The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-09
First Complete Safety Device
Test Made.
C. & e. 1. Tries Out Automatic
Train Control.
THE RAILROADS OPPOSE THEM
Believe Engineer May Relax
His Vigilance.
other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

The Chicago & Eastern Illinois is
the first railway in the country to
make complete service test of a oe-
vice to prevent accidents nv automat-
fcally bringing trains to a stop in ease
the engineer runs by a danger signal
or II there is q broken rail or other
condition in the block ahead which
should cause a stop. Work has Just
been started on the installation of the
Miller automatic train control system
on the lHlnols division, from Villa
Grove to Salem. a distance of 1917
miles, and on all engines which Will
more.
Equipment Is Complete.
The device was given a test at
Hoopeston, ILL.,, last October, which
proved so satisfactory that the officials
of the road considered it worth
thorough tryout under everyday condi-
llons, 1t consists of a contact shoe
hung from the engine, which runs
along n third rail or ramp" as Ii IS
long, and fastened to the ties at the
entrance to the block or other danger
point. The third rail for the first half
OF its length is a rising incline and for
the second half a descending incline.
The shoe is connected with an cleo
trical controlling device operated IN
connection with the track or signal
circuits, so that if the track ahead is
ali right anu clear Inc SHOE SlmN!X
runs along the third rail. But if thel
is train or broken rail or obstfIiC-
ton in the block a magnet is operated
III the device SO that the incline of
the rail raises the contact shoe and
automatically sets the brakes while
closing the throttle, making it i'm
possible for ehe train to proceed.
Devices Arouse Opposition.
The block signal and tFein control
board of the interstate commerce
commission has Investigated and re-
ported on a large number of automatic
stops and has not yet approved any
one as being perfect. It mas, however,
repeatedly declared that automatic
stops would prevent many accidents
and has urged the roads to exert every
effort to perfect the devices. Thus far
several roads have allowed single tests
to be made but not a complete test
Although automatic stops have been
used successfully in the New York
subway and on other electric roads rot
subjected to steam road conditions,
railroad men generally have opposed
them, both because no device has bren
proved entirely reliable and because
they are opposed to automatic devices
which may be inclined to cause the en-
nave also argued that while such
devices work automatically they can
not be maintained automatically and
therefore the human element viii
creep III III tue pOSSlOillty OF el4oN ms
the apparatus to get out of order, just
as signal apparatus sometimes fails to
work. Moreover, automatic stops are
designed mainly to prevent collisions,
which cause only a small part of this
fatalities on railroads.
AS being the first test under service
conditions, that on the Chicago q
Eastern Illinois therefore viii be closs-
ly watched by railroad men as well as
by the government officials who have
urged the adoption of auto
matte stops.