El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-06
Automatic Train Stops Fail
Many Are Invented, but When Tried,
They Do Not Do Work Needed
TO Prevent Wrecks.
reGerir J. Haatz1Ts--
By rederie J. HnakiH-


miles of new track on il. He then
bought two engines. Laying off the
two miles of track into three sections,
with a signal sbGX between each two
sections, he proceeded TO put his system
to the test. He has an arrangement
whereby he can not only stop a train.
but which permits him to choose be-
tween the trains which he will permit
to enter a block at either end By 4
system of electric wiring and system
o. third rails, he can communicate from
the signal tower to the engine cab, and
there tell the engineer both by visual
and audible signals whether or not he
can proceed. There are two sets of
whistles and a light in the cab. If
the train is to stop and the engineer
fails to stop 1t, there IS a chorus OF
two shriu whistles and a red light in
his cab, if he still fails, an automatic
stop releases the air and sets the
brakes on his train A recording ap-
paratus makes record of his failure
to comply with the signals
One of the automatic stop devices
brought out in the United States con-
sists of roadside device located al
the right of the track in the direction
of traffic, which engages a lever at
tached to the pilot beam of the locomo-
tive when train is to be stopped 1t
consists of two flexible blades attached
to a vertical shaft, which IS free to
rotate. 4 pull of five pounds at the
end of these blades is necessary to
turn the shaft a quarter of turn me
lever on the engine OPENS the valves
of the air brakes and stops the train
Whenever the signals by the roadside
are not set to indicate a clear track,
the contact arm at the roadside must
always stand in position to stop the
train. The only condition under which
il can permit a train TO pass is when
the signals are thus set As it is Sc
curely linked with the block signals,
the engineer cannot, under any circum-
stances, run past danger signal.
American Roads Make Experiments.
A number of American railroads have
been experimenting with this and
other types of automatic train stops,
and these experiments are gradually
bringing about one Improvement after
another. None of them has been so
perfected as TO lead to its adoption by
any railroad. but it IS expected that
several railroads viii, in the not dis
tant future, try some of them out un-
der actual operating conditions Inc
New Haven has offered very large
prize for a really practicable system:
A number of these systems, when Irleu
out on short stretches of road, have
failed to give the results theoretically
promised and there have been some
wrecks where they have been used
Efforts are being made by some IN
ventors to perfect another device which
may do much toward overcoming
wrecks. It is a speed regulator and
indicator. With the indicator, record
of the speed of every train is traced
across sheets of paper by recording
pen This sheet will give an invalua-
Bile record of the speed of a train
throughout the entire distance of its
run The sheet being arranged to
scale. the division superintendent can
tell at a glance the speed made over
every piece of track on the road The
speed regulator it is proposed, will
consist of an instrument attached to
the axle of one of the driving wheels
and will operate in such a way that
when it shows more than a specified
h.nr- f0f ROY -rN
will act on the air valves and stop
the train.
Tomorrow-The Southern CONNER
cial Congress.