Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-24
NEW PLANT INSTALLED.
Largest Interlocking Plant in
Iowa Placed Into Service
Here Friday.
Inspected by Railroad Commits.
sion and Pronounced Ac-
ceptable..Its Use.
Plant Cost Nearly S3O,0OO.-C. 6
N. W., C. G. W. and |. c.
Interested.

The new interlocldng plant OF the
Chicago & Northwestern, chicago
Great Western and Iowa Central rail-
WAYS, erected in this city at cost OF
between SIS, 900 and $4,000, was turned
over to the operating departments OF
The three Marshalltewn roads yester-
day afternoon. The plant is complete
In every detail and is the largest in
Iowa, being known as a "siXty-leVer
plant"
Hon. e. c. Brown, of Sheldon, one OIL
the Iowa railroad commissioners ac-
co,npanied by Dwight Lewis. of Des
Moines, secretary of the commission,
fnspecfed the plant on behalf OF the
railroad commission. a necessary pro-
ccdure before operation. The piahS
was pronounced acceptable and lmme-
diately an order was issued annoGnclns
its installation. To witness the placing
in operation Of the new plant there Were
present Superintendent Hiram !. SiiIer,
q cf the Iowa division of the Northwest
ern. Boone: Assistant Superintendent
w. D. Beck, of Boone; G. w. Daley
trainmaster of the eastern Iowa divis-
ion. Clinton; C. w. Kelly, superintend-
I emit Of bridges and building of the Iowa
division, Council Bluffs; Superintend-
,ent Peck, of the interlocking plants OF
the Northwestern system; Signal Engi-
neer Peacock, of the Northwestern;
Signal Engineer e. A. Christofferson, OF
the Chicago Great Western; Agent r
B. Garvin, of the Northwestern; Agent
J. A. ELLIS, Of the Great Western, and
General Agent T. i. WATSON. of the
Iowa Central.
The Northwestern officials arrived IN
the city special from Clinton, being on
a trip of inspection over the division.
The new interlocking plant VIII
greatly facilitate the entrance traffic al
the Third street crossing, which has
been considered dangerous one FOL
years. In recent years several bad ac-
cidents have occurred, all of which
however resulted Fortunately as far as
loss of life or personal injury are con-
cerned. Property damage. however, has
been great enough to put In two OF
three interlocking plants.
The plant is operated from sub
stantial tower, built near Third street
Sixty different tracks Of the three roads
!, IRE controlled by as many different lev
srs, in charge of operators day anc
night. All passenger trains have pref
erence over freight trains, and all mail
trains over passengers. In the event OF
two passenger trains passing over the
crossing the tower will be given the one
first arriving. When one train Is cross
ing the tracks of the other two roads
IL is an impossibility for any other train
to pass. for when the tower is given any
train, the derails for every other track
are thrown. Semiphore signals are al
the moment set against all other trains
go there is but little likelihood of an ac-
cident, unless trains should disregard
signals. In that event they would be-
derailed and could not collide with
trains on other roads, as has been the
case in accidents of years past.
The Northwestern has built the in.
terlocking plant, but the other two
roads pay an equal share of the cost
also third of the cost of maintenance
The Northwestern WO block, at Third
street. has been moved into the inter
{, locking tower and the telegraph opera
tor stationed there. The old crossing
hand gates. that have been in use fol
so many years, We're torn down yester.
cay afternoon after the plant was pu
in operation.