Hello, Hello!

And welcome to my blog dedicated to…well…signalfanning!

Signalfanning is a subset of railfanning, specializing in lineside signals such as crossing gates or block signals. It’s a narrow niche in the railfan community, but a highly technical one. I first got into the railfan community as a “generalist”, and for a time specialized in locomotive horns. In fall 2012 I began to take note of crossing equipment, and by winter I had managed to learn all the spotting differences between different types of bells. I’m currently working on learning about the different types of gate mechanisms and crossing cantilevers, as well as replicating them for use in Microsoft Train Simulator. 

For starters, anything built by Union Switch & Signal [US&S] probably tops my fave list–not quite because of the Model 15A “Teardrop” Bell (although it is a personal favorite), but a West Coast signaling staple, the US&S HC-81.

Both Santa Fe and Southern Pacific–my two favorite fallen flags–used HC-81s on very early grade crossing signals. As such, it’s a type of “8 x 20 flasher unit”, which is to say each 8″ light roundel has a 20″ background surrounding it. Western Railroad Signal [WRRS], RACo, and Westinghouse were known to have made similar flasher units to the HC81. 

Aside from US&S, my other favorite companies are RACo, Griswold, and WRRS. In terms of modern signaling, I like Western-Cullen Hayes a slight bit more than Safetran, mostly due to fond memories of the WC Hayes mechanical bells in Dana Point. Odds are I’ll post pictures of both builders, though. 

Aside from crossing signals, I’m a fan of searchlight-style block signals and early stacked colorlights, much like what survives on the ATSF 2nd District through Arcadia. However, the 4th District is mostly devoid of these due to upgrades made over the past few years, and as a result Metrolink’s “Type K” colorlights have joined the pantheon of personal favorites. 

Ex-ATSF searchlights at intermediate 164, Fullerton, CA. 

Type K stacked colorlight at Intermediate 201 in Dana Point, CA. 

As for locomotives, I’m a General Electric enthusiast. Typical “garbaGE” comments from EMDists aside, I have fond memories of getting a cab ride on an ex-Southern Pacific U25B, and frequently saw Dash-8s and Dash-9s roving around on the 4th District over the years. 

Having caught Amtrak 509 and Amtrak 184 each time it they have run on the Surf Line, it’s safe to say Phase IV is my favorite Amtrak paintscheme. This hasn’t really altered my preferences in terms of locomotive horns, though, as I still favor a good ol’ Santa Fe Leslie RS3L over Amtrak’s ubiquitous Nathan Airchime K5LA. 

Trains aside, I’m an eccentric college student in more fandoms than I can count on both hands, but the three big ones aside from railfanning are MLP:FiM, Doctor Who, and Homestuck. To answer the pressing “superlatives” about them–Twilight Sparkle is best pony, David Tennant is best Doctor, and Nepeta Leijon is best troll. 

(Image credits Left-to-Right: empty-10, BBC, MSPA Wiki)

I also do amateur programming in Python, play Team Fortress 2 as Engineer or Demoman, and listen to a whole multitude of heavy metal, among them Sabaton, Triddana, and Saxon. I’m also mixed in with a number of other movements, so if the topic digresses from signals…well, don’t be surprised. 

Long-winded introductions aside, time to get rolling! I’ll try getting some pictures from the high iron up very soon,  as well as some primers on crossing spotting. 

[Above: a RACo cantilever at Armstrong Avenue, Irvine, CA]

Happy trails,

The Southern California Signalfan