A less common crossing signal warned motorists of oncoming trains by blinking “stop.”
Kevin King
Q As a child in the 1950s and 1960s, I saw a number of railroad grade crossings on the Wabash that were protected by a row of vertical lights on the signal mast in addition to the standard red alternating lights. I never saw one of these signals activated, so I often wondered what they were for and what they did. What exactly did that vertical row of lights do? – Fred M. Cain, Topeka, Ind.
A There were four vertical lights, which had red letters spelling “stop.” As the outer (normal) red lights flashed, the vertical lights would light up one at a time until the word “stop” was illuminated. The cycle would repeat as long as the flashers were activated. This type of signal was made by both the General Railway Signal Co. and the Union Switch & Signal Co. While there were a number of places these could be found on the Wabash, they weren’t common on the railroad. – Gary Roe, Wabash Railroad Historical Society president
