Mike's Railroad Crossing Forum

I know this isn't about an actual crossing signal but I think you guys will still like looking at this picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremy_low ... hotostream

So are those "Red over redred"? Seems very odd, but I have seen 4 color lights on the ex SOO line main in WI and MN and at Joliet Union Station so every railroad has its oddities.

Here's my theory: There are two switches ahead, which would be the reason for 3 light on at once. A train on those probably isn't allowed to diverge on the second switch (for whatever reason) and it was easier and cheaper to add a second light to the bottom lighthead than a whole other lighthead.
Or, possibly the lower light changed aspects like a searchlight.

illinoistrains wrote:Here's my theory: There are two switches ahead, which would be the reason for 3 light on at once. A train on those probably isn't allowed to diverge on the second switch (for whatever reason) and it was easier and cheaper to add a second light to the bottom lighthead than a whole other lighthead.
Or, possibly the lower light changed aspects like a searchlight.

The lower aspect doesn't change, that would go against the new PTC. What happened was if a train was going into Proviso OR onto the Union Pacific's Milwaukee Sub it would get a restricting (R/R/fR). How ever they changed the signal heads about a week after they debuted. So now it is a full G/Y/L/R. The L is displayed for trains going into Proviso or going up north on the Milwaukee Sub. I guess it makes sense, trains going up the Milwaukee were restricted to 15 MPH and so were trains going into Proviso. Still odd though.