Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-04
new DEVICE FOR SIGNALING
INNOVATION IN THE WAY OF
RAIL SAFEGUARDS.
Electric Apparatus Installed at the
North End of the Capitol
Hill Tunnel.

CioSeiy resembling Chinese puzzle
| in exterior appearance. but working with
| the ease and sureness possible only to
electricity, the new signaling device in
| stalled in the Union station at the north
1 end of the Capitol Hill tunnel is an in
| novation in the way of railway safeguards
| In Washington. Railway men, always
| speak of any building in which signal ap-
paratus is operated as a tower" and 1t Is
very likely signal station even two or
three stories underground, in the deepest
| of endorsements, would be tower So
| this little building, located just at the
foot of the stairs. on the lower level at
| the Union station, where the trains to
and from the south depart and arrive, is
| a tower" even though it stands only a
| foot or two above the tracks.
Within the tower are the usual number
of telegraph keys invariably associated
with the railroad signal towers, but there
are none Of the unwieldly levers to swing
to and fro for the changing of the target
signals and the swinging of switches In
stead there is a row of twenty-nine tiny
levers, each less than twelve inches in
length, ranged along the side of a glass
covered box-like structure. The twenty
nine are arranged in pairs Gas nearly as
twenty-nine of anything can be arranged
IN PAIRS. one set controlling the signal
lights at various points in the tunnel
under Capitol Hill and the other set the
switches. OF themselves the levers and
their electrical connections do not furnish
the power for switch and signal operation,
but they do swing the valves in COM
pressed air tanks, and the air pressure, in
turn, pushes or pulls the targets and
switches into place.
Illuminated Track Model.
But most novel of all the train-pro-
tecting devices in the tunnel where the
disastrous wreck occurred few days
after the railroads from the south began
running to and from the Union station
is the Illuminated track model in the
little tower. This model is duplicate.
In miniature, of the branching tracks at
the terminal. and it's lines run together
just as do the switches, as all of the
tracks on the lower level of the station
converge into the two lines, one north
bound and the other southbound, which
run through the tunnel proper. IIlumina-
ton for the TRACK model is furnished by
number of little incandescent electric
globes. and the circuits for each group of
lights are completed by connection with
succeeding sections of tracks. Hence,
when train enters any section it au-
tomatically breaks the circuit and the
lights go out, SO that the progress of a
train through the bore is indicated by
gradually creeping shadow on the model
And it is an iron-bound rule of the ter
minal company that only one train. eth
northbound or southbound. shall be per-
mitted in the tunnel at one time. The
Union station office controls the
switches and signals as far south as Vir-
ginia avenue. and no train may proceed
in either direction until the Illuminated
track model, corroborated by telegraph
advice from the operator at the Virginia
arenue tower, indicates that both tracks
are clear to the latter point.
But a Partial Illustration.
While the tower and track model in the
little office at the Union station is an inte-
grail part of the signaling system by
which the movement of trcins in and out
of the terminal is regulated land it is the
only office now in full operation), it offers
only partial illustration of the marvels
of electrical switch and signal operation,
which will be given in full when the new
tower at X street is completely equipped.
In the latter will be another Illuminated
track model showing an of the veritable
tangle of switches and tracks leading
from the terminal, and the interlocking
switch device and signal box will contain
a total of 100 levers. When in actual
operation one operator may LAY out
route across the yard. and the throwing
of the levers will automatically set the
signals so that no other train may pro-
coed until the way is again made clear
Similarly a double row of miniature tar
gets will swing up and down as trains
approach and leave the station.
Another Time Saver.
Another electric time saver will be a
clock-like dial. upon which the operator
at the New York avenue tower by merely
pressing button. may indicate whether
an approaching train is B. and o. local.
B. and o. express. a Pennsylvania local
or express and the operators at X street
can thus have the tracks and switches
clear SO that the train may run into it's
appointed shed. BY still another device
the conductor of any train will be able TO
indicate to the tower men when he is
ready to leave. and the latter, in turn,
can flash an electric lamp alongside the
stand of the gateman in the station.
AS the latter swings the gate shut. light
is shown in the tower. and the switches
and signals are swung and the engineer
given permission to proceed.
With the exception only of the station
in st. Louis. the electrical equipment in
process of installation at the Union sta
ton is the largest in the country, and
1t has the advantage over ST. Louis In
point of modernty. In the Missouri city
the electrical signals depend upon cables
which run alongside the tracks while in
the Union station apparatus the tracks
themselves are made into electrical con-
ductors.