The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-31
AUTOMATIC SIGNAL.
What That Galvanized Pipe
Along the Pennsylvania
Railroad Means.
ELECTRICITY AND AIR.
Each Train Guards the Block 1t Is
Running on ItseIf-An
Ingenious Project.


road of late have had their curiosity ex-
cited by a galvanized iron pipe which
they have observed lying along the tracks
from noar Railway TO the new round
house, where Mount Pleasant used to
rear it's rocky head and resound with the
boisterous mirth of the old Sixth ward
picnicker, and they have speculated as to
why iu was there. Some have imagined
it was a new pipe line, but when they be-
gan to speculate where any oil SpranR TO
the surface at Railway and where 1t went
TO when the pipe terminated at the round
house, they were obliged TO confess to
themselves that it was not oil, and they
could not account for its existence.
The pipe is the conductor of the cons
pressed air, which the company is about
to use in connection with the electric
pneumatic automatic system of the Union
Switch and SiguaI Company. The system
is considered about the best in operation
at the present time and its practicability
has been demonstrated By its use on the
Pittsburg Division of the Pennsylvania
road for distance of eighteen miles, on
the New Jersey Central from Commune
paw to Bound Brook and on the Harlem
Division of the New York Central Rail-
road. As its name implies the system is
automatic and can only be worked by the
train running over the section of tracks
which it covers. 1t does away with the
operator now necessary in connection
with the present block system and pre-
vents any accident, such as recently took
place on the meadows, which is likely to
happen through combustion, absence or
mind or forgetfulness on the part of the
operator, which is liable to occur when
ever the signaling is dependent upon
human agency and watchfulness-
WHAT THE NEW SYSTEM WILL COVER.
The Pennsylvania people are now pre-
pairing to use the system from Shanleys
cut, as the old cut at the Point of Rocks
is now called. to the Perth Amboy juno
tion Just above Railway, distance OF
nineteen miles at the eastern end or the
New York Divisions; and from Mantua to
Holmesburg junction, distance or
twelve miles at the Western end The
blocks will be situated at every half mile
under the new system, while IN the one
now in use they vary from one quarter
TO four miles in the distance apart From
ShanIey's cut to the West Newark juno
tion, which is about at the point where
the Lehigh Valley bridge crosses the
Pennsyivania's tracks, the new system
will cover only the two passenger tracks
while beyond that point TO Perth Am
boy junction all four tracks will be
blocked under the system. AT the
western end of the line the new signals
will cover the two freight tracks as Well
as The tWO passenger TRACKS.
1t IS the intention of the company to
use as far as possible, at each block. sig-
nal bridges in connection with the new
system, so that the engineer can have as
free and unobstructed view OF the sig
nal us possible. Where the bridges are
NOT practical posts will be erected along
side OF the tracks as now. On each post
or bridge there will be two signal arms.
one painted red, showing red light at
night, and one painted green with .
corresponding light for the darkness.
The normal condition of THESE arms
will be at drop and the lights at white
by which the engineer of an approaching
train will know that the block ahead or
him is clear and unoccupled by tfalD.
Should he find the green light shining or
the green arm in u horizontal position
and the red arm dropped and the white
light exposed he will know that the block
Immediately III front of him is clear, but
that the next one beyond that is occupied
by train. He will therefore proceed
cautiously and if at the next block he
finds the signal exposed he will stop, 1t
the both whites are shown he. Will know
that he has a clear track ahead OF him fo2
mile and proceed accordingly.
HOW THE NEW PLAN WILL WORK
The automatic power which will work
the new system, is compressed air, fur
nished by compressors located at oppo-
site ends of the portion of the road on
which the system will be used. On the
eastern end one will be located at she
Meadows shops and the other at Rah-
way. On the western end one will be at
Mantua and the other at Holmesburg
Junction. The rails will be charged with
an electric current, and at each end OF
the blocks pieces OF insulated fibre will be
placed in the joints of the rails TO pre-"
vent The current passing from one block
to the other.
When there is no train on the block the
current from the track is carried TO re-
lay, which throws into action local bat
terry which operates an electric magnea
on the signal post. When this is charged,
as it is when there is no train on the
block. valve is opened, which allows the
compressed air to enter above piston IN
the signal cylinder, which forces the slg-
nal the position and light which shows
that the block is clear.
When the block is occupied by train,
the current from the rails instead OF be-
ing carried to the electro magnet on the
signal post is short circuited through the
wheels of the train. The electro magnet
on the signal post is thereby discharged,
and the exhaust part opened in the signal
cylinder. This allows the air which
forced the signal to clear position to
escape, and the signal Is forced by gravity
to the danger position. This occurs as
soon as the train enters the block. and
the signal remains at danger until 1t en-
ters the next block.
The green light, which warns the engi-
neer to be cautious, remains exposed by
similar arrangement until the train has
passed through TWO blocks. The adop-
ton of this signal system will
doa way with the operators neces-
sary to work the system now in vogue
except at the points where interlocklng
switches are used which have to be-
worked by lever. The pipe which car
rles the compressed air, is two inch gall
vanized main with three quarter inch
branches running to the signal posts. All
the batteries are we'll located near the
signals, and all overhead wires are done
away with. as the wires used are buried
in wooden bruncking, In this manner
all chances of accident to the batteries
and pneumatic apparatus is reduced to
minimum.
The labor of getting the system into
working order is rapidly progressing
under the direction of General Hosman,
Supervisor of systems on the New York
Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
and will be placed in operation in short
time. After 1t has been given thorough
trial on these sections, it will probably be
exte nded over the whole line.