I took this photo one overcast Autum morning, in October of 2006. Big changes were on the drawing board for the very technologically outdated Brighton Junction at South Archer and western Avenues. Preparations were already in progress for new automated train signals. The days of manual stop and go dispatching, would be disappearing the following year. New block signals were already in place on the Canadian National ex Gulf, Mobile & Ohio east and west mainline. A southbound CSX Transportation Company intermodal transfer train, is seen slowly proceeding through the crosstrack junction, after recieving clearance from the signal man working in the shanty. A few moments before, one of the mechanical manually operated semaphore signals was raised with an audible Squueeeeek! Click!
Brighton Junction was phased out as our nations "Last" manually operated railroad junction, wich dated back to the steam era. The shanty and manual semaphore signals were last operated on July 3rd, 2007, and was officially taken out of service. A large tall new overherhead block signal bridge replaced the old north and south Semaphore signals. Two sets of Semaphore Signals and the operators little shack, were destined for museum preservation at two different railroad museums.
An era has ended on Chicago's near southwest side.
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