On a recent trip to the Magic Kingdom, I noticed that all of the block lights on the WDWRR were turned off. After asking a CM about it, they informed me that the current block light system was deemed by upper management to be "dangerous" and that they are currently looking at replacement options. For now, I was told that railroad CMs are required to call the blocks over the radio and, as a result of not having block lights, that they can no longer run three train operations.

Does anyone here know why, after forty years and not a single collision, is the current block light system all of a sudden considered "dangerous"? Any ideas on what will replace the current system? Will it be an all new wayside signalling system? Or are they planning on doing away with wayside signals altogether and going with an all in-cab signalling system like they did a few years back at DL? Or are they possibly even considering installing a Positive Train Control "moving block" type system?

Wha...? You're kidding me.

Wait until Christmas...well, Thanksgiving week and 60,000+ people are in the park.

I'd bet that the CM you talked to was not very knowledgeable about what is/was going on. I can't see the trains running *without* the block light system at all.

And...we did radio dispatch with three trains during busy seasons many times over the three years I was there.

A CM friend of mine commented that it could possibly be because of the new station construction <?>. Not sure how accurate that might be....but still a possibility.

I just can't see "no block lights" at all, and "no three-train operation" at all.

At Carowinds we had three stations and two trains at all times. We had no signals of any kind. We operated in a simple way. Telephones were used between stations to control trains. When Plantation would release train No. 1 and it cleared the platform train No. 2 would be released from Black Bear Station. This continued around the loop at each stop. It was not 100% fool proof but in the two years I was there we never had any incident caused by signals or lack of. (we had one derailment during park hours and one after hours) The closest we came to an incident was when No. 1 was released from Plantation Station in the middle of a downpour rain storm it stalled on the steep hill that started just past the platform. Train No.2 had been released from Black Bear and was heading into Plantation Station. No. 1 was unable to climb the hill so the station crew sent a staff member with a red flag, all stations had red and green flags, toward Black Bear on the tracks. He caught No. 2 well before it got to Plantation. 1880's era railroading at it's finest!!!!

I worked a week and a half ago and everything was working as normal. I have not heard anything about any changes.

I am betting the station construction cut a wire - and the system was down. I don't think this would be a permanent thing...

It is true...No more bloack lights till further notice as per area manager and engineering. We will bot be able to run lights and are on radio dispatch for all trains.

BTW us cast members usually know what we are talking about on trains, hate when people think they know more then we do.

Has been this was for a few weeks with no date of end being told to us yet.

When I was at the Magic Kingdom throughout the past two weeks, I never saw more than two trains in operation at any time. I asked a conductor on the first day that I was at the park how many trains were operating and she said that there were only two but they really needed three due to the crowds that day. She mentioned that they were having problems with the signals and could not operate more than two trains.