The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-28
ENGINe
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of signals on some roads. Of falling
only once in million signal move
ments on the side Of danger.
without seeking to minimize the
value of the splendid work and pro-
gress in roadside signaling, 1t should
| however be stated that with the rapid
ly varying distances and changing
| fields of vision and the changing
| conditions which affect the observa-
ton of objects at a distance. espe-
| cially under high speeds. there Is
placed under roadside signaling, with
too great a hazard, sole reliance upon
an inadequate visual method of COM
municating timely warning or infor-
nation to the engineer, at present In
railroad travel.
With such obstructing visual condi-
| tions as fog, smoke and rain beating
against the observation window of the cab
to obscure the roadside signal and when
sight is impossible for the work in hand.
it is infinitely the worst form of protec-
ton. and under such conditions the most
modern type OF roadside signal Is no
more safeguarding means than Ian
with lantern.
A Striking Contrast.
On the other hand, how safe and COM
Portable it would seem to the traveller
to know that with the employment OF
cab signal and its radiant presence, I'M
der danger conditions, the engineer of
the train is unerringly advised, as he
rushes through night or fog or storm OF
the remote or imminent presence Of
train or other danger ahead. and that
whenever. the human agency may posi-
bly, fail from any cause, the mechanical
agency, the automatic train stop. will
be sure not only to denote danger. but
to appropriately act.
Thus safety in railway travel demands
that the ideal system should consist OF
something more than means to indicate
to the eye of the locomotive engineer (by
bridging the distance between the road
side post and the cab) the presence or
approach to danger with the expectation
that he will appropriately act in view of
the indication given him: it should also
embrace mechanical means for certainly
inaugurating the doing Of the thing
necessary to be done wholly independent
of the engineer. so that in case he should
fail to note or should neglect to obey
such indications the desired thing, the
stoppage of the train, should be accom-
plished
A striking contrast in protective
service is shown in the central Qocomo-
tive) cut on this page, in which the wake
of smoke from the arrested train ahead
by obscuring the home (roadside) signal
has created condition Of danger against
itself. while the following locomotive Is
shown at q point where 1t protects itself
by the display of q blaze of full light in
the cab and the timely action Of the au
tomato train stop.
The instant the locomotive pokes its
nose into a zone Of danger "a distance Of
$500 feet before reaching an occupied
block as shown in the cut) the air will
hiss from a relief valve held closed nor
mally by an electro-magnet and the sig
nal lamps in the cab. which normally
burn at low incandesence. will flash to
full illumination in the face Of the en-
gineer.
The cut just referred to also practically
shows the anatomy of this simple and
inexpensive Buell. system, because there
is in view substantially all the equip
ment that Is required both on the track
and the locomotive
In the upper right hand cut Is shown
handsomely equipped solid vestibule
train known as the Royal Palm" that
runs between Chicago. ILL.,, and Jackson
VILE. Fla. THIS train is hauled from Lud-
ow, KY, to Danville. KY, a distance Of
ia miles on the Queen and Crescent
Road by a 113-ton locomotive equipped
with the Buell. cab signal and automatic
stop.
A rigorous test. insuring frequent daily
performance OF this system (producing
signal and control functions on the loco
motiye) wherein the apparatus on the
| locomotive has been under a service
strain for IS miles q day. has shown the
system to possess all the merit tina. has
been claimed for II.
There has never been such an earn.
est and widespread interest In the
question OF safety as In the past
three years. and a great deal has
already been accomplished IN the cam
paign for safety hrst" throughout
| the country,
Now that peoples attention Is TO-
cused on the safety rrst- movement.
thee should be q widespread dispc-
sition to snsrSstically sncsurags the