Out of Time but not Out of Place
While the Milwaukee Road is the standard fare for this collection of writings and remembrances, there are a few other railroads that occasionally make a guest appearance. In the past, the Rock Island Lines have graced these pages, as have former Wabash (Norfolk and Western) and even the Monon. One of the lasting images of Golden Age railroading must be Superpower steam and an upper (or lower) quadrant semaphore signal. These "blades" usually collected in pairs, and stood high above the horizon lines of railroads across the country. Though they were unpopular on electrified lines because of the overhead catenary and the related difficulties of visual discernment, traditional railroads embraced them. The simple mechanical system that moved the blade itself was an effective visual aid that supplemented the poor optical qualities of the lenses of the day. As lenses improved, and visibility at distance increased, the semaphore slowly vanished from ...