The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29


and II for any reason the electric system
breaks down danger is Immediately indi-
Gated.
The a.r-brake system Of the train is so ar
ranged that the electric currents going out
through the rails and back into the locon.o-
tive keep the brakes off the wheels. If for
any reason the circuit is broken. the air.
brakes are Immediately released and stop
the train.
Briefly. summarized. the points claimed
for the system are:
1. It indicates the following dangers on
the track ahead:
(a) A train in block ahead.
OBJ Broken rails.
I'D A train hanging over a. switch on to
the main line,
{e) Flooded rails
90 An open drawbridge.
(g) A misplaced switch.
(h) Approach of trains at railroad cross
ings with other railroad lines:
2 Stops the train automatically.
(a) Gives signal in the cab Of the en-
(b) Shuts off the steam.
tc) Puts on the air-brakes.
Cd Brings the train to a gradual stop
without the aid of human agency.
3. The system tests itself. and any fail
ure Of the electric circuits is indicated by
the danger signal and application OF brakes.
4. Rear-end and head-on collisions are
rendered impossible.
5. 1t is self-sustaining, l. e.. does not de-
pend upon any outside agency or force to
operate II.
s. All OF the battery required to operate
1t Is carried on the engine itself.
Z. Each engine tests the track constantly
for a block ahead. sending the current of
electricity along the rails as an insect puts
forward it's feelers.
s. If the engineer Is incapacitated from
any cause the system does its work just
the same.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
The technical features Of the device
which make it superior to other devices of
fits kind are:
First-That 1t works entirely on closed
circuit. which is always on the side of
safety, because If any circuit fails it imme-
diately gives stop Indication; other de-
vices having been formerly worked on open
circuit. and in case of a failure give a
safety, instead Of danger, or stop, indica-
ton, which Is directly opposite to signal
principles.
Second-It does away with track bat
teries. which will prove a great saving
both in material for battery renewals and
labor for making same.
Third-It has the overlap in rear of the
block. instead of in advance, and warns
the engineer before he enters the block,
while in all the automatic block signaling
or to-day, where the overlap is used, Ii Is
in advance of the block section, and the
engineer receives no indication until he can
actually see the signal at the entrance Of
the block.
Fourth-The fact that the current has to
start from train and travel TO end of block
causing a secondary current to come back
10 the train.
Fffth-The device not only covers all the
above named advantages, but also takes
care OF all advantages claimed by other
automatic signaling systems, /. e., an open
switch. open draw, broken rail or any de-
rangement Of apparatus will instantly
cause the stop indication to be given to
The engineer. not only by visual siSnal
Ok hIrf oil in,
CAB, and VIII apply the brakes and stop
the train.
Sixth-The location of the source of cur
rent on the locomotive makes it posi- ble
10 accomplish much SuTer, and so safer
results than have heretofore been possible
for the use of the comparatively weak
gravity cell commonly used for this pur-
pose on track circuits at present The
larger amount of current available makes
IL possible TO simplify many of the Giro uits
characteristic OF the track circuit so less
ening the chances of failure In this direc-
ton, as well as by making IL possible TO
substitute something more substantial for
the present delicate apparatus used-deli-
cate owing to the small amount of current
usually available for its operation.
Seventh-With the track circuit operated
from the locomotive, only the track circuit
of next block ahead OF train would be
alive or using current, so the number
OF track circuits using current only equals
the number OF trains on the road instead
or. as at present, all track circuits using
current all the time.
1t Is an astonishing fact, but one never
theless true, that OF all the railroad mile
age in the United States So per cent. is
, operated without block signal protection.
and even the usual block signal system now
in use, although great advance over the
old method of running trains by dispatches.
has now been proved to be an insufficient
protection
In the railroad year 1902. according to the
statistics collected by the Interstate-com-
merce Commission. there were no less than
6.oa2 collisions between trains on the rail-
roads OF the United States. resulting in the
death OF 40 passengers and 425 railway en-
ployes. the injuring of 2.29S passengers and
1905 employees, and a property loss of
S.S5.6s3 In the first three months of 1903
there were 1.65O collisions. killing 211 per-
sons, inJuring 1.7S2 persons and causing a
property loss OF 81. 4s6.5lS AS gathered sim
ply from the current newspaper reports.
there were in September. 1903, twenty four
collisions and twelve accidents due to open
switches and drawbridges. In October
there were twenty-seven collisions and
eight switch and drawbridge accidents of
Sufficient Importance to get into print. one
OF the collisions alone resulting I'm sixteen
deaths.
$EED Or AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM
These figures tell their own story OF the
need Of q system which wifi protect auto
matically not only the travelling public. but
railway employees and railway stockholders
themselves Speaking OF the failure of
present systems to provide the necessary
protection. 1.-The Railway and Engineering
Review recently said:
The most perfect signaling appliances in
extensive service American railways to-
day fall just one step short OF accom-
plishing all that IS necessary to put train
operation beyond the fortuity of human
error or forgetfulness. 1t may be said that
automatic block signal meehanisms have
been perfected TO such degree that their
operation Is entirely reliable for It is the
first principle OF operation. and an accom-
plished fact. that the order OF movement
or such devices has been so arranged that
the signal is always found In the danger
position In event OF arrangement or OBJ
struction OF the apparatus by weather con-
difions or accident Of any sort; so that the
shortcomings or failures Of such devices are