Re: Q: Cumbres Section House / Signal

I've attempted to attach two photos...

One is of the Train Order signal that was on the Cumbres depot (and I believe the same
Semaphore head that was moved to the Cumbres Section House after the Cumbres Depot was
torn down).

The other attachmnent is a drawing of a "Harrington" train order signal, which appears
to be the same type.

Someone please advise if these come thru Okay.

There was an identical train order semaphore at the depot at Fort Garland into the 1970's
as well. I looked this one over carefully one day while at work for the D&RGW Comm Department because this signal was still intact and operable at that time (summer 1972).
( I recall we [Section Lineman Ed Mackey and I] had to install a new ground rod for the switchboard there).

These semaphores were "cable operated", that is, there were steel cables or wires that attached to
the blade mounts on the opposite side of the pivot from the counterweights. These cables
went down to some chains that went around pulleys on the east and west sides of the mast, then horizontally into the building.

The "default" position of the wooden semaphore blades was at "Stop" (blades in the horizontal position), held there by the counterweight action.

Inside the office, up near the ceiling, there were two bellcranks and pivots mounted and arranged so that to "clear" the signal from the "stop" aspect in either direction, the operator had to haul down on some ropes with handles on the ends, and hook the bellcrank arms over some hooks positioned for the purpose of holding tension on the operating chains & cables that connected to the semaphore blades. This then held the semaphore to the "clear" aspect (blades at an approximate 45 degree angle down from horizontal. If the chains or cables broke, the semaphore blades would assume the "stop" aspect, a sort of "fail-safe" deal.

D&RGW train order offices kept their semaphores at the "stop" position when the TO office was "open", and only cleared them when the office was "closed" or there were no orders were on hand for passing trains, when the hogger "called for signals" (four short whistle blasts).

If there were orders to be picked up, the operator left the semaphore at "stop" and went out on
the platform and signaled the train ahead against the signal with a yellow flag (day) or a white light (night) if there were "Form 19" orders & clearance to "hand up". If the orders & clearance were "Form 31", the train had to stop and conductor/engineer had to come to the office to pick the orders up and sign for them.
The train signalled a response to the semaphore aspect with two short whistle blasts, and then complied as required.

Ed T.