The following drawing and descriptions give D&RG standards from the early 1900s.
NO. 1A - MAIN LINE DEPOT
Located on the end of the depot building.
NO. 1B - BRANCH LINE DEPOT
Located on the end of the depot building.
NO. 6 - STATION SIGN
For stations without depots. Placed about 25 from main
track on opposite side from siding.
NO. 8, 9, 10 - YARD SIGNS
Placed on right hand side of track facing approaching
trains.
NO. 11 - STATION POST
Placed one-half mile beyond head block farthest from
station.
NO. 12 - TUNNEL & CURVE
Used as warning for approaching bridges, tunnels and
curves.
NO. 13 - HIGHWAY
Used exclusively as warning post for approaching highway
crossings.
NO. 14 - FLANGE
Placed 6 0 from end of planked crossing and where
road crossing is between cattle guards, flanger posts should be 30 from the
wing fences of cattle guard.
NO. 17 - MILE POST
These small white posts beside the tracks show the total
the mileage from Denver. Just like
mile markers on the highway, these are used as a reference point.
During freight days the mile posts were used to tell the rescue trains
where a derailment occurred. When sections end at mile posts the section numbers
are added.
NO. 18 - SECTION
Used when sections end between mile markers.
NO. 20 - DERAILING
Placed opposite derailing switch.
NOTE: all signs placed 15 0 from track centerline
unless shown otherwise.
Todays
signs are made from modern materials but still serve the
same purpose they did for the last hundred years.
Beginning in the 1930's the Denver and Rio Grande began installing various
traffic control signals along the tracks that allowed multiple trains to operate
more efficiently on a single track. These devices were basically lights on poles
along side the track that told the train engineer if the track ahead was clear.
Prior to signalization, the trains would have to wait at sidings until a
scheduled train passed them.
