it would contain orders for the train. That would be a bit unusual. More likely used for registering and possibly even to leave waybills or other information.
Candy, that is the HighBall signal at Whitefield, New Hampshire, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwdavidson/5899525401/. The signal is set by the requesting train conductor after he/she had received radio clearance to occupy the crossing from the controlling dispatcher. The signal was still used when this photo was taken in August, 2005. This site/photo has a description of the signal's origin and operation, http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=288071&nseq=2. BTW, this signal was hand-operated using rope halyards at the tower base.
Thanks for the links!!! This is very interesting! What was the shed used for? Communications with dispatcher?
Most likely at one time there was a telegraph key and later a block phone, which connected to at least a dispatcher, plus the train order operator at the depot in that same town.
A variation of this used two lights or lanterns and was set by crews as explained here. This example existed at Reese, MI until a few years agoa altough I think it has been removed since the last photo. http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Stations/CountyStations/TuscolaStations/ReeseMI.htm
