New-York tribune., 1906-09-23
DOES CONTROL TRAINS
automatic System Devised IN Eng
land Is Successful.
rFrom The Tribune Bureau !

Washington. Sept. 22-In these DAYS of ter
rible railroad disasters many Of them appar-
emily attributable only to mental alteration on
the part Of the engineer. information concern
ing system OF automatic train control which
has been proved practical in England is espe-
cially pertinent. Describing this system United
States Consul Griffith Of Liverpool says:
For about two years a system OF automatic
train control has been in use a portion OF
the lines OF the North Stanordshire Railway
Company. The officials Of the company were
so pleased with the efficiency of the system
that they determined recently 10 test Il in a
larger way by placing il IN service at one OF
their most important junction points where the
traffic is unusually heavy. Representatives OF
several Of the leading railways in England were
present at this test. and expressed great salts
Iactlon WIN the result. Whenever II is pru-
dent on account OF dangerous curve, such as
caused the recent disaster at Salisbury or for
any other reason, to permanently reduce the
speed Of trains. II is claimed that this can be
automatically accomplished so that the safety
Of passengers will not be jeopardized by care
less or reckless engineers. The following de-
scrlpton OF the invention was published In
The Liverpool Post and Mercury:
The system. OF which Thomas E RAYMOND
Philips: OF Liverpool. is the inventor. is re-
markable for its ingenuity and simplicity It's
most commencing merit is rs reliability For
long u'ne system Of signalling has been almost
universally in use which repeats in the signal
ih caDih INC condition OF the signals which
controlled from that cabin. So many signals
are not visible from the cabins from which thew
are operated that the value Of this safeguard IS
quite obvious. The Raymond Phillips invention
carries this principle a further stage. and
achieves an even more notable and important
precauuOn by repeating the state Of the signals
not ohiE IN the signal box. but also in the cab
OF tile locomotive and so insures that the driver
snail at all times have a clear view Of the con.
dlton OF the signals governing the road over
which his engine is 10 run This is ACCOMPLISHED
by means OF pneumatically operated miniature
semaphores fitted up in the cab Of the locomo-
tive. Opposite each line signal a set of trip
fn unit cot, v.F~,
The trppers are mechanically and electrically
connected with the ordinary signalling an
paratus and stand erect or lie fat according as
the signals show danger or line clear Be
meath the locomotive there are two striking
levers moving either way which project such n
distance as TO meet the trippers when they are
erect and 10 pass over them altogether when
they lowered. When danger is signallad
therefore. the striking lever is thrown back by
the outstanding trtppers. with the instant effect
that the seInaphores in the cab Of the engine
faithfully reproduce the signal and the levers
after striking the trippers. remain securely
locked until released by the driver But that ia
not all Should the driver for any reason dis
regard the signal his train Is automat ticalIv
pulled up quite independently Of his own opera-
tons and simultaneously a warning note is
sounded by a horn on the locomotive so that
ne is warned Of his position both by visual and
audible signals. AT the same moment the signal
man is warned Of the trregularity by means Of a
special repeater fitted in the signal box and an
alarm bell Is set going and continues ringing
until he Acknowledges II by pressing a punger
in the repeater.
In actual operation all this is very much
simpler than perhaps appears from the descrip-
ton So easily and with such prompt response
does every part OF the apparatus work that the
probability of any portion Of II being thrown out
OF gear Is 20 say the least OF It, exceedingly re-
mote But in the event or such a contingency
occurring either from accidental breakage or
deliberate tampeTing the mishap can scarcely
be attended with any element Of danger. Com
plete proyision is made for contretemps OF that
sort The Immediate effect Of the failure OF any
part OF the apparatus 10 fulhl It's appointed task
would be that both the driver anG signalman
accident occurred would be blocked. II the
tripper mechanism for instance, were 70 be put
out ~ sction the signalmau would be given in
stapt ,,.arnina "a ASK would fall on the repeater
In front OF him disclosing the words out OF
order ana al the same time an alarm bell would
ring Moreover n any breakage should take
place IFS re.tincation would be matter OF very
little time and very little trouble. as al parts