Offset/Staggered Signal Meaning

[Blaze06]

So I’ve been seeing a lot of photos and videos of these strangely placed searchlight signal heads that are common in Canada but also present on MBTA and former Pan Am territory in New England. From what I know the signal heads are meant to represent that it’s an automatic signal system with CTC or something like that. If I can get more information on how these work and why they exist in the first place that would help a lot since these are pretty interesting in my opinion!

Below here is a Flickr photo link that has one of these shown towards the right of this VIA train in Canada:

https://flic.kr/p/MQ9soV

[Saturnalia]

Offsetting the signal heads was another common way - in addition to number plates - to denote a multi-head signal as an intermediate, rather than an absolute signal.

Note that in the photo you shared, those signals have number plates as well.

This was also a common practice on the NYC, among others. This (now gone) bracket signal setup in Dunlap, IN is a prime example.

NYC BRACKET INTERMEDIATE SIGNALS MP#417 ELKHART,IN 4-25-14 FRIDAY by penn central 74, on Flickr