Amtrak Electrification Primer

While this blog is dedicated to railroad signaling, I occasionally veer into the command and control of railroad traction power systems because not only does electric power have to be switched and dispatched, but historically it has used much of the same technology used for both railroad telecommunications and railroad signaling. 

Anyway I was recently informed that some documentation regarding Amtrak's present day electric power operation has made it onto the Internet Archive and its definitely worth a read because the documents cover all three of its electrified "zones" (PRR, Hellgate and "Boston") and contain all sorts of easy to read diagrams and photos. It also covers details about the "100hz" signaling power supply including its generation and control which absolutely puts this in the railroad signaling wheelhouse.

How To Be an Amtrak Power Director (2021)

Amtrak Electric Operating Rules and Instructions (2026)

NYC Subway Signaling - A Decade of Change

Ten years ago I was provided with a amazing PDF document from the New York City Transit Authority that contained diagrams of every rail line, every rail yard and every interlocking on the Subway, Staten Island Railroad and even some railroad shotlines. The interlocking diagrams themselves had details from switch and signal numbers, details regarding the control panels and interlocking machines and even the date of details of the contracts that the signaling equipment was installed under.

Since then the NYCTA has been pushing hard to eliminate the last bastions of single interlocking towers with CTBC projects ongoing on the Flushing and Queens Boulevard Lines.  As my document aged I attempted to get an updated copy, but was told that the NYCTA was annoyed that the first consolidated document had ever been created and that the information had been effectivly split up between all the various line managers.  I don't know if that was true or not, the NYCTA culture thrives on control of information (often using "terrorism" as a justification), but while searching for some photos of the old E 180th St tower to fix a dead link I came upon a 2019 version of the same document.

Because nobody had metaphorically slipped me the new version "under the table" with a promise of confidentiality, I am just going to link both documents here so you all can see for yourself the extent of signaling heritage that has been lost on the NYCTA over the last ten years.  Enjoy.

NYCTA Schematic Track and Interlocking Diagrams 2009
NYCTA Schematic Track and Interlocking Diagrams 2019