The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-11-18
STOP! LOOK! LISTEN!
A TALK WITH THE SIGNALMAN

How about the single track?' The
automatic arrangement is the same. only
there Is signal at each end
isn't 1t a possible thing for a train
to enter single track at one end on
the same instant another enters at the
opposite end? What them
"Yes-but we have that taken care Of.
on double track, a train through the
signal talks only to the train behind.
On the single track 1t not only talks
back, but also to one which may be COM
ing from the opposite direction, This Is
done by the current overlapping from
one block to the next Before the en-
trance to a Single-tract block Is reached
the train sets a stop signal at the far
end OF the block 1t is about to enter.
And as it enters the block it also sets
the entrance signal TO stop, just as Is
done on double-track."
How does an engineer know before he
sees the home arm what 1t will signalg'
we put up another signal from half
mile to mile from the entrance to a
block-in the direction from which the
train approaches 1t is called Distant
The one at the entrance is called the
Home signal. The distant indicates the
position of home signal see?"
us the distant distinguished from the
home signal. to aid the engineer"
Yes, the Distant is painted yellow
with black bar. and has a forked end !:
the Home red, with white bar and
square end
You said a while ago the stop signal
IS displayed only when something occurs.
Anything but trains occur
Now you touch the most important
feature of the outfit. and the principal
reason why the arm is made so that
when left to itself it will stay firmly
at stop. AS 1t is constructed Ii cannot
show anything but stop, unless the entire
combination of rails, wire. current, mag
net etc, are working perfectly. If a
wire parts, rail breaks. battery falls,
a switch point opens the slightest, then
the combination fails. the arm is released
and resumes horizontal position. The en-
glneer knows you see, when signal says
stop; there may be a train, an open
switch, break in the track or in the
signaling apparatus
what is done at night when the
semaphore arm cannot be SEEM"
Lights of several Colors are used on
these same posts, These are seen through
spectaCles in the butt or weighted end
scured, according to the signal
why the name speCtacle?'
That's what it is The light is white
or ordinary flame color supplied by an
eiEht-day lamp. II will burn eight days
without replenishing, although all lamps
are refled every four or five days. when
the home signal Is in stop position, the
engineer sees the flame through a red
glass. That's stop, and IT ia used only
in the home signals IL distant signal
IS at caution he sees through yellow
glass. Yellow Is used only in the distant
signal 1t tells the engineer it Is the
distant. and to be prepared to stop at
the home signal He may see through
green glass. That means proceed, and
Is used I'm both home and distant signal"
what does a white light mean?'
well. ii is so easy TO have we don't
dare use II. AS a white light on soma
phore can be displayed by breaking spec
tace glasses, you can understand why
il is impossible in our scheme"
How about places where two or more
lines cross at grader"
The general principle movements OF
arm by day, and colors of light at night,
are the same, but being greatly compli-
Gated all signals are controlled by levers
operated by men from a central station.
The crossing and contiguous tracks are
governed by the InterloCking system
"Wheu in perfect order and unoccu-
pied ii displays stop to every track ap-
preaching the crossing. The block you