New Britain herald., 1925-08-17
MECHANISM ID END
 RAILROAD CRASHES
Automatic System Between Springfield and New Haven

field, which has been tested for more than six months on tracks between Berlin and Cedar Hill. New Haven, is announced by the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad. The system was given a thorough tryout between Berlin and Cedar Hill and many Improvements were made on the original equipment, 1t Is expect ed that the mechanism will prevent rear-end collisions. The installation was made under the supervision Of (. II. Morrison, signal engineer.
 system of Two Phases
 The system installed consists of two branches or phases known as the wayside equipment and engine equip ment. The wayside equipment is that part of the apparatus along the road and In connection with the existing signal system, which provides for the control of the electric current to the rails. The engine equipment consists of an electrical and pneumatic com- bination so arranged that the pres ence of electrical energy prevents the application Of the brakes, and any interruption to the electrica energy would cause an application of the brakes. The connection of the Wayside and locomotive equipment is through the medium of induction. By this means electrical energy In the rails creates energy In the loco- ! motive which prevents the applica- ton of the brakes, and the absence of energy in the rails, therefore, would result In the absence of en- ergy in the locomotive and automa- tic application of brakes.
 The application of the automatic train stop system to the existing equipment is for the purpose of making 1t impossible for accidents to occur by train collision, either resulting from misinterpretation of the signals by the engineman, or disregard Of the signals or any other form of human failure, or from the failure of the signal ap- paratus itself. The presence of a train on a track section, the open ing of switch, or the improper dis play of scmaphore signal will stop an approaching train on the track Involved, unless the engneman, aft CT having received the danger signal in the cab, forestals the application Of the brakes. which he can do If alert and takes necessary action at the proper moment
 Three Lights In Cab
 In the engineers cabin there is an indicator. The indication is given by the use of three different colored lights. the significance of which Is as follows: A white light is displayed when an engine Is operated over a track which is not equipped for train stop operation. A green light indicates clear signal and clear track ahead, and a red light indi- cates stop signal of an obstructed track ahead. This cab indicator therefore, provides advance informa- ton of what the engineer may ex- pect to find for one block ahead, and as it is Controled through the track by the signal system it may be considered that the information thus given to the engineer is as trustworthy as similar information displayed by the wayside signal it. self.
 Tho wayside equipment is super imposed upon the existing signal sys- tenn and the sections of track gov erning the train control apparatus on the engine are synonymous with the sections of track making up the automatic blocks of the block signal system. The distinction, however, between the two systems is main- tained by the difference in the fre- quenCy of the two currents used; that is, a GO-cycle current is used for the WaySide signal operation while I40-CyCle current Is used for the train control operation, the en- zine equipment being tuned to re- Ceive the l40-Cycle current but not the 60-cyCle current. The tuning apparatus is somewhat similar to radio receiving equipment. The , train control current Is governed by , the position of the signals and also : the position of the switches, as well , as the presence Of train on the , track ahead, and, therefore, tndi- } cates in advance 10 a locomotive engineman If the train approaches an obstruction.
 Its Principal Advantages. , The principal advantages accruins , from the installation of train stoI
 systems are:
 Tn the event of man failure, 5n@ G if the enginoman through sickness G injury, death. or negligence, fails tt
 obey the vayside signals, the trail o stop device will bring the train satel,
 to a. stop before reaching the stol signal or an occupied block, and 1
 provides a continuous indication II
 the cab Of conditions ahead. this in dication being given the entir
 
 at predetermined locations of tr
 Uavside signals. This has an eco
 homie advantage in that signal c obstruction some distance in adyanc ' may clear while the train Is oper " ating under the caution indication
 with the result that the cab indica
 tor will change from red to gree
 and the engineman is in a position {
 take advantage of this advance in - formation.
 " The New York Central. railroa has asked the Interstate Commerc commission 10 relieve its euhsidiarie ' the Boston (, Albany and the Pitts hurgh X Lake Erie railroad, froT '' complying with the commissions ol '' der relative 10 the Installation of al U tcma'ic train control devices unt ,9 the result of the operation of sue '' devices on eight other divisions (