The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-25 00:00:00

, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 25, 1864•

TRAIN SIGNALLING.

There is nothing in Which the telegraph has rendered more
service to railways tioln it what has been technically called
"Train Signalling," Its value for this purpose was pointed
out two-and-twentyyears ago, in a very explicit manner,
by the original patentee, Mr. Wm. Fothergile Cooke, in a
pamphlet of 39 pages illustrated by four plates. The pur-
port of this pamphlet may be gathered from the title:—
"Telegraphic Railways; or, the single way recommended,
by safety, economy, ind efficiency, under the safeguard and
control of the Electric Telegraph: with particular reference
to railway communication with Scotland, and to Irish
Railways." Many of the fundamental rules for protecting
trains in motion may be found in this pamphlet.
The railway system has in these latter days so expanded
itself—trains have so multiplied in number, that it is im-
perative on managers to have recourse to the telegraph for
regulating their movements; business cannot otherwise be
conducted in safety. The old forms of instrument were not
equal to the duties required on those lines where the traffic
was so heavy—trains following trains in such quick suc-
cession, that speaking instruments of a new character were
imperatively demanded. Little is required to be expressed
in this service; but that little must be in language
not only unmistakeable but of extreme brevity.
There is no time for speeches, note for sentences, sot even
for spelling. The well-worked railway is cut up into shorter
and shorter sections, and the distance between signal sta-
tions is constantly made less and less. As the duty of the
telegraph is to protect the line, length by length, consecu-
tive trains are no longer separated each from the other by
an interval of time, but by an interval of space. The inter-
val of time may be long or short : it may be measured by
hours or by minutes ; the safety is the same. A second train
is not allowed to enter upon any length of railway, be it
long or be it short, until the train preceding has left that
length. When these lengths are—as they are in some cases
of metropolitan lines—reduced to very small fractions of a
mile, and trains follow each other--as they de on high days
and holidays—as fast as they can be loaded, it is obvious
that the telegraphic language must be brief and expressive.
A few seconds is all the time at command. No portion of
this can be spared for calling attention ; the signal and its
reply must be instant on the heels each of the other. The
organs open to the language of the telegraph are the eye
and the ear, What human eye, even were it relieved from
its other responsible duties, is equal to the amount of fixed
watchfulness implied by such duties as we have described ?
The ear, happily, is always open; and no action is required
on the part of him to whose ear language is addressed.
Then the ear is not fatigued with listening, as the eye is
with gazing. Hence it has become the practice to address
the ear under these pressing circumstances. The few
things to be said—and they are Nery few; the fewer the
better—are accordingly expressed by sounds, differing in
quantity and quality. Sometimes the memory is assisted
by a visual signal, permanent for the time being, and altered
in character, when the condition it indicates is itself changed.
This either accompanies or follows the audible sigual. The
memory is more fully assistsd, and a system of checking and
permament record is added, by booking the signals, as they
follow on in rapid succession. Not only is the fact—be it
what it may—put on record, but the interval that has passed
since the fact occurred; since, for example, a coming
train arrived, or a parting train left, may be seen, it
required, at a glance. Ruled books are provided, where
every possible word is printed ; and litde save the name of
each train and the time-figures, requires entering. This
saving of unnecessary labour is very essential ; for in
times of great pressure it requires lissom fingers to enter
up legions of train signals—of ins and outs, of comings and
goings.—Railivay News.