Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-31
Letters to the Editor
Aurees With Editorial

TO the Editor Of the Evening Public Ledocr:
sIr-1 read with interest your editorial
last evening on the short Run Nuisance e.
printed on you- editorial page and which
related to the short runs" Of the sub.
way trains.
I agree with you very much for the simple
reason that II brings home to me the sew
eral experiences I have had by just miss
ing a white light" or through train and
having to wait until after a green light"
or second street train had passed before
another white light arrived. BY the
'white and green lights I mean the in
dIcation markers placed above the frst
car to indicate whether through to South
s,reet or to Second street have noticed
that the green lights indicate Second
,,reet or short run car or train and the
white lights indicate through train.
on several occasions II has been neces-
.arv for me to use the subway to make
connection with the Market street or Chest
nut street ferries. These short runs or
..qreen lights have on many of the trips
,n.t carried me TO either OF these two sta.
ticns in time to miss connections. Miss
Ing a train-boat means missing train and
nad II not been for the short runs" could
have reached Chestnut and Market streets
ferries In time. ,,,
.on,t you start in timer" That is very
GOOD for city dwellers, but when It comes
10 suburbanites and our statesmen workhs
on schedule to get over territory. II 10 q
different proposition. Said persons cannot
ni,yays start ahead OF time on account
of connections to points INTO the city proper.
There are times when l have come IN
on a through train going eastward: arriving
At Eighth street we. as rule, get two
green" eyes: by that ! mean clear sisnais
We proceed toward Fifth street, and by
che time we are ready to leave Fifth street
one OF the short-run trains Is going over the
crossover Mt Second street or the track Is
aet for the crossover, which gives our tram
A yellow eye' tcaut'on siGnaD. when. OF
course means to reduce speed to one-half
This results In losing time. The BLOCK
ahead, OF course. shows absolute stop rig
nals or red above the yellow. This makes
a improper and nonpermissible TO pass uhti
the crossover has again been set to normal
which automatically sets the Signals as"ih
10 green" or clear.
The above loss Of time makes US 'just
too late to make the boat. Consequently
we wait until the next boat or train as INC
case may be. The same applies to trains
ro,ng west. As train approaches the
Second street signals he gets yellow
eve" which as above stated means 'cau-
ton" or reduce speed prepared to stop
This is on account OF a short run trhln
crossing over head. which as In the other
case automatically sets the signals to alb
solute stop until the train has passed out or
the block and the crossover set to nor
NAL.
After It has been set to normal and
the approach BlgnalB nave Deen Ciedreu we
again face a red and yellow eye be-
cause a short run train Is in the block
ahead. with these two things to contend
with Il means a loss Of time which !
have ofen noted while at Second street 60
ing west.
I think that II short run trains had to be
operated why not the crossover just
south OF Chestnut street on the elevated!
This would give all a chance to get to
either OF the ferries and often save lots
OF time which under the present conditions,
In lost by waiting
II Is no doubt a scheme to save current
consumption, but think very little more
current would be consumed In going on
10 Chestnut street than cutting at Second
street It Is true that excess energy Is re-
ouired to climb the ascent from the tube
10 the elevated at Water street; hut on thC
other hand. current Is saved by wcstbound
trains in descending sad "hil." I do not
profess to be an electrical engineer but
that Is Just my views OF the short run.
The above Is from the several experiences
have had in trying to make train-ooats
and trains after "Just about connections
Perhaps I may be wrong. but others have
experienced the same. -
EXPERIENCED.
philadelphia, December "a, 1920.