Highball Signal is a historic

railroad signal A railway signal is a visual display device that conveys instructions or provides warning of instructions regarding the driver’s authority to proceed. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly. Typically, a signal mi ...

located in

Delmar, Delaware Delmar is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States, on the Maryland border along the Transpeninsular Line. Its motto is "The Little Town Too Big for One State." The population was 1,597 at the 2010 census, an increase of 13.5% over th ...

, United States. It is a white sphere mounted on a pole and located next to the railroad tracks to signal permission for a train to proceed at full speed, if the ball was at the top of the pole. The term "highball" came to be synonymous with a clear

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

and for trains to proceed at full speed. It was originally in service at

New Castle, Delaware New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The city is located six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington and is situated on the Delaware River. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 5,285. History New Castl ...

, and then at

Hurlock, Maryland Hurlock is a town in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,092 at the 2010 census. History The town was named after John M. Hurlock, a local store owner. The community was incorporated in 1892. Geography Hurlock is l ...

. The highball signal was moved to Delmar for display during the town's centennial in 1959, and is no longer used to direct railroad traffic, but is maintained as a public exhibition in a park near the railroad. and ' It was placed on the US

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973.

References

External links

Delaware Public Archives: Highball Signal
Railway buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Buildings and structures in Sussex County, Delaware {{Delaware-NRHP-stub