Morning journal and courier., 1891-07-08
RAILROAD NOTES.
The New Railroad Switch Towers Nearly Ready for Use on the Bos- fnv. nnH

The New Railroad Switch Towers | Nearly Ready for Use on the Bos-
 ton and Albany Tracks.
 The Boston and Albany railroad is plan ming to try its new $25,0oO switching sys- tenn Sunday, an undertaking of considera- ble magnitude and much intricacy. The Union Signal company's mechanical sys- tenn is the one adopted, not that of con- pressed air, which is thought to be prefer able, but costs more to begin with at least. The Springfield Republican says: The change will materially reduce the force of switehmen, as has been expected, for the west tower will require only six men against the fourteen now employed, while but three men will be needed at the east tower, where eight are now busted. The younger men will probably be placed in other positions by the road. Each tower man is to work eight hours. The west tower contains ffty-six levers and is,prob ably, the most important station on the line, controlling from the ticket offices at the station to a point in West farther end of the railroad bridge,
  tering tracks. The other tower, which is located beyond the Chestnut street bridge, directs the rails from midway in the depot yard, nearly to the Hampden paint works. The ends are intended to be worked independently of each other but the towers are to be connected by tele- phone, so that in case of necessity their action will be in harmony. A good deal of misapprehension exists as to the opera tion of the compressed air system, which is controlled but not operated, by elec- tricity In either case levers are necessi tated, the only difference being in their size and the power required. The electric current determines whether the cylinder of compressed air shall move backward or forward, opening or closing switch, while the lever operates the air-pump generating the force.
 R. A. Wilson came here with eighteen skilled men over three months ago and since that time has had thirty workers under his direction constantly. The whole system of switches and locks is worked by iron pipes, while all the signals are worked by wires. The entire mechanism is boxed over to avoid trouble from snow and dirt, while the base is so drained that there is no danger of freeze up. The whole sys- tenn is too complex to admit of detailed ex- planation, the utmost pains being taken to secure safety. The arrangement is such that it is impossible to throw the sema- phore signals to the safety mark until the switch is in the correct position, distant semaphores being located beyond the curves on the New York, New Haven and Hartford and Connecticut River roads. Protecting bars are also scattered along the rails These bars are about 45 feet long-made purposely longer than the distance between trucks on any car. The adjacent switches cannot be moved unless these bars can be swung upward above the level of the rail, which of course cannot be done when train is passing over. Thus two trains may be passing along on the same track, one of which must be switched to another rail. The protecting bar pre- vents the switch from being moved before the first train has passed in safety. The Union Signal company has an ingenious device, known as "selector," by which one lever is made to perform motions for which several would otherwise be re- quired, saving much expense. The easter ly tower will not be put in operation for two weeks, but in another month the weather-beaten switchman of the past will locally be no more.