This exposed trackside communication cabling was new. Subsequent to the photo it may have been enclosed within a box.

Per Wikipedia, "Trompe-l'œil (French for 'deceive the eye') is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions." So, maybe this view of CSX 542 looks out a window, or maybe not.

"The gate broke." - "We have a spare."
"It comes up short." - "No problemo!"

Actually, I admire an inventive, make-do hack. The gate does keep out vehicles.

A railroad's signals and switches require more equipment that one might realize. This view shows only a small portion.

Here's a little more. Some of this has operated for over half a century.

Temporary power outages aboard passenger cars are handled by battery backup.

Look, the H.L. Mencken Memorial Cable! "Might this be the accessway that parallels the Penn Line? I'm not sayin'." - G.E. Jr.

Where B&O strap rail segments met, a joint bar helped hold the pieces together.

I have found online no other pictures of this, nor any other, Team CSX flag.

Each set of grade crossing signals gets their own "block" and own comm frequency.

Another inventive solution.

Off-the-grid living doesn't have to mean going without trains.

Everything a track worker needs, well, almost.

CSX Transportation Emergency Spill Kit For Petroleum Products. Nice to see CSX has prepped for such events.

I have seen only one Aldon Switch Cube, and this is it. Perhaps they are more common elsewhere.

Formerly a caboose followed at the end of a train; for some time now instead an End of Train (EoT) is hung on the last car to confirm that, yes, no cars were lost in transit, as well as to make the last car more visible. Like a mini-windmill, the unit converts brake system air flow into electricity that powers a blinking light as well as a radio that signals the crew. These are also known as as FREDs (flashing rear-end devices).

I've never seen any of these blue Stop signs deployed.

All the metal of a railroad attracts lightning like, well, a lightning rod. Special circuits and breakers are needed to protect signals from a lightning strike's power surge.

A rectifier converts alternating current, used for long distance transmission of electricity, to direct current which powers many types of electronics. Selenium rectifiers were the mid-20th century choice for high-current applications but, in most equipment, have since been supplanted by silicon diodes.

If you need your locomotive to face the other way, you roll it onto a turntable, then spin it around via a control like this.

Affixed are red Dymo labels. Speaking from experience, never bring home a Dymo label maker and let your kids play with it, unless you like having your TERLIT, dog and everything else in your place labeled.

Thomas and Friends don't have anything on this home grown version.

Of the many trackside telephone shacks/boxes in the region, this was the best preserved. Dial 49 for HX Tower, 92 for WB Tower - those were two sometimes scribbled inside these boxes. The letter H is on the 4 button, X on the 9, etc.

I am surprised this is not a rotary phone. There was only a brief period between the introduction of 1) DTMF (pushbutton) telephones, and 2) on-board radio that obviated such trackside telephonic communication.

Of the many speed signs around, this is/was one of only a handful left dating to the B&O's era of circular signage.

This old sign is at a rail station parking lot, but "patrons" might refer to customers of nearby businesses.