Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-05-08
uIrcr,iiIe. nauy Track.

I =
crosses the latter. Then comes from tho
| southwest the Mount Joy single track
aud iurthest south are the two tracks
from Lancaster. Tao system that was
introduced on April - lbrirf aIusiou To
which was made At tho time IN these
Columns), for controlling these Cight
tracks is easily understood whom seen
In the second floor Of the tower are
placed IN longitudinal order, SIX inches
apart, the levers that COutrOl aud lock tho
switches and those also that control the
signals. Tho lovers when ut rest are
| nearly rcrpcndiCulArly upright, and when
IN use they axe iuohucd to au angle of
- degrees. There arc forty six OF them
IN all, space beng LETT for two more for
the control of the turn table, which weTo
found unnecessary. or thcss forty six,
uiue arc painted black aud uiuo blue. The
first are iug the switches, fifteen in mum
bor, and the second lock the switches
after they are put IN place. Il will bo
seem at a glance how admirably this sys
TEN works IN reducing the possibility Of
accident to u minimum. When tho
switches are once arranged for certain
train, they are promptly locked from the
tower 10 prevent their disturbance, and
the signals that are controlled by the 70
naming twenty sight signals warn oil all
other trans from the track in question.
The system OF sigusIr
q. tho twenty eight levers controlling
the signals, twenty three are painted red
indicating red signals, aud five green, in
dicltiye OF signals OF the latter color.
These signals are called semaphore signals
aud are Ci two kinds, semaphnre home
and sgmAphure distant signals They are
placed on posts from 40 70 80 feet IN
ae,Eht, a@i when A. rest they project from
the top OF the post a. night angles, falling
70 Al angle OF - degrees when operated
from tue tower. The home signals, II in
number, all Of which are red, are within
20 feet Of tho tower. Tue semaphore dis
ta.ts ara much further removed, the most
distant sigma, being 1920 feet away.
Flv, u the d!ssaut signals are green aud
- are red, aud they can be seen far down
the track. The distant signals have
usually three arms, wAilS those nearer tue
tower have one and two, the number being
governed by tho tracks necessary u be
controlled.
The semlphOro signals make q very
pretty sight at night. The arms with their
white, red and green appcudagcs, rising
aud falling as occasion requires, sUCmiu 2
Ike rockets whose course has been sud.
denly interrupted. AS is well known to
railroad men, red Indicates danger, green
caution aud white clear track These
signals work bat in one direction that is,
exclusively from the side on which they
are CJlOTed. The reverse side OF the arm,
that tapers 20 point az tho post, widening
az Its outer extremity, Is painted white
with black baud across its middle. 10
order 10 make it more easily distinguish
able from the tower in fUggy weather.
The levers in the tower which thus operate
the switches, locks and signals all have
latchets that raise the catches in the BIZ
lo2ker on which the levers are placed
enabling the latter to operate.
There are also used 10 connection with
the switches signals called butterfly lamps
They are on the ground a few feet from
the track aud work IN conjunction with
the switches. Tue last of the series oI
sign lis are the banner block signals, 1G il
number, worked by tho operator in the
tower in connection with the scmaphorC
signals. These arc on rack above the
operators head, each signal has handle
appropriately painted and when uudis
| turbed they show white, when pulled
down they exhibit in tho box near by the
signals corresponding in color to th(
| la Idles used.
bow the system works.
The system, while necessarily Intricate
in its detailed explanation, is simpl,
enough in practice. Ia order to prOyid,
against any mistakes by employees, q char
| of the different computations TO DO usec
| for guarding the various tracks is CON
spi1uously exhibited on tho wall aboy,
the levers. For instance. a train is com
| ing from Mt. Joy TO lancaster ThG
| operator notifies the lever man of itS ap
prOach some time before its arrival auC
the latter promptly gets the tracks in readi
| ness. He first pulls down lever 49, which
| locks a crossing switch aud at the same
| time gives a red signal, warning off al
trains from the approach to the crossing
| Lever 20 is next pulled dowl and thC
switch controlled by it is put in place fo
the train. Then 25, switch lever, il
pulled down and promptly locked by levei
20. Lever 2i is next put in operation anC
il controls the track bars, used by tho
tracks that cross the Mount Joy line
| These track bars arc only used at crossings
and they serve to lock all signals while 9
train is on a track which may DO crossed
IL is thus impossible for any other train Il
get white signal until the train in ques'
| ton has passed After these prelimina
ries, levers AZ, 46 aud As are put in opera
ton, giving the approaching train tht
white signal and all others the signal o
danger.
IL will thus be seen that collision car
only arise when the signals are liatly ig
nOred. They are vast improvement Oh
the older methods, and it is hard to SEE
how greater precautions could be taken Z
avoid accident. If the semaphore distan
signal Is passed by, the semaphore hom'
signal warns the engineer of train tba
he must not approach, then the butterfly }
lamp shows danger, aud finally the tracl
is locked against him. TO suppose one
capable of making all these blunders is Il
admit density of comprehension rare IL
the average man.
The system, since its induction, April 2S
has worked like q charm. The Dilleryillt
tower, with it's 4S levers, is next larges
now 10 operation on the Pennsylvania rail
road to that of tho 18th street station II
| Philadelphia. The latter has Gl levers
Levers Of tho hame kind, but lesser u
number, will ere long be placed i'll th'
towers at Conestoga aud Landisyille.
The great beauty of tho new system II
tho minimum Of force required for 1t
working, two men sufficing as day force
aud the same number being required TO
the night. Messrs. John BARLEY an'
John j. Doyle are the day force, acting a
telegraph operator and lever man respec
lively, Messrs. Andrew Dellinger ant
Aaron Mehafiey acting in the same re
speotiye capacities at night. All ar
qualified in an eminent degree for thel
responsible positions.