I'd heard of these, but never saw a photo. I think they were in Switzerland during WWII:

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?a ... 3_8522.jpg

It seems that many many years ago, I read that steam locomotives that operated in electrified territory had pantographs to activate the signal system.
At one time the Pacific Electric had trolly poles on some of their steam engines for the same purpose.
Danska

The story I heard long ago was that with a lot of hydro electric power avavilable during WWII when coal was scarce. Locomotives' fireboxes were filled with resistor grids to make steam. See link below.

How would the overhead work the block signals? I used to run trolleys for a good number of years which had block signals coming out of your ears, I don't see how that would work.

electric chooches:
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/L ... isselc.htm

other variations:
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/L ... coloco.htm


Ray

Contactors on the overhead wire, the pole wheel or shoe completed the electrical circuit. Pacific Electric and Salt Lake, Garfield & Western had poles on some Diesels. The Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Diesel had a pole, but I think the contactors were mechanical, like in Detroit recently. In many of these cases, it was crossing signals, not block signals.

The Salt Lake, Garfield & Western didn't have trolley poles on any of its diesels, but the Bamberger Railroad did. Yes, it was to operate signals.

Odd but true. Imagine the wartime shortages. No copper wire, etc. for new electric locomotives. Also, I imagine these engines had to cover some non-electrified trackage (industrial, etc.) for which they operated in "fireless-thermos" mode.