So I started this project and am wondering if anyone has any information on what color the lights on the bottom were. I have found some clear glass so that sujest on of them may have been clear.

The manufacturer’s name and a general idea of what road it could have come from would help a lot, as its rule book will provide considerable guidance.

Otherwise, free lancing a four aspect head with lower lunar (or maybe S for sprung switch) would work for display purposes; although, four aspect heads (arms) on a steam road are uncommon. If the post or bracket is at the bottom and sunlight is reflecting off a green roundel, then the arrangement of Y of G is odd, too.

These things typically have doublets, including a clear outer lens that focuses or spreads the beam as needed as well as an internal colored roundel. So carefully examine everything as clean-up proceeds.

It is unique.

From what I heard it came off a junk piel from Guilford.

Canadian Pacific installed a number of these four-light heads on the former Milwaukee Road mainline in Wisconsin. Their arrangement was Red - Yellow - Green - Lunar top to bottom. Lunar would indicate "Proceed at Restricted Speed". What I don't know for sure is if Lunar is used in conjunction with Red (i.e., Red-dark-dark-Lunar top to bottom), though I would expect so, which explains the inversion of the usual color arrangement .

On your signal, the arrangement could be Yellow - Green - Yellow - Red, which would allow for a "two yellow" as well as a "one yellow" aspect using only one signal head. This design is fairly common in rapid transit signalling. Not sure how clear it would appear at high speed, though. It does meet the "fail to more restrictive" test in case of a bulb burnout, as "one yellow" (Approach) is more restrictive than "two yellow" (Advance Approach or Approach Medium/Diverging, depending on the rule book used).

Every railroad was different in this area, for sure. Some Burlington Route three-light signal heads had the Green lens in the middle, for example.

Good luck with your project.

I’m not recalling four aspect heads on local anthracite roads back in the day, so couldn’t help with rules. Aside from waysides made for subway / rapid transit application, which tend to look very different, I’m not recalling four aspect, color-light heads in old GRS or Union catalogs. Those steam era catalogs were assembled piecemeal, reflecting the needs of individual roads. It’s a little rough right now, but it’s a unique item and decent project. If it was built by GRS or the Switch, parts may be available. Hope all goes well and kindly provide photos of the interior as time allows.

JimK

I got more information on the signal. It came from Guilfords Mechanicville New York yard, and may have been used for hump operation.

Alright the clear glass I found is actually an additional lens that went over the colored lenses it is a Corning 8⅜ lens with a 5° spred (this will be fun to try to find) it now seems like the bottom signal was Amber. So two ambers red and green.

Look here for lenses: http://generalsignals.com/online-catalog/

Good people to work with, will sell small quantities at reasonable prices.

Kent

I recently obtained a copy of B&M Employee Time Table No. 16 (eff. 2:01 a.m. EST Sunday, October 29, 1967). Here are the Special Instructions from that time table regarding the hump signals at Mechanicville receiving yard:

"Green light indicates fast speed ahead.
Two yellow lights indicate medium speed ahead.
One yellow light indicates slow speed ahead.
Yellow above the red indicates back up.
Red light indicates stop."

That seems to fit your signal. The remaining question is: which of the two yellow lights was used to indicate "slow speed ahead"?

THAT IS A HUGE HELP, THANKS!
Anyway as you can tell from the first photo I posted the backing and signeal hoods were pretty banged up, so I sujusted that we get a local Vocational School to repair it sinse they have helped us in the past, and today the parts came back all straightened and painted. I also hollowed out the frame and removed rust and paint to get it ready for a new cote of aluminum silver paint.

RCD -

I applaud your efforts to restore this old Boston & Maine signal. Glad you have been getting some help too. I found this photo tonight on the internet:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=947530

Way, way, WAY off in the distance is what appears to possibly be a four light signal at the hump in Mechanicville, New York. Might this be your signal? Wish I could enlarge it to see if it might be, but unfortunately, I can't. Perhaps you might get some help on this too from someone.

Look forward to seeing the final restoration.


Les

Is this the back of it starting at 9:55:

https://youtu.be/XXmIVoG3RAg?t=593

Any recommendations for what I should paint the inside of the signal to reflect the maximum amount of light I was going between either silver like the outside will be or white. Also the Target and have been painted in a glossy black I'm wondering if I should repaint them in a matte black.

Don’t paint the inside silver or white. Silver can reflect headlight glare, providing a false aspect.

Paint the inside black. Rely on correct positioning of the bulb and optics to provide optimum lighting.

JK

Well I got a lot of the unit cleaned snd painted, the bigest thing I now need besides the lenses to move fowared is screws and fasteners. Many of the screws heads came off while trying to I'm screw up and then he more bolts are too rusted or bent to use again. Of corse these aren't standard bolt sitting at your hardware store but ones that use very specialized threading... we're probably just going to rethreads the holes to accept standard screws. The next parts I need to get are the bulbs