Visitor Comments about this Photo:

New Haven semaphores in the '70s - who knew? On the Erie Lackawann, the blades pointed away from the track...interesting!

Posted by John Barlow on 2017-10-20 09:04:29

For the record this is Central Falls. I was born there and often stood along here watching New Haven trains in the 1950s. At the time it was well maintained but in this photo it has become so overgrown with vegetation that the location is barely identifiable. It was taken by the fine photographer Bruce Nelson from Sacred Heart Ave. ex-Ashley St. For more about the area see: http://sites.google.com/site/pawtucketcentralfalls

Posted by Edward Ozog on 2017-10-20 10:29:02

The semaphore blades pointing toward the track were said to be related to the New Haven's electrification west of New Haven where they apparently were easier to see arranged this way. The New Haven did have plans to electrify all the way to Boston and this trackwork dates to about 1916 when the route through Pawtucket and Central Falls was relocated and electrification was still a live issue.

Posted by Edward Ozog on 2017-10-20 10:36:10

The semaphores bring back memories of when I was a child, lived a short walk from this point and New Haven steam was still very active. . The eastbound track next to the train was used by freights leaving the Northup Avenue hump yard a couple of miles away. As can be seen in the foreground, the track split and either joined the eastbound main at Boston Switch just out of the picture behind the photographer or crossed over the westbound main to go to Worcester. Long freights sometimes waited for the signal to allow them to proceed either towards Boston or Worcester. I was too young to know anything about New Haven steam but I think the sight and sound of a 4-8-2 starting after the semaphore changed to proceed made me a lifelong raillfan.

Posted by Edward Ozog on 2017-10-20 11:15:23

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