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CSX has a signal suspension planned for the Monon between Crawfordsville and Lafayette Jct beginning March 24th at 0900 hrs. All the semaphores between N/E Linden and S. Raub will be removed from service. All replacements will be placed in service.

There will still be a handful of blades around Crawfordsville, but those are scheduled to be removed from service later this year also.

Practice Safe CSX

I thought that CSX pulled these down a couple of years ago? My friend that lives out that way and I tracked down the remaining semiphores about 2 years ago and spoke with a CSX crew switching at the south end of the blade row. They said that they were all coming down in about 3-4 months when I inquired about the possibility of earmarking one for our museum,they said that either the RR personnel or certain musuems already have them all accounted for when they come down. I figured it was a long shot but hey, it never hurts to try...

Anyway, I got video of a SB at South Raub with the semaphore, and LOTS of photos. I think we were able to photograph all but one way out in a field. Wasn't about to be extradited back to MIchigan for a silly photo, no matter how historical it was.

I gained a lot of interest for semaphores on that trip and it's a shame there's not more out there anymore. At least I got my photos when I could and say I actually saw one in action! The photo with my name is from the Monon. I'd have to dig out my photos and info to tell ya exactly where though...

Thanks for the sad update. BD Day (blades down day) won't be soon forgotten.

DTIDave wrote:I thought that CSX pulled these down a couple of years ago? My friend that lives out that way and I tracked down the remaining semiphores about 2 years ago and spoke with a CSX crew switching at the south end of the blade row. They said that they were all coming down in about 3-4 months when I inquired about the possibility of earmarking one for our museum,they said that either the RR personnel or certain musuems already have them all accounted for when they come down. I figured it was a long shot but hey, it never hurts to try...

The ones south of Crawfordsville came out back in 2000 or 2001. Blades will remain in at Ames, and N. and South Crawfordsville.

Also, semaphores will remain on the extreme south end of the Monon, between Bedford and Louisville. Traffic is sparse down there. Only 1 CSX local one way a day, and INRD one way a day.

Practice Safe CSX

According to information on the CSX Gateway, the remaining semaphores in Crawfordsville AND on the Hoosier Sub (Bedford to Louisville) will come out this year. Seems ambitious to get the south end of the Monon too, but wires have already been run around Crawfordsville.

As for the other blades, CSX removed the blades, finials, and any useful parts, and left the masts in the ditch to await a scrappers torch.

Practice Safe CSX

Also, the ones south of Crawfordsville were just removed, not replaced. While out fanning a couple years ago, I came across a pair of masts in Greencastle. Looked like they still had the light mechanism on it, and one still had a ladder, but other than that, they were just 2 posts with milepost markers on them. Just south of Crawfordsville, the pole line had also been removed, with the poles sawed off and laying on the ground (reminded me of a model railroad when you knock over some of the poles )