Do RR tunnels ever have signals?

I have a tunnel that I would like to accent it with something to make it more interesting and was thinking of maybe a signal light, but I can’t say as if I’ve ever seen one. I know of that shared tunnel in Alaska for both vehicle and train traffic, but then I’d feel like I would have to have a road combined with the track and I don’t want to that at this time.
Anyway I did a quick Google search and didn’t find anything for tunnels, so I thought I would ask here if anybody would know of something.

 

Johnny, I don't know what era you are modeling, but until the early 1960's, most railroads had Tell-Tales mounted a hundred or more feet before a tunnel or bridge. This was to warn brakemen who were walking on top of the cars of the approaching low clearance. http://www.american-rails.com/tell-tales.html

 

Thanks Hytec, so it appears the Tell-Tales are just structures over the track without lights and I was hoping for a little more pizzazz.

I just now watched a video of Toronto Subway Signal System and they had lights to warn if the blocks were occupied. I don’t know a lot about Signal types, but I was thinking of maybe something like that were the signal would change from red to green. I just don't know if that would be something on an American RR.

 

I was thinking that maybe I could add a road crossing with signals ahead of the tunnel. I just have to figure where the road is coming from and might have to add another tunnel portal for vehicle traffic through the mountain.

 

I agree the photos in the link I posted showed dark nearly invisible structures. But the B&M's telltales were mounted on white poles and cross arms which made them stand out against the dark backgrounds of tunnels and bridges. I don't remember seeing any lights near tunnels, though there may have been some to control block occupancies. However, there were line side telephones and clearance signs which might give your layout more interest than just bare naked tunnel entrances.

 

Oh I didn't think about those. Thanks!
As it turns out a road crossing is not going to work anyway because not only would I have to add a tunnel, but also a bridge.

 

If you can add a tunnel and a bridge, I would consider that all the more reason to do it.

 

Thanks MisterBeasley, a small tunnel for road traffic would be easy because I would only need to cut into the foam a small ways and add a portal, but the bridge is another story although it would be a lot easier than a Rail Bridge.

I’m also playing around with an idea to add a steep winding road down the side of the mountain instead of a bridge, but there are a lot of obstacles and it would probably have to be a single lane road.

 

I wish I could remember more but I have seen a video, tv or internet, about a tunnel that had doors on each end that would open to let a train enter and then close while it traversed through the mountain. It also included a very strong ventilation system. I would compare it to a car wash where you wait your turn, door opens and you enter, your car gets washed, the other door opens and you leave. Then the next car in line can do the process.

I believe it also controlled the direction of travel for one train at a time. Kind of the opposite of a passing siding.

I just can't remember where I saw it.

 

I wonder if you are thinking about the Whittier Alaska Tunnel

 

So as I was looking for a photo of the Whittier Alaska Tunnel, I accidentally came across this photo of the 1931 Harpers Ferry tunnel. I don’t know where this is at or if there is more like it, but this is what I originally had in mind.

 

Your photos were taken in Harpers Ferry, WV. There's a photo about halfway down the page showing the tunnel in your photos taken in 1949 with a B&O passenger train exiting.

 

Wow that's pretty cool thanks.

 

In Vancouver just after the train crosses a bridge from North Vancouver to Vancouver, there is a long tunnel. About mid way through there is a ventilation shaft going up with a large fan. This tunnel exited right in the middle of residential so a "phony" house was built over the exiting shaft so the construct would blend in with the rest of the neighbourhood. What gives the place away is there are no windows on the "house."

From Wiki:

"Thornton Tunnel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Thornton Tunnel is a freight railway tunnel in Burnaby, British Columbia, running under the Willingdon Heights and Vancouver Heights neighbourhoods.[1] It was built in 1969 by Canadian National to connect Second Narrows Bridge to the main line in Willingdon, and is 3.4 km long.

In the middle of the tunnel there is a ventilation building which is disguised as a house in a residential neighborhood.[2]"

 

Wow that’s very interesting. I looked it up and found a photo of the ventilating house. it looks like they keep it up just like a normal home. Pretty cool thanks for sharing that.

 

Moffat's tunnel has garage doors too.

Sent from the magical mystery box

 

Hmm, that looks like an interesting tunnel to model especially from this side with all the extra building structures. And I'm sure the buildings would have lighting from the windows and possibly outdoor parking lights as well. I'll have to make note of this and possibly incorporate it into my next layout. Thanks!

 

It was quite a happy little surprise after coming down from Berthoud Pass... I wasn't thinking about trains on that trip.

Sent from the magical mystery box

 

You wouldn't have signals in the tunnel. The railroad WOULD NOT want a train to stop INSIDE the tunnel. Too big a chance of a crew getting asphyxiated from the exhaust. This is for a diesel or steam powered train. With electric power it wouldn't matter, but as a rule no signals in tunnels. Now subways are a different matter, 100% electric and no exhaust.

You will notice on the Harper Ferry image that the signal would stop the train BEFORE it gets to the tunnel.