New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-21
RAILROAD SIGNALLING.
HOW MODERN RAILROADS PROTECT THEIR
PASSENGERS.

SYSTEM-PROGRTSS IL SAFETY DENICho-
AUTOMATIC sIGNAIs-AIE COLLISIONS
AvoIDABLEi-FAcTs OF INTEREST
10 ALL TRAVELLERS.
How TO render railroad travelling in these days rs
safe as It Is luxurious is an important proolem ho'
only to those financially Interested in railroad enter
prises but also to the public at large Inc demand
for improved methods in railroad signalling has become
widespread and insiscnt and IL Is pleasing 10 DC aDe
record that the recent efforts OF inventors nave
placed railroad travel In this country on iluon
safer basis than 1t has occupied before. Inc leauis
roads In tho United states are equipping theh uachs
with appliances that absolutely perfect pro
lection against all avoidabe accidents. The time
has come when no railroad doing either large freight
or passenger business or both afford TO confne Its
protective methods TO primitive systems-system' that
became practically useless when railroadlng In this
country took OF swaddlng clothes and put on
trousers.
Just he,c Il ma, he Of interest to dwell for
moment OIL the most prominent of the earlier methods
of signalling before describing the systems that have,
to a great extent taken its place. Up to compare
lively short time ago nearly every nilroad Ill the
United states depended entirely upon the tlme-ihter'
system TO protect its rolling stock ana the hVes Oh It's
passengers. Under this method weight OF RESPONSE
bilty was thrown upon the rear brakeman OF train
that only too often he unable to carry-as the
proves. In short II is a waste Of time TO dwell upon
the manifest disadvantages OF the umeintervai syStc
a system that wa, abandoned by English lines very
early In the history OF rallronding III was quickly as
covered that unless IL brakeman IS possessed Oh ui
erring Judgment and a marvellous pair of legs lie Is
utterly incompetent to give his train thorough pro
lection under the ancient timelnterval system. But
there has been one feature OF this Inadequate method
of protecting trains that has rendered II until recently
the only one practicable so far AS the majority Oh
American railroads are c0ncerned-nanieiy' fs CHEAP
ness Years ago the English railroads abandoned this
primitive protective method for the BLOCK sysocm'
American rnds found this step In most instances
financially impossible and have been compelled 10
put up with the time interval system and the more Or
less effective protection afforded BY perpateuc
brakeman waving Il flag or lantern. Now however,
the increased prosperity OF American railroads ana
the imperative necessity OF improved piotecu'e
methods due to increased passenger and freight tr'ic
are rapidly RELOCATING the ancient umelnterval sys-
TEN 10 that realm Of nnocuous desuelude "here aii
things obsolete laid TO rest.
A has been said, when the English railroads
abandoned the time interval system, they adopted
the block system Iy this Is meant that they space"
Of their tra ks Into sections and paced Signal 'o"cf
a, the entrance to each section block on each
one OF these towers attendant Keeps watch VI INC
trains passing him. records the time Of their arrival
and Departure and gives these data to the attend
ants In the towers on either side OF him. When a
train enters d is the duty OF the operator In
the tower at the entrance to that block TO set danger
signal that shall prevent the admltance OF announcer
train 30 the block until the operator in the next lower
In front has given notice that the first train has passed.
from TIE arS block and Is under the protection OF tho
second block. This protective mothod was INTRODUCED
in England abo.t 1853, AID is known as
the English block system. All other block
systems bear IN general way strong re-
seublance TO this one but differ In certain very I'M
rortant d~ahs. Block signalling to-day IS carried on
under three different methods-namey, the manual
the auto-manual and the automatic The hnglsh
block system comes under tho head Of the first sub
division II belongs there from the fact that the
motive power employed In operating the signal Is
mans hand That this Is Improvement on a
brakemans legs as motor tending toward safety Is
plain but Il requires little thought 20 understand
that purely manual system OF blocking does not so
far eliminate the possibility Of human error that abso-
Lutte safety can be guaranteed The great defect Oh
all manual systems lies In the fact that 1t Is physically
possible for an operator TO display at any time SieV
or a danger dgna wilde the display OF the proper
signal rests absolutely his discretion. or course
under the In g.h block system the operators aeuoh
l. Influenced BY communications received from hie
adjacent towers II the Information Is correct and II
he acts in accordance herewith the result Is safety
H. however the Information Is incorrect, or 10 ms
understood or II the operator fails 10 act in accordance
Lending railroads In the country have come to the
CONCLUSION that there too many us cohnec'ea
with the simple block system ana are ahopuhE 'io
auto manual or the automatic method
The auto. manual system. its name implies, Is
combination Of The manual and the automatic WEE
this method signal towers and operators ARE used S
under the simple block system. The fundamental
difference lies in this that In the automanual system
an automatic device reudcrs begouen OF human
,ndscretion or unaithfuucss impossible Under the
quito manual system. when "A train enters DOCK o"c
operator In the nj the entrance TO the boch SETS
the signal danger behind the train Beng SO p"ceo
the signal Is automatically locked. III Is phyacaiy
Impos.bIe for the operator b. admit another tram 10
the block until the first train las passed 'hefeltvh
II u unnecessary here 10 20 into details regrug ~
mechanism by which tls chd IS I'M ,n ,o
absolutely impossible. The possibLy oi human eIroI
systems Is reduced 10 IL minimum by the huto-m"nuh'
''' That this system has the approval OF such
conservative. roads rs tue New York. New llaven apd
Hartford, the NcwYoik Central and others OF liSe
character is proof positive OF Its excellence, Inc
New York Central has made thorough test Of tue
auto manual system on Pofuoh Oh us INC, " -
satisfactory ha, been the working OF the system not
only as a protective device. but also ~ means cI
increasing iaic facilities that the entire road rom
NewYork to Buao viii soon be ea S acr si
lss mndc use Of the auto-manual system between
Yew-York and New Haven and has found its WORKINGS
en,inently satisfactory Other roads uIat nave "dop'e
II are equally well pleased with IT, rsHni's English
or course the auto manual system like ,'e r.hs"H
block system, Is extremely expensive The coHt OF
equipment owing largely to the ehpeSe cur'nu , M
Tic erection Of signal towers, Is heavy Inc main
tcnancc OF the system calls for n large annual ex
pcnditure The wages OF the operators and otter
exncns~s amount 70 a round sum yearly. Nevcrtle
less there arc certain oca conditions that render TINS
sysem the most effective and least expensive In the
end TO various prominent railroads In tb' country
Where the extent OF track TO be protected not en
nous and where traffic is complicated by tn, neceSsy
on Ire part OF the road Of entering and passing throsh
several large cities within Il comparatively, snort nl
lance the auto manual system has proved liscH III
MANY respects the most available. II Is Tor tllS
enson that this system has been adopted by neary
ALI the English roads. superscdng the nloss-c)Verei
simpe block system. Most OF the English roads are
comparatively short. complicated by many switches
and ,idetracks and demand some SUCH system as INC
amto manual a system especially lifted to the eA
no,.s thr,.t unon a railroad that passes through