The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-28

nal does not properly excuse the fault
of the signal in it's lack OF capacity to
render reliable visualizing service under
all conditions and on account of which
1t so often fails as a safeguarding means.
The remedy so far as the signal itself
is concerned is to place it in COM
manding position, in the cab where 1t
will shine in the face of the engineer.
which location has the superior merit
that in no case can the engineer fail TO
see and understand ~ or run past II De-
cause overlooked. while being under COW
er. II is protected against ice, snow. or
sleet, and IL it consist of light 1t Is
in no danger Of extinguishment.
In other words the remedy so far as
signaling itself is concerned is to pro-
vide a mechanical help that will bridge
the distance between the roadside Signal
post and the cab, where the signal may
be brought into prominence within reli-
able range of the engineers vision
Where the engineer must force himself
to look for an external signal he Is fore
ed to see and to instantly understand the
cab signal.
In the past five years there has come
from all parts of the country. as re-
flected by trenchant editorials from most
of our leading dailies. following each i'm
portant railroad collision, unanimous
demand IOT q GU anu
stop. The automatic stop spirit mas SUR
red nearly every editor.
What is an automatic stop?
To those who are unacquainted with
such a proposed safeguarding means II
should be stated that as present UNDER
stood, an automatic stop is a mechanism
on a locomotive that will determine TOT
itself whether it is safe to enter block
ahead, and that will cause the automatic
application of the brakes on train
equipped, in the event of the block ahead
being in an occupied or unsafe condition.
As in the case Of a river that Is span
ned by a bridge whereby both sides are
brought in touch with each other with
mutual advanta ges. so 1t is with the au-
tomato stop, as 1t serves not only 10
interpose a mechanical check to prevent
a train from running into a prohibited
block but 1t is a bridge that connects the
other two greatest factors in safeguard
ing railway traffic, to wit, the air brake
and the automatic waysde signal. where-
by there is provided protective link
wherein the three safeguarding units
may be united to work together to pro-
mote greater safety.
II reuuires not only an object lesson to
convince most people OF the need of any
great reform but it likewise requires an
object lesson to convice most people OF
the necessity of a particular remedy.
Genesis Of the Automatic Stop.
The eminently successful workings OF
the automatic stop on the express ana
local tracks of the sheltered New YORK
City subway for the past eleven years
affords an object lesson that warrants
the belief that such a system should De
provided that is adapted for high speed
surface roads having a congested traHc.
Let us consider for the moment the ex-
perience had on the subways with the
automatic stop. which lines provide Tor
a density OF traffic greater than can be
found on any steam road. with its small
Roadway of one minute and forty-two
seconds under which schedule trains are
run during the rush hours. condition or
affairs that presents most difhcut
problem of operation.
In a given week this subway system
has carried 6,515,0OO passengers. or this
vast total from 10 per cent to 10 per cent
were rushed over the express tracks at
speed averaging forty-five miles an hour.
under the protection of the automatic
stop.
In all of this time the writer has heard
of only one collision accident which has
occurred in the subway. This certainly
is an unprecedented record in safeguard
ing railway traffic and is one that estab-
fishes the wonderful efficiency OF the au-
tomato stop as a safeguarding means.