The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-27
Rock Island Substitutes Yellow
Signals for the White.
They Are Considered More Prac.
tical and Much Safer.
These Are the New Trio for
Rock Island Signal Uses.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad World.

At an expenditure of thousands of
dollars, the Rock Island system has
done away with all of the white fixed
signals on its entire system from Chi
cago to the Pacific coast and to the
Gulf. The yellow flag. the yellow light
and all have been substituted for
white.
The officials of this great system
have decided that the white signal is
getting to be ancient railroading and
that in ths yellow, they have a color
that cannot be mistaken in anyway
for a clear track and a clear signal
when signal of this kind is not
shown.
The Rock Island is the first road in
the western country and one of the
first roads in the United States TO
adopt this yellow VS.. white color signal
idea. 1t is an addition to the signal
work in modern railroading and an adj
dition that carries with it all of the
safety and logic of up-to-date railroad
ing.
In the Topeka yards the switch sig
mails have all been changed. Where they
We're once green and white they are
now yellow and greenland one of the
brightest of all bright yellows. The
semaphOreS are all changed and the
lamps on top of the switch stands in
the block signal systems have been
the new book of rules.
Many railroads have had disastrous
wrecks and accidents because of the
white signals now in almost general
Island and few other lines. In times
oH severe storms, mischievious boys,
vandal~. ETC., the glass over the inside
light, which gave a clear board to en-
gineers, has been broken. This did not
endanger the trains, the crews and pas
HIT
broken there are as maryland per-
haps more-red lights.
To break a red light means that the
danger signal to oncoming trains is
useless. When the red glass is broken
out Of a signal lamp, the light shows
white and an engineer will run his
train into an open switch, or a wash
out, Or head-on into an approaching
train. With the new yellow light sys-
tenn adopted by the Rock Island. there
is positively no chance of an accident
of this kind.
When an engineer sees a white light
on the Rock Island it means almost the
same to him as a red light. A white
and that there is liable to be danger
ahead. No engfnemen are allowed to
go past white fixed signal without
investigation.
In the plains of the far west it is not
unusual for a lonely hunter or stroller
to try out his gun on red light that
can be seen far down the track. This
Is considered great sport If a man
does this on the Rock Island he is not
placing the passengers into danger
the white light will show and the book
Of rules explains the rest.
OF course, this new rule applies only
to all fixed signals. Fixed signals are
switch lights, semaphore lights, block
signal lights, interlocking lights, AMI
all such contrivances which make Up
the daily life of a railroader. Accord
ing to the book of rules a fixed signal
is "a signal of fixed location indicating
condition affecting the movement of Il
lrain''-but who cares about the book
Of rules?
To fall back on the book of rules
again-a railroad man loves to quote
the book of rules because he is sup
posed to know it when he talks and
forget it when he works-there are
White-proceed (now Yellow; red
stop: green-proceed with caution. The
lanterns carried by trainnen are still
equipped with the plain white globes
hey will not be changed A lantern, n
tail light, etc, are not supposed to be |
'fixed'-except when the brakeman is |
asleep.
1t is also claimed by railroad Of |
iciaIs that the yellow lights can be |
seen much further than the white. The |
Yellow day signals will not get dirty |
md black as soon as the white.
All of these things combined with the |
general advantage of the yellow over /
he white, makes a railroad better 1
ind safer road to travel.