Etrump Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I recall correctly, here a while back, there
> was apretty good shot of the operator's end of a
> "Swift" TO signal that is in the old depot at Como
> ( I think it was).
>
> The photo showed the horizontal plate with the
> painted sectors and the large coil spring that
> "fail-safed" the signal aspect to "stop" if the
> latch pin slipped out while the handle was in the
> "clear" position. You had to pull the lever
> around against that spring to set the signal in
> the "Clear" position.
>
> (found it!.. See Tim Schreiner's post: "Re
> Colorado & Southern #21" dated November 11, 2009
> 8:07am)
>
> Good photo of a Swift TO signal operating lever &
> plate
Nice! There were a lot of variations on the mechanism, I have found. The one at Osier is like all the RG ones I have seen: rotating rod coupled through a set of bevel gears to the signal's shaft. I have also seen some operated by wire, by push-pull metal rods, etc. A lot of them seemed to be homebrewed. IIRC, Swift's patent was a pull wire.
Interesting thread, anyhow.
Skip Luke
Switchman (ret): Grand Canyon Railway;
Engineer (ret): Georgetown Loop RR Inc., Sumpter Valley Ry., Monticello & Sangamon Valley;
Dispatcher(ret): Illinois Central, White Pass & Yukon, Burlington Northern Ry.
Mariner, Musician, Miner