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What is this?
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:01 am
by Pimpala03
I noticed this atop a tower, it kind of made me think it might be a siren. I'm sorry for the really crappy cell phone pic, I did not have a real camera.

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:07 am
by JasonC
Pimp, at first glance, it looks like an old railroad Semaphore, but since you live in Louisiana, my guess is that it's a Gamewell Dipahone air horn. They have a very distinct sound, and larger ones were used as fog horns.

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:08 am
by Pimpala03
The building in the picture is the old train depot.
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:10 am
by JasonC
What town is this located in?
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:11 am
by Pimpala03
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:11 am
by Pimpala03
Bernice, LA.
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:25 am
by Trey
I think it is a semaphore since it is at that depot.
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 3:36 am
by JasonC
Yep, it's definitely a semaphore

Looks like the tracks were abandoned quite a few years ago, but they are still mapped on Google Maps. A lot of old depots kept their semaphores for historical purposes. Don't feel bad though, a lot of common things are mistaken for sirens all the time.
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 1:10 pm
by Pimpala03
Well tell me, Jason... What's a semaphore?
Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 1:54 pm
by Tannre
I honestly have no idea either, maybe it is in the Gamewell family, since it resembles a Diaphone quite significantly.