Placement of Semaphore at a passenger station question

[JimDep]

On old pics / postcards of US train stations, you often see a semaphore signal placed right next to a passenger station, directly in front, sometimes in the middle of each end of the buildings and sometimes even attached to the station. I'm not sure what the purpose is. Since you can't pass a red signal ( board is down ) the engine would have to stop directly next to the station, or before.....which means a long walk for the passengers to board the train or depart.
Anyone know why ? Thanks.

 

[JCitron]

I've seen those too and the old Andover, MA station once had one until vandals destroyed it. The station is now an office building housing some snotty architect's company. Anyway, These I think are train order signals to tell the engineer or conductor whether there's something to pick up or not.

 

[JimDep]

Thanks John, that makes sense. I'm sure some of these were flag stations, but some were also in towns / villages that were on the regular schedule. Regarding the engineer getting his orders, that makes a whole lot of sense, in case, for one example, say a freight engine was stalled on the tracks down the line and all traffic had to be blocked from proceeding until the track was cleared. Regarding that station in Andover, I think I remember it. I spent time taking pictures at the Lawrence yard, and there was a time or two I'd follow the tracks south. One day, there was the old Barnam & Baily Circus train on a siding. It was pretty well worn and I did get some photos of it.

 

[wreeder]

John is correct. They were used both during telegraph days and then telephone times. The RGS used them right up to abandonment in 1952. Technically, the signal meant to stop and check for instructions from the dispatcher. The RGS also used them out on the line at passing sidings to tell other trains that there had been a derailment ahead. The brakeman and the switchman would get the jobs of running in either direction to manually set the signals. Four long blasts on the whistle let the waiting trains know the problem was fixed. Derailments were so common that the train crews could get the engine or the tender back on the track in around 10 minutes.

 

[JCitron]

Thanks John, that makes sense. I'm sure some of these were flag stations, but some were also in towns / villages that were on the regular schedule. Regarding the engineer getting his orders, that makes a whole lot of sense, in case, for one example, say an freight engine was stalled on the tracks down the line and all traffic had to be blocked from proceeding until the track was cleared. Regarding that station in Andover, I think I remember it. I spent time taking pictures at the Lawrence yard, and there was a time or two I'd follow the tracks south. One day, there was the old Barnam & Baily Circus train on a siding. It was pretty well worn and I did get some photos of it.

There were three stations in Andover. The first, coming from Lawrence would be Shawsheen. This one is up high near some old factory buildings next to a bridge over Andover Street, aka Rt. 133. The other is in Andover along Lupine Rd at the corner of Essex Street. This is the main Andover station. The other station south is Ballardvale, a small factory hamlet. Today, only Andover and Ballardvale are active, and like Ballardvale, Andover is a new shelter put in about 40 years ago.