The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-23
RAILROAD NEWS.
Staff Signalling on Ration Noun
tain Success.
Has Been Tested For the Past
Year.
STATEMENT BY NUDGE
Shows Volume of Business Over
the Mountain.
How the Signals Are Given to
Trains.
STATEMENT BY NUDGE

In the last issue of the Railroad Ga
zette there is an authorized statement
from General Manager II. q. Nudge OF
the Santa F'e concerning the volume Of
business done on the 3 miles of road
on Ration mountain which for a year
has been controlled by the electric staff
system
This section of road is % miles in
length. The grades are very steep. and
in consequence of the large number of
engine movements. they were peculiar
difficulties in handling trains by time
tables and telegrao hic orders. Mr..
Mudge's statement follows:
During the period of 10 days from Oc-
tober 10 to October 10, inclusive, the fol
lowing trains We're handled: East-bound
-Forty-one passenger trains, total 40
cars, average 10 cars per train; 81 freight
trains, total 2,247 loads. 1913 empties, av-
erage PAT loads, ST empties per train;
100 light engines; total, 292 trains. West
Forty-seven passenger trains,
total AS cars. average 81 cars per train;
100 freight trains, total 2,736 loads, Az
enpties, average PA loads, 40 empties
per train: los light engines; total BIZ
trains Average per day, east-bound.
29-Z trains; average per day, west-bound,
BIZ trains: total average per day, b0tE
directions, 60.4 trains.
Where light engines are run two or
three coupled together, down the Inou2-
tain, they are counted as one engine.
The staff stations are Trinidad, Jansen,
Starkville, Morley, Gina, Wootton, Lynn,
Hillside and Ration. Between Gina and
Morley the line is double-track: but all OF
the other sections are worked by the
staff. A crane is used to deliver STATS
TO enginemen while running at speed,
and for this purpose the staff is put into
rubber pouch about 10 inches long
@1-,f,r
entrances to the passing tracks at each
station. SO that enginemen may be in
formed. as soon as they come in sight of
a station, what to expect from the staff
operator. The permissive staff, allowing
one train to follow another within the
same block section. is used only by IN
structiOns from the train dispatcher.
When this is used the five-minute time
interval is maintained. As the use of the
pcrmiSSive staff is prohibited for down
grade movements on certain sections,
care has to be taken, when necessary,
to send this staff, with its tickets (by
a train running under the absolute block
movement to the end of the section
where the permissive arrangement is TO
be employed At some of the stations a
dwarf signal, placed at the foot of the
regular home senaaphore, is used as a
calling-on signal, to notify trains to
move forward to the station.
From the best figures obtainable, says
the Gazette, freight trains are saved a
delay of one hour in passing over the %
miles covered by the staff system. We
are unable to note that any saving in
time is made by passenger trains; in fact,
there seems to be a small delay of per-
haps an average of 10 minutes for each
train on account of the positive block
used with the staff system in descend
ing grades. as against a 10 minute time
interval which was used previous to
adopting the staff system
No train orders are delivered to engine
or trainmen- The orders are sent to oper-
ators in the same form and manner that
! they are sent to conductors and enginemsu
ception that the operators copy them in a
! book instead of upon manifold They are
repeated IN accordance with standard rules
and if it is desired to have two trains
meet at certain station the operator
would be instructed in the order to side
track. for instance, train No. 1 until train
No arrived Signals are provided at both
ends OF the passing tracks and the opera
I tor ir1struets the approaching trains
line. expecting to receive staff signal 90 to
come down main line and stop at staff Of
nee, or go to take the siding at the point
where the signal is located.
Each intermediate station is provided
with two staff machines, one for eaStbOuad
and one for WestbOund movement The
machines are provided with one perniSsive
staff and six permissive tablets. Trains
descending q grade are governed by abso-
lutte while trains ascending grade may be
run by perrnissive staff. When the per-
missive staff is used. each train is given
the remaining perm1ssive tablets and staff.
(