Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-07
BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM.
Augusta, Winthrop & Gardiner Rail-
road Adopts This Safeguard.
Line is Divided Into Sections and
Warning Lights are Burned.

The block signal system is now in
working order along the lines of the
Augusta Winthrop & Gardiner Rail-
road. and it's operation so far isfa COM
plete success. This system Of signals
is in use on the lines of some of the
largest railroads of the country, and is
regarded as the safest ana most certain
ever used.
Signal boxes are placed in the vicin-
ity of every crossing or siding in which
are two incandescent electric lamps,
one red and the other white. These
boxes are a short distance beyond the
crossing and when the car passes over
the latter a button attached to the
trolley wire is touched which lights
white light at the starting point and
also turns in a red light in a box To-
Gated just ahead of the next crossing.
For instance Il box is on Il pole at the
foot of Court street ana another di-
rectly in front of the residence of II.
e. BoWditch, Grove street. When a
car leaves the postotfice siding for
Gardiner as for Winthrop a white light
apDears in the Court street signal box,
indicating that the track is clear to the
State street crossing. While the car
is traversing this distance the white
light burns at this end OF the block and
a red light is displayed in the box
near the Bowditch residence. The red
light is a danger signal, and no car
should attempt to pass along to an
other block while the red light at the
beginning of the block is burning.
Again. when the car for Togus turns
the corner at Bridge street a white
light shows in a box located at the
west end of the bridge and a red light
shows in box at Cony siding, half
way to Togus.
And so it goes throughout the entire
length Of the road.
There is little danger of collisions or
delays under the operation Of this
system unless something should fail
to work. but the fear of the latter
happenings is not very great The
system is We'll and thoroughly built and
there is scarcely a remote possibility Of
any slip-up that would occasion any
serious difficulty. Each car controls
the track of the blocks or sections
until it passes onto the next block, so
that no car may attempt to run in an
opposite direction unless it ignores the
wrong signal.
The block or sections are made up as
follows: From Togus to Cony siding;
Cony siding to West end of Kennebec
bridge: post Office turnout to Grove
street junction: Grove street junction
to car house siding; car house siding to
Maple street siding, Half6w ell; Maple
street siding to Gardiner; Grove street
Junction to Plunkett siding; Plunkett
siding to CobbossCecontee siding, Park
island; CObbOsseecontee siding TO
Maranocook siding, and from Marano-
cook siding to Winthrop.
There are three signal boxes at Grove
etreet junction, one for each of the
branches Of the road which centers
there. The box for the Haliowell- Gar
diner line is located at the corner Of
foWhattan street, While that for the
Winthrop branch is in front of the resi-
denCe of Byron Boyd. The other,
as has bean stated is near the Bowditch
home. The boxes are placed on poles
about 10 feet from the ground in plain
sight of the motorman.