The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-01-11
ELECTRICAL DEVICE
PROMISES MUCH
THIRD RAIL MAY REvoIuTioNtzE
TRAIN OPERATION ON
RAILROADS.

4 young railroad man 81 New Jersey
has recently placed In practical opera
ton a patent OF his own invention
which seems 10 possess wonderful pos
sibilities and promises I. resulutionlzs
the railroad world. The device il an
electrical signaling affair which will
make headon collisions Impossible mo
chemically and viii permit tine opera
ton of trains directly. without the
use Of semaphares or train orders
Telcphoning can also be dpn. through
the use of the device and II will be
possible for a passenger in the train
to talk BY phone 10 il person In amy
part OF the United States.
\ light third rail does tn. work 1t
conveys the signals applies the brake
when necessary and acts ~ a teie-
phone wire. The mechanism il all in
the engine and all that can get out Of
order on the track Is the track cir
cult.
The engineer receives his Information
As to the condition Of the track ahead
from green light, which shows In
his cab as long a. the right 1T way
Is clear Directly under IL II an elcc-
troinagnet, which derives its mag
netjc powers from a ~fiunt- wound dyn~
aino driven by steam pressure from
the engine. When II has its fns en-
ergy 1t is sufficiently powerful 10 hold
up a heavy iron arm. which, wher, In
contact with the magnet does mi az
feet the airbrake valve
II anything happens 10 tn. current
50 that the magnet loses its power. the
heavy iron arm falls opening the valve
and setting every brake in the train.
And. as the air escapes. it passes
through a whistle. which IL blows In
warning. As the current also supplies
the light. ii goes out simultaneously
with the dropping Of the arm.
In the same circuit with the light
and the magnet is il shoe If steel
brushes, made to scrape the third rail
and communicate an electric current
10 its surface. As long ~ the third
rail Is in closed track circuit not
broken by the presence OF another
train. the current which il local 10 the
engine flows out through the third
rail, making complete circuit of the
track wires and returning through the
wheels and body Of tn. engine.
II there is another train an the
the engine circuit i a'4ruptIp broken
py the same opening In the track cir
cult the magnet loses is power. the
arm drops. the brakes ar. set. ANA
the train stops
fIhe who'll. mechanism sarN i,a xi.n,,r
system in the engine ~ 80 constructed
as 10 respond promptly 10 The in
dieations II receives franl The third
M Ia
~ necessary to have the track circuit
Closed II The track Is 81 ar aud open
II IL Is occupied
~ ao4hs TINS - principles ri ll.e
ordinary automatic block system ar,,
appiied The wiring Is different. in
"fuef 10 bring the third rail into the
Track circuit. but there j. no essential
shinse. For this. as for all automatic
systems. the track Is divided into
blocks or sections, each of which is en-
hFeas separated from the rest for
signaling purposes
- soon a. the train strikes a block
Mhsre the track current has been
shor1-eircnited BY the presence Of Il
tram or by other trouble the current
cannot make a complete run through
INC track circuit on account of the
'pahsiis IA AnF relay caused bS the
iaek OF power in the magnet
Each block IL connected with lii.
Inird rail sections NJ both ends af the
hiock. SO that trains can never an
nroaeh each other nearer than ths
length of the block plus the lengths
of the two third rail sections.
IN practical experiment IND en- /
slnes racing toward each other with
the throttles wide open and the en-
Siheefs leaning from tn. cab windows
We're stopped al the ends Of block
which they both approached from on
pnsite sides As soon rs each struek
the third rail section, the alrbrakas
We're sci and both engines were
brought 10 a standst.ll within II few
hundred feet. although the engines
were still putting away with the
fhrntfles Mil. open.
me possibilities ~ this invention
are great and the time may rn,,,
"nen all train operation Is done. In this
way and train orders and signals are
abolished.