Evening star., 1922-11-23
CONTROL DEVICES
PLACED ON TRAINS
Railroads Comply With Order
Delivered by !s@A.
Last June. :,

Railroads of the nation are now
installing or preparing to install au-A
tonlaeie-train-controf devices, under a
decision of the Interstate Commerce
Commission. rendered June Is. which
required that fortyxnine railroads
must complete installation of such
devices by January l, 1895. The de-
cision was handed down by the COM
mission after. lengthy hearings on
train-control devices and after all
parties had been given hearings.
About 5.5s7 persons were killed in
railroad accidents last year. Most Of
grade crossings. The proportion. al
though small. killed in purely rail-
road accidents, 1t is claimed, could be
reduced materially if automatic train
control devices were in general use
on United States railroads.
So far in 1922 there have been but
two major railroad accidents which
might be compared with catastropes
of other years. such as the New York
Central wreck near Porter. Ind. last
year, when thirty-seven met death.
The worst accident this year was the
collision a Sulphur Springs, Mo. of
two passenger trains. August 5, when
thirty-four person were killed. Seven
were killed in an accident at Winslow
Junction, N. j., July 3.
Accidents Preventable.
Both these accidents, purely train
service accidents. could have been
prevented had the roads installed
some kind of train control devices,
the Interstate Commerce Commits
its findings in both cases. In several
other minor train wrecks this year
the commission has made similar find
ings. the latest being report just
issued on an accident which occurred
at Sidney, N. Y, October 18, resulting
in the death of an employe.
This accident again calls attention
to the necessity for automatic train
contre3 the commission pointed out.
For some unknown. reason the engi-
neer failed to, apply the airbrakes
until his train virtually had reached
the home signal. Had an adequate
train control system been in use," the
commission said. this accident would
not have occurred"
In this way the commission is
backing up its order Of last June re-
quiring railroads to install automatic
train control devices. Ii the evidence
Of the cause OF the accident so indi-
Gates, the commissions investigators
are not backward in so reporting and
the commission itself is not backward
III stating pidluIy tndC an automatic
train control would have averted the
accident.
Specifications Laid Down.
The commission has not specified
that the roads shall adopt a certain
kind of automatic control. but has
laid down specifications which a train
control must meet before installation
on the forty-nine respondent roads,
Automatic block signals have filled
a great need in railroading. it is
agreed by all experts. but the human
factor cannot be made absolutely in
fallible. and for this reason the au-
tomato train control remedy is need
ed. From January l, 1911, to March
81, 1922. the commission investigated
eighty collisions which occurred on
automatic block signal lines, due di-
rectly or indirectly to failure of en-
ginemen to observe or be governed
by signal Indications.
These accidents, the. commission re-
ported, caused the death Of 416 per-
sons and injury to 1887. 1.-THE con-
clusion is inevitable" the commission
states, that disastrous collisions will
continue to occur unless and until
automatic train control devices are
installed to protect against human
failure" .-.' .-,