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Caption: Ever chased signals before? After torching the cantilevers at Howland...work crews from ETS Tree Removal drove their hi-rail excavator or "Railavator" a mile and a half west to Bartlett Ave where they would set the searchlights onto the ground upright before clearing off the main to let a backlog of trains through.
After seeing this spot the other night without the signals...it really hits home how much of a difference lineside infrastructure makes. It's just not the same anymore, I don't know what else to say. It sucks. And this is only the beginning, you can kiss all the rest of the searchlights goodbye, just give it time. Nothing lasts so, enjoy it while you can and take all the photos you can. Take nothing for granted.
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I took a photo months ago at Leaside and sent it to a friend of mine in France.
The old guard in front, the new guard behind. Vaders set to be cut in at any moment.
Sure enough the next time I’d be in that area, you’d never even know searchlights even existed.
Good advice….I’ve always known these searchlights since I first took an interest in trains being ‘knee high to a grass hopper’! It is sad to see them go.
Progress… Good that you captured this.
Did you ask if you could keep it, Cam?
Imagine the older photographers that saw entire rosters come and go and have seen these searchlights replace semaphores only to see them too get replaced.
I guess this is a lesson for younger folks that change is constant. Older folks have known this for decades.
Thanks for this, it’s interesting to see this development Cameron. I’ve been by this location hundreds & hundreds of times. Just so I’m clear, were the crossovers removed at this location, or is this just a signal replacement?