The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-06
Block Signal Comparisons on
Western Railway Systems.
Rock Island Exceeds in Mileage
All Others.
TOPEKA PROTECTED.
SemaphOres Guard Every Exit
From Kansas Capital.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

5 This last year has been the great
est year in the history of the railroads
os the United States in the installation
o. the block signal system and the
many different provisions for the safety
and the comfort of the travelling pub
lie
The greatest advance along these
lines has been taken in the west by
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
railway. The Rock Island during the
last year has installed almost 1000
miles Of block signals since tine last
report, making their heaviest traffic
protected by the use of the automatic
safety signal devices. For instance the
Rock Island has made many thousands
of dollars worth of signal improvements
around Topeka when the new system
was recently inst allied between this city
and Harrington. distance of S3 miles.
The Santa Fe. the Union Pacific and
the Rock Island have all made big i'm
provements along these lines. The
roads running in and out of Topeka
have their lines protected in all direc-
tons. The Rock Island is protected
both east and west with the block sig
mails. The Union Pacific has excellent
service on tie east and during the
coming year new system will be in
stalled between THIS city ana sauna.
Facts About Topeka Lines.
In comparing the three big Topeka
roads the following facts have been
found
The Rock Island operates 1871 miles
OF passenger lines. Twenty per cent
of this immense mileage is under the
operation of block signals. total of
1888 miles are block signaled The
Rock Island is especially strong on au
tomato block signals. On the single
lines over the system there are 406 miles
of automatic signals and go miles on
the two or more track lines. This
gives a total of CSC miles under the
matte class the Rock Island has 912
miles. All of these are on the single
track lines.
The Santa Fe operates S,3O7 miles of
passenger lines. On all this stretch of
track the Santa Fe protects its trav-
cling public and its equipment with
1861 miles of block signals. The Santa
F'e is not as heavy on the automatic
signals as the nonautomatlc. In the
former class they operate 123 miles GO
miles on the single track and so miles
on the double tracks However. the
Santa F'e makes I'D its totals with the
lion automatic sets: there being 1.4SS1
miles Of these on the system. The sin
gle lines have 985 miles of blocks and
the double 453 miles.
The Union Pacific is the strongest on
automatic systems. This road has L.
31S miles of the automatic on its lines
and only IL miles of the nonautomatic.
On the single lines there are S57 miles
or the automatic in operation and 461
miles on the double tracks. All of the
mileage on the nonautomatic blocks is
included in the single trackage. The
Union Pacific proper operates 3,416
miles If passenger lines.
BY these figures it would show that
of the automatic signals the Union
Pacific has them all set in the back
ground. They have 1.S1S miles of the
automatic against the 6Se miles of the
Rock Island and the 123 miles of the
Santa Fe. The Santa Fe is especially
strong on the nonautomatic operations
With the exception of few miles in
and near Chicago, all of the mileage
of the Rock Island is equipped with
fhree-pos1tion upper quadrantsema-
phores. Between Topeka and Herring
ton the lower quadrant is in use All
OF the blocks are worked by electric
motors on normal clear circuits and
each indicates the position of the sig
nal in advance.
The block signal systems are the
greatest Improvement in railroad oper-
alton today. The trains are able to
get over the road making faster time.
The loss of life is greatly reduced
during the last year the Rock Island.
Union Pacific and Santa Fe did not
kill passenger. The companies spend
millions of dollars in the construction
of these improvements but they figure
that the investment Is well directed