The Washington herald., 1910-03-16
NEW SIGNAL WORKS WONDERS
Test of the Wharton System of
Train Control Begins.
Electric Current Warns Engineer,
Sets signals, Stops Train, Re-
cords Time, and Keeps Log.

With the beginning Of the installation
yesterday noon a six-niile stretch of track
OF the Pittsburg. Buffalo and Rochester
Railroad. OF the new Warthen automatic
block system OF train signaling. two Wash
ington inventors believe the first step has
been taken toward an entire revolution
In the methods OF signaling on American
railroads and the entire elimination Of
collisions.
The enterprise is strictly washington
affair. not only the inventors, but every
member of the company backing them
being prominent in the affairs of this city
The system is the result OF nine years of
work on the part of K. J. Warthen and
Dr. Walter Reiss. the latter having at
one time been a practicing dentist In F
street. Associated with them In the War
then Automatic Signal Company are VIII
lam G.. Carter, OF Golden & Co; G. Tay-
Tor Wade. and many other Washington
business men
The operation Of the Warthen system
viii do away with the signal tower. and
instead OF requiring signalmen II is alb
solutely automatic. not alone in usually
advising the engineer the moment there
| is an obstruction two blocks ahead or
TO the rear. but at the same instant
setting the brakes of the train and
bringing it to a standstill without action
on the part OF any human agency.
Furthermore. as long as the obstrue-
ton remains the engineer is unable 20
move his train in the direction Of the
obstruction. although he may go in the
opposite direction.
The active agent in the system Is the
constant presence OF a current of cleo
trieity in the rails and apparatus to
show safe or clear indications, and IL is
so constructed that the moment a dan
gerous condition becomes present In a
block of the line the current will be
broken. the signals set. and the brakes
applied TO the endangered trains
Among the causes of accidents that
will be eliminated may be mentioned
misplaced or open switches. operation of
trains in fogs, the side-swiping Of cars
that protrude beyond the foul line on
sidings. broken rails. head or rear end
collisions, burned bridges. wesh-outs,
and all other conditions endangering the
lives of the millions that annually travel
on the roads OF this country
For several weeks past q model has
been In operation in this city. where e
has been studied by the several members
Of the signal board Of the Interstate
Commercs Commission
The inventors left this city Saturday
FOR Rochester, where they yesterday be-
gan work upon the installation Of the
system on one Of the most difficult pieces
Of track in the country, and for that rea-
son specially selected by the train board
for the test.
With three-volt current passing
through the rails, a voltage that is to-
day standard In American signaling, a
magnet In the cab Of the engine is act
uated and the clear signal given. Any
break in the current devitallzes the mag
net. letting drop by gravity an arm that
not only throws on a red light directly
in front of the engineers eyes. but at
the same moment through a valve con-
Meeting with the air pump the brakes
are set and the train comes to a stand
still
Incident to this engine equipment is a
recording dial, similar to that In use on
time clocks. which will register the exact
second an engineer received a danger sig
nal and the exact time ne was blocked out
each time. Another device that is also in
accessible TO the engineer records the
speeds maintained by the train at ali
times throughout the run. both of which
records will be turned in to the superin-
tendent's Office as an unquestioned log of
the entire trip.
It is not the purpose Of the promoters,
IN the event of the system being author
lied as the standard system of the coun-
try, 10 organize a large company for the
exploitation Of the system, but rather TO
sell the rights 10 railroads at a stipulated
rate per mile per engine.