Patent GB-963177-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to railway control systems
IPC: B61L23/00
Filed: 1963-02-15
Abstract: 963,177. Automatic train control systems. GENERAL RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. Feb. 15, 1963 [March 5, 1962], No. 6227/63. Heading B7H. In an ATC system for automatically controlling the movement of a locomotive L1 drawing a train of mining cars C1-C3 such that each car in turn is positioned adjacent a point WH on the track for dumping purposes and in which the cars when empty are routed over a switchback route including points SW in reverse to a loading site, the train picks up coded signals in the track circuits 5T-10T by means of coils positioned at the front and rear of the train and is controlled by these signals to an emergency or service stop or fast, medium, slow or including speeds in either direction. The correct positioning of each car at the dumping point is supervised by means of track circuits 1T-4T which are dimensioned in accordance with the wheel base dimensions of the vehicles. In the absence of a train the track circuits 5T-7T, 10T and loop 9AL receive steady code (emergency stop) from their respective coding relays 5CP &c. which are connected via line 19 to a steady source and the approach section 1AT receives 37¢ code (service stop) from its coding relay 1ACP. A train V from the loading position is thus brought to a halt in the approach section. The dumping point operator operates a proceed push PROC which picks up relay MCR whereby 270 code (inching speed) is applied via line 19 to the previously specified track circuits and on receipt of this code in unit 32 at the right hand end of section 5T relay 270WR picks up and applies 270 code to the approach section. The train now moves forward and on entering section 5T releases relay 5TP which provides at b.c. (back contact) 56 a stick circuit for relay MCR. When the first car of the train is correctly positioned at the dumping point, a condition which is detected when track circuit 4T is occupied by the locomotive and track circuits 3T and IT are occupied by the front and rear bogies of the second car since section 2T is shorter than a car wheel base, relay SCR picks up and releases relay CAR which at contact 49 changes over the code from 270 to 37¢ to control the train to a stop. Relay SCR also completes the circuit to delay relay TER, which picks up after a period which allows the train to come to a halt, and energizes relay DR which controls dumping apparatus WD to its reverse position in which the first car is emptied. When the apparatus is in its completely reversed position, reverse position relay RWPS picks up and completes a circuit to relay DH for controlling the apparatus to its normal position and also opens the energizing circuit to relay TER. In its normal position the apparatus picks up position relay NWP and since relay RWPS is held by a stock circuit relay CAR is again energized to apply 270 code to the track circuits. The remaining cars are dumped in a like manner except that relay SCR is picked up when the last car is correctly positioned via a circuit which includes a front contact of relays 1TR and 3TR. The operator controls also include an emergency push whereby relay HCR is released to apply steady code to the track circuits, a reset push whereby relay SCR is released to prevent a dumping action on e.g. an empty vehicle in the train and a change direction push which operates relay CDR to apply additionally a 1000 c/s. code to the track circuits to reverse the direction of vehicle movement in the event of a vehicle over-shooting the dumping position. When the train clears track section 9T relay 9TR picks up and energizes relay CSR via b.c. 95 of relay 10TP and b.o. 99 of timing relay TEP to apply 1.7 kc. code to the left-hand end of section 10T for a predetermined period. This causes a change-over in the coils connected to the receiving apparatus on the train from the leading coils A to the rear coils B, moreover since release of track relay 10TP energizes the right-hand end of section 10T with 37¢ code the train is controlled to a halt. The switch SW is controlled to its reverse position by a circuit via f.c. 86 of relay 9TR and b.c. 115 of relay 10TP and reverse correspondence relay RWC picks up. This pick up by energizing relay 10AG applies 120 code to the righthand end of section 10T and by energizing relay 9AH applies the same code to loop 9AL whereby the train proceeds at medium speed via the switch in reverse to the loading point.