El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-09
THE MARSTON SIGNAL SYSTEM
Railroad Men Here Are Much In
terested In its Workings

Railway operating and transpOrta
tion official have manifested much in
terest in the new signal system devised
by J. B. Marston, division superintend
dent of the Delaware, Lackaw anna and
Western Road.
This new signal system is simple in
construction, safe in operation, and
perfect in affording visible communi
cation between two trains.
top of the caboose cupola one on each
side, and they are connected by brass
Or st ell rod arms which extend up
ward for this rod, and to these are at
tached discs or glass ovsls, which
move backward and forward, covering
and displaying alternately the lights
from the bulls eyes.
Large red flags are also attached to
the arms, and they wave automatically
with the discs.
The rod is connected at each end
with bars running down to the trucks.
Steel arms attach the bars to the axles
and when the wheels turn the bars
are moved upward and downward. BY
this way the flashing Of the lights is
governed entirely by the revolutions
of the axle; hence when the caboose is
at standstill there is a steady light
or danger signal and the moment the
caboose is moved again the lights al
ternate.
The interval in the flashing of the
lights is regulated by 9 worm wheel on
the axle, methematically calculated,
SO that the number of flashes per min
ute indicate the precise speed OF the
train per hour. Thus if there are but
i've flasher per minute the interval of
twelve seconds between changes OF
light shows plainly to the train follow
ing that the train ahead is running
slow hence the necessity OF caution.
to thirty flashes per minute, it shows
that the train ahead is moving at
good rate of speed. This allows the
tt ain foil owing to keep on going.
10 the event of q train breaking In
two or a down grade the engineer can
look back and see how fast the rear
section of the train is coming on, and
he can also tell the moment it is stop
ped. In the event of q break in two
on an up grade, and the rear section
should start back, al approaching train
could easily see by the frequent changes
of light that the train WAS coming down
inst sgd of going up grade. The flashes
increase In rspidity when the motion of
the train is reversed.
While this signal is particularly
adapted to night service on account of
the inability OF any one TO Judge speed
or disi ance of trains from looking at Or
binary lights at night, it is an equally
good day signal, as the flags attached
TO the discs which cover and uncover
the light az night, give the same warn
ing as the flashes of light do by night.
The "wig-wagging" of the flags Is
made at the same res ulhr intervals.
Superintendent Msrston has had the
model of q caboose built on scale of
1-12th which is equipped with one of
these signals. Practically, these disc
and flag signals give the engineer
communication with the rear end of his
train at night or day and in case of a
break the nan of the throttle can re-
gulate his speed, according to the req
uirements. To the engineer follow
ing q train these flashes from the bull's
eyes at night, or the waving of the
flags by daylight reveal the exact loca-
ton, speed and the direction of the
train ahead. The ordinary speed of
loaded freight train Is twenty or twen-
ty-two miles and any engineer can tell
how fast the train ahead is moving by
counting the flashes. These flashes
can be seen with the naked eye at q
distance of two or three miles on
straight road bed, aud so it reduces the
danger of tail end collision to a mini
mum.