El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-05
SIGNALING APPLIANCES.
The Advantages and Disadvantages
of Uniting Them.

The following extracts are taken
from q paper read at the engineering
conference of the Institution of Civil
Engineers. They relate to interlock-
ing and block signaling appliances:
Assuming that the locking appar-
atus with the levers working the swift
ches and signals, in themselves as per-
feet a. human ingenuity and good
workmanship can make them, are
worked Independently of the inside
block telegraph signals, the only con-
pectinR link between the two being the
signalmau who works both, and
there is no physical obstacle to
prevent him, in moment OF forg etful-
ness, giving outdoor t1gnalS in conflict
with mis- indoor block Instrument. the
question raised for discussion is, wheth-
er it is desirable or not, to unite and
com bine the two systems, either me-
chsnically or electrically, into one
complete system, iu such q
way as to insure, not
only unity of action at one signal box,
but also with the next box in the rear
and in advance.
'sThe conditions which should be full
filed by an efficient lock- and block
arrangement may be stated as follows,
viz: The rear siRnalman should not be
able to lower his outdoor signals, or al
low a train to proceed into the section
in advance of him until the signalman
in advance has given him the necessary
permission by unlocking the starting
signal. The rear signalman, having
advance signslman to allow q train to
proceed into the section and
having lowered his signals,
and the train having moved forward on
its journey should be compelled to put
his starting signal to danger; and the
lever working the same, on being put
back to the normal position should be-
come locked in such q way that it can
not be used again without the permits
sion of the signalman in advance.
''This operation should free the
home signal of our rear section, so that
q second train may be brought forward
to his starting signal and, for protec-
tion of this train the home signal
should be placed to danger and, In the
back stroke, become locked before a sec
ond train eau be offered to the rear
signalmen.
the signal-box in advance, and has
passed bis home signal, and the signal
train entered section" has been re-
ceived from the signal box still further
in advance, the signalman must put his
own signal to danger before he can
give Zine clear" to the signal-box in
the rear for a second train. This ap-
plies when the section is from start. ng
signal to home signal. but If the sec
ton ia from starting signal to starting
signal. the condition will apply to the
latter.
The arrangements should be such as
to admit of shutting operations, plac-
ing a train in a refuge siding, turning
train back, or slipping carriage,
taking place at any of the stations
without break of continuity. The
methods employed should be as simple
rs possible, and such as can be applied
to the existing locking frame and block
telegram Instruments, and be operated
from within the signal-boXes In the
ordinary working and without ad-
ditional electric wires. 1t should be
possible to cancel train by the ordin-
AIRY operations of the levers, without
having to resort to special keys or re-
lessers. st. Louis Republic.