GM&O Origins and Signalling

See GM&O and Mobile & Ohio for a better description of these railroads.

I don't understand the question and some of the details in this posting, so I'm saving it for future study. One item in particular is where was  GN&N? (Update: it should have been the GM&N.) I have never heard of it. It sounds like the mainline between Chicago and St. Louis did not go to full CTC until after 1980.

John P. Kohlberg

This one is for the north end boys.

GM&O/ICG had a short stretch of ABS between Murrayville and Roodhouse, IL with quasi "control points" at each end with a switch in each of the "plants." There was no dispatcher or operator for the "control points."

Does anyone recall if the switches were ever powered or were they hand throws?

Can anyone chime in on how the "control points" worked?

Attached is a Terry Cook image from 1980 of the control point at Murrayville, IL.

Thanks.

John P. Kohlberg posted

Comments

Jim French Great shot. I always thought the operator at Murrayville controlled the junction (until the job was eliminated). Here a great Al Chione shot of the depot from Larry Irvin's Flickr stream. https://flic.kr/p/vrstCa

GM&O RS3 #1522 in Murrayville IL on 6/24/72

FLICKR.COM

Lindsey Fowler Signals were localized CTC from the depots the best I remember and the switches were manual. In the later ICG days, I think the signals only operated as soon as you threw the switch, acting more as point detection north and eastbound. If the switch was thrown for the Airline then the southbound signal from Jacksonville to Roodhouse automatically went red and of course the signal at the switch went red over approach

Randy Funk That whole line is now signaled all the way to kc

Brian Morgan During the era of GM&O and the Alton the signals would have been B&O standard style CPL signals Color Position Light Signals since the Alton was controlled by tthe B&O from 1931 till 1942, From 1942 till 1947 the Alton was under the control of the United States Court System. In 1947 The M&O, GN&N and Alton merged to form the GM&O, yet on much of the Alton Route the B&O Statndard CPL Signalling remained. So I would assume that once the ICR merged with the GM&O that the signal in this post is a ICR Standard and not an Alton Standard, though the signal mast, circuit box and call box are of the B&O / Alton Standard but not the signals proper.

Lindsey Fowler Brian Morgan, Chicago and Alton and the GM&O used semaphores for signals until they were replaced with target signals on the west and the well as Jacksonville to Godfrey, and Roodhouse to Kansas City. The semaphores were replaced with target signals.. We never had any CPL's over here.. There were a few on the Jack Line but none on the airline until you got to Springfield and certainly none on the Jack line Godfrey line or Kansas City Line.. This was my territory back in the real days of railroading. ,

Bill Edrington B&O-style color position light signals on the former Alton were generally in use only on the main line from Mazonia to Venice/Bridge Junction, plus some on the Pequot Line between Mazonia and South Joliet; at a few locations (mainly interlockings) on the main line north of Glenn Yard in Chicago; and, as Lindsey Fowler points out, at certain locations on the Jack Line (the IC crossing at Delavan comes to mind). Most of the main line between Chicago and Mazonia (via Wilmington) had been equipped by the C&A with target-style block signals, which were not replaced with CPLs during the period of B&O control of the Alton, and which lasted all the way into the CN and UP era. Does anyone know when ABS was finally discontinued between Murrayville and Roodhouse and between Francis (Mexico) and Rock Creek Junction (Kansas City)?