The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-03-18
THE MAGIC SWITCH.
How Trains Are Controlled
With Accuracy in the
Crowded P. r. R.
Yard.
ONE MAN ALWAYS ON WATCH.
Another Pushes the Button and
Electricity Steers the Rushing
Motors Over Safe Tracks.
ONE MAN ALWAYS ON WATCH.

Every detail of the movement of the
trains is controlled from a tower located
a short distance west of the station. 1t is
an ordinary switch tower, two stories ia
height, and on the ground floor is a well
equipped machine shop. in which the
parts Of the machinery are kept in re-
pair. On the upper floor is the staff of
men who have in charge the security of
all who ride on the foremost railroad Of
this country. These men control the
movement of trains most absolutely.
They are guided by signals from all parts
of the big depot, but obey them or moi as
the emergency may direct. 70 guide
them there is Il most accurate system or
signaling for every movement, and before
their eyes are several dials and %annuncia-
tors which show them just the condition
of each track in the big shed inform
them when each train is ready and when
the boats arrive in the ferry slips. Many
of the signals are merely given to guide
the operators by Informing them OF the
situation of til. traius and boats, while
others are indications that the trains Oh
certain tracks are ready TO move out and
are awaiting the necessary signal.
WHAT THE SYSTEM Is.
III ordinary switch towers the NOV e.
ments of the switchers and signals are
COiltEOllCu Ny q nc lCNClo NV AZ
over by main strength, but in this tower
every movement is effected by the action
of compressed air controlled by an cleo
trio current. The labor in this plan is
much less, and at the same time the &C
curscy Is enhanced to a degree which
makes Il wrong movement almost i'm
possible, The system is that of the Union
Switch and Signal Com pany of Swissvale,
Pa, and is known as the pneumatic in
terlocking plan, built under Westlng-
house patents. The switches and signals
are operated by the pressure of air,
which is conducted through pipes along
side of the tracks from an air compress
ing engine of which the company has
three and constantly uses only one. The
air is sent to the switches at u pressure of
seventy pounds to the square inch in
summer and eighty pounds in winter.
located in the power house at
Jersey City, and " others are
at the Waldo avenue yard near
the Point of Rocks. Lying parallel
with the rails at each switch Is II cylinder.
containing a piston, which Is acted upon
by the compressed air and is set in action
by an electric current. Attached to the
side Of each of these cylinders are three
electro magnets operating needle valves.
which let the air into the piston cham bers
in ihe.three small magnet cylinders al
ternately. The central cylinder locks or
untOckS Ul6 Hull VALVE WtlCu CODtiOIo
the flow of air in the big cylinder, which
IN turn thrusts the switch points to and
fro. One of the little magnet chambers
admits the air to one side OF the piston
and the other controls the reverse move
ment, while neither can move until the
central magnet has withdfawn tine LOCK
ing mechanism. and this can not be done
until the signal has been properly set. aud
all the conflicting switches are In their
proper places.
The mechanism is SO complete in every
detail that it is utterly impossible tor the
operator to make an error which can
cause a collision. He can not set a switch
wreng, because no two will work In op-
position TO each other, aud the levers 10
the tower will not move when anything
is out of place.
WHAT ONE A DOES.
There are thirty-six switches just put
side of the big car shed, and they are all
operated from the one tower, which Is en-
tirely independent OF the block signal sta
tious further out on the line. Three men
man the tower at all times, and are re-
licved every eight hours. One clear
headed young man stands at the bay win
dow and keeps an alert watch upon the
incoming trains. while at the same lime
he has before his eyes the various an
nupcIators which show him the condition
of the tracks in the shed q inform him
when the trains are ready to move. AT
the same time he knows whether the Doat
which should meet the train has arrived
In its slip, and governs the starting of the
train accordingly. II d boat has been de-
layed by fog or other cause he does not set
the signal for the starting of the train I'M
Ill he knows that the passengers have had
time to reach the cars.
he does nothing but watch affairs in the
station and up the line, and the move
ments of the switches n signals are
made by another man, who Stands back
In the tower and moves a lot of little han
dies attached to electric switches, which
admit the compressed air to the far-away
cylinders pulling and pushing the heavy
rails. The third man in the room helps
TO watch the indicators and takes care of
the telegraph KEY which is an adjunct of
the system. The man on the watch at
the window Is constantly calling out In
structions to the man at the switch
board. aud 1t Is his duty first to set a sig
nal and then to throw a corresponding
switch. He cannot move the switch
lever until the signal is set, because the
apparatus is automatically locked in the
switchboard and the levers will not move
except In their proper order.
MISTAKE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
The switchboard is u handsome glass
showcase, in which there is an array Of
fine electric machinery with ingenious
connections for each switch point. On the
front of this case the rubber handled
hrpSS levers OF eleCIrlC SWlLCUos are aF-
ranged, and over the case is a fine work
ing model of the switch system in the
ward below. When a switch Is moved in
the yard its miniature representative on
the model moves correspondingly and the
operator can see at a glance whether the
change has been properly made. The big
svitches are in some cases complicated
affairs, and the lever Moves MS many as
four at one time. The air cylinders are OF
three sizes, the largest having an internal
diameter of six and one-half inches, and
tile others diminishing by half an inch
each. The smallest exerts a thrust of
3. 4SO pounds on the switch points aud at
the same time locks the switch so that it
is immovablc.
Attached to each switch is a device
which makes it impossible for the opera
for to move a switch under a train. 1t Is
a long bar of fat iron lying alongside of
the rail. The operation of throwing the
switch begins with raising this bar nearly
two inches, and II a car is standing on
the track 1t is impossible to move this
bar.
MORE INGENUITY.
An ingenious detail OF the system Is an
automatic arrangement tor w the
dispatcher and also the engineer OF an
incoming train the condition OF the track
in the depot. II there is IL train on the
track in the shed it automatically drops
q green signal board outside OF the shed
and at the same time turns IL disk in the
a%nnunciator In the switch tower. This Is
accomplished in u very simple manner.
Two lengths of rail on opposite sides OF