[Big65Dude]

This switchstand is an interesting prototype for those handy with a soldering iron. (The little depot and order boards - signal - are not bad either.)

Evidently, engineers of oncoming trains could not see the position of the switchstand on the other (near) side of the little depot. The solution was to extend the indicator up above the level of the roof line.

I hope you'll have fun with this.

 

[Richard Smith]

Jack,

Now I never saw that before! Great photo. Thanks for posting.

 

[Rod Hayward]

"Evidently, engineers of oncoming trains could not see the position of the switchstand "

Well if these ppl will insist on driving on the wrong side......

 

[aceinspp]

Yes that is very interesting.  Got to admitt never seen one that high before.  Thanks for the photo.  Later RJD

 

[Greg Vocks]

Jack, is that Cold Springs, Missouri, or where? I can't quite read the mileage signs. Where did you get the picture? It is very interesting.

 

[altterrain]

Posted By Greg Vocks on 02/22/2008 7:02 AM
Jack, is that Cold Springs, Missouri, or where? I can't quite read the mileage signs. Where did you get the picture? It is very interesting.



One side looks like it says "CIN" (Cincinnati?) and the other "STL" (St. Louis).

Neat pic Jack.

-Brian

 

[Schlosser]

Greg, Brian has really good eyesight!!. Checked an old Railway Official Guide, and the index has a Cold Springs in Indiana on a B&O subsidiary (B&O Southwestern); the time table shows it 232 miles from Cincinnati and St.Louis at 537 miles, making St.Louie about 305 miles away.

Art

 

[Big65Dude]

Posted By Greg Vocks on 02/22/2008 7:02 AM
Jack, is that Cold Springs, Missouri, or where? I can't quite read the mileage signs. Where did you get the picture? It is very interesting.

Greg,

It's a capture of the splash screen (opening view) for a Macintosh game called SteamTRAIN - a fun little 2D simulation of 19th Century railroad operations. It features a simultaneous top and side view of a train you control as you run through the countryside, with lots of options for varied operations, locomotives, train cars, etc.

Lots of fun.

 

[Greg Vocks]

Thanks for the info, guys. I posted that question, and then forgot to check for the answer. My bad. Thanks for the effort to find that information. I love old pictures like that, and am amazed that so many little burgs like that existed at one time, and now are all but gone. Makes me wonder how many former thriving little communities we drive by each day and don't even know it. The railroads breathed life into a lot of little places like that, which are now just memories embodied in old images.

I found this on Indystar.com :

January 17, 2006 Memories of small-town life

By Gladys Moore, Greenfield


I grew up in the small town of Cold Springs in southeastern Indiana, the youngest of four children. We attended school at Moores Hill. No one has ever heard of Cold Springs or Moores Hill, so I always say they are both close to Milan. Cold Springs sits in a valley in Dearborn County and it's a beautiful, quiet place. When I lived there in the 1950s there were eight houses, 40 people and about 10 dogs. At one time there were 23 kids catching the bus for school. By the time I graduated in 1965 only two of us caught the bus.


During my school years, the B&O Railroad ran through the town, powered by steam engines. If we had clothes hanging on the line when a train was coming, we always had to hurry to take them off because of the smoke from the engine. My dad would give hobos a drink of water and something to eat, but told us never to open the door unless he was there. In the small creek that runs through Cold Springs, we swam, collected rocks and caught crawdads in summer and skated in winter.


Occasionally, I drive through Cold Springs, stop to take pictures and pick up rocks. There are only four houses still standing and about eight people living there. It's much quieter now since there are fewer trains and no children. I had a wonderful life in Cold Springs with lots of kids to play with and parents who watched out for all of us. I miss the creek in my back yard, train whistles and my parents but treasure the wonderful memories.