The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-04
SIGNALING TRAINS.
All the Different Methods Now in
Operation on Eastern Lines.
n. Al

operation on Eastern Lines.
From the Ne,o York Star.
The Palatiue bridge accident has already
caused inquiries to be made by the travel
ing public as to the different methods of
signaling now in operation on the promi-
nent roads to prevent similar collisions. On
single track roads two sorts of collisions are
possible, the one from running into the rear
OF an advance train and the other from
butting, or where the locomotives of two
trains going in opposite directions plunge
into each other.
On single track roads great care is used
by the careful adjustment of time table, the
compilation of orders intended TO govern all
kinds of probable cases which in Volve the
thorough organization of the dispatching
and telegraphic departments.
The best skill, governed by the widest ex-
perience, has, after many years, failed to
devise method which will prevent coils
ions on single track roads. Once year the
dispatchers of all the roads in the country
meet, and in their conventions the one alb
sorbing topic is the problem of how shall
orders be given to insure the greatest Sc
curity to passenger trains. The records,
however, show that nine-tenths of the ac-
cidents on single track roads are due to the
Quitting" of engines
A reporter visited the yards of all the
prominent companies yesterday, and gath
cred some insight into the methods of sig
mailing adopted by them. The officials were
extremely reticent. but the dispatchers and
track hands described the various systems
according to the Instructions prescribed.
The New York Central was found to have
several systems in operation. In the tunnel
division, embracing the approaches to the
Grand Central depot, most perfect block
system is i'll use. For instance, a train
leaving the depot passes out and beyond
the tower, and Immediately the signalman
swings down from one Of the various
bridge crossings in the rear of the depart
ing trail, long, rectangular board, ap-
propriately painted. The engineer of the
following train can readily see this, and, if
necessary, stop his train. This signal is not
lifted until word has been received by
telegraph that the first train is out of the
way.
On the Hudson river division of the New
York Central, each station agent places in
triangular frame at the door of his depot
large black figures on white ground, denot-
ing the time when the last train passed.
These announcements read like this: Wsv
-6:26 or Express-10:42 or Freight-145 to
designate the time when the advance train
passed that particular station. Engineers
on reaching each station can readily read
these figures and form some opinion as TO
the locality of the preceding train They
endeavor to keep at such distance behind
1t as will insure safety. The distance be-
tween stations may be great and a slow
freight may upset the best devised calcutta
lions of the superintendent. To obyIate
this difficulty on this division, roadmen are
stationed, who after the passage of each
train come out of their little cabins along
side the road, and stand during fixed
number of minutes waving a red flag as a
signal to any approaching train
Between Albany and Buffalo there are.
however, four tracks on the New York
Central-two for freight and two for pas
senger trains-and only the triangular time
signal is given, as the blocking of the road
by slow freights is generally avoided. The
triangular block figure system is a pecul-
iarity of the Vanderbilt system, it being
very little used, if anywhere else, than on
the New Haven road. On some other roads,
where travel is not so complicated, black
board, with the time of the train passing the
station, is the only signal visible to the en-
gineer. The most common method of sig
mailing following train is for the station
agent or telegraph operator to expose a red
flag or light Immediately upon the passage
OF train, which he keeps in sight for a
prescribed length of time.
The block system on the Pennsylvania
road is considered by leading authorities to
be the best that has yet been invented. At
distance OF a mile, or more, apart, &C
cording to the exigences of the traffic, tower
houses are located in which a telegraph
operator Is constantly on duty. AS soon as
a train passes one of these towers the tele-
graph operator has the following duties to
perform: To Immediately display on the
outside of his house. by means of an at
tached cord running over pulleys, red ball
two feet In diameter, dropping into large
framework, in a contrasting color He
then telegraphs to the next tower, whence
the train came, the fact of its going out of
the block. The signal is held by the oper-
ator, and he is not allowed to take his hand
from the cord until the occupant Of the next
tower to which the train is speeding tele-
graphs him that IL has passed, when he
causes the block to be removed.
This arrangement when consistently car
ried out prevents a following train from
entering block until its predecessor has
passed the distance station. 1t is believed
that there can be under this system no
overtaking by fast express of a slow
freight, and, what is more important,
should breakdown occur it is readily in
ferred and precautionary measures are &C
cordingly taken.
In tue New England states many devices
have been tried by which the blocks are
made to work automatically by electricity,
but that agent is used very sparingly on
railroads on account of its not proving relia-
bic, and reporter was told by the New
York, New Haven and Hartford officials
that 1t had been practically abandoned.
On the Ninth avenue elevated a system of
automatic blocking is used. The same
leverage now in operation forms the ground
connections of the interlocking system.
The blocknare short, and the signals are
operated by the wheels of the locomotive
pressing spring attached to the side of the
rail. The disks go into place with jerk
and click, and serve to explain Che frequent
jars that occur in the rear passenger coach.
The opinion among. raa4may men was
freely expressed that the Vanderbilt sys-
tenn Of signaling will sooner or later have to
give way to the "blockn or other improved
methods, as its large business now taxes the
capacity OF everything and everybody con-
nected with 1t, 80 that the f1inOr of meeting
of fha directors having hapl aalfad ia con-