Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-08-08
DEVICE PREVENTS
CROSSING DEATHS
MONTANA RANCHER INvENTS
"FOOL-PROOF'' DEVICE TO PRE-
VENT CROSSING CRASHES

"A t0Of-pr00f SAFETY device Tor
railway crossings has been invent
ed by q Montana rancher-and one
that can be installed at a trifiing
cost as compared with the under
passes and Overpasses that are
now required TO prevent crashes
between autos and locomotives. The
invention is q recent one. The pat
ent--NO. S4370-was received a few
days ago. The device can be in
stalled at cost of approximately
$1,000; it costs from $4,000 to
100000 to built under and over
passes at highway railway cross
ings.
The inventor of the crossing safety
device is Fred K. Gillian Of Wisdem
He is an old-time railway man-sWitch-
man, brakeman and conductor on the
Northern Pacific out Of Livingston for
years, who finally turned his atten-
ton to farming. His own railway ex-
periences with autos were not so deadly
as to arouse his horror at the grade
crossing slaughter that annually crops
up In the press reportS-for the rea-
son that autos we're not so common in
his railroading days; but he has seen,
heard about and read Of death after
death since he became a farmer-un-
til he felt moved to apply himself to
the working out of a solution that
would be within the means of counties
with small incomes. And he hit upon
the following plans:
At each crossing build a traffic lane
with gate that closes automatically
on the principle of the semaphore
when train is approaching the
crossing. But, the critic says, will not
the speeding driver crash the gateP
That is provided for in the following
manner. The gate swings shut at an
angle of about so degrees and to the
right Of 1t there is an opening in one
of the wallS-which eases the driver
into a blind lane with a circular wall
at the end, and far enough fxpm the
gate to give the driver ilrieS ne is
troll Of his machine before he crashes
into the circular barrier wall
Having brought his car under con-
troll the driver may turn In the circular
Space-and drive out into the traffic
lane again to proceed on his way after
the train has Numbered by and the
traffic gate has re-opened.
Suppose an an-beat-that-t train
to the-croSsing" driver dashes into the
traffic lane just as the gate is closing
and rushes across the track? Well, the
gate starts TO close while the train is
far enough away from the crossing for
the reckless gate-crashing driver TO
beat the engine to the crossing. The
reckless driver may batter the gate
slightly and damage his car but his
life win not be forfeited on the rail-
way tracks.
The Gillian safety crossing device
may be described as follows: Build a
wall 600 feet long, five feet high at the
far end and tapering to about 10
inches high at the end nearest the
railway track, In the center Of the
highway, about 200 feet distant from
The railway track. Attach an automatic
gate to this wall-about half way the
ength Of the wall.
To the right of this wall build q
second wall which describes a circle
Or loop at the end. There should pc
TWO openings in this wall, one directly
opposite the gate and the other 200
'eet or more behind the gate opening. |
The space between the two walls is 80
The autoist. driving down this traf-
Iic lane, sees his straight ahead pass
age blocked by the closing of the gate.
With no more effort than would be
required to avoid q hole in the pave
nent he swings into the second pass
age, drives down to the loop or circular
wall, turns his machine, drives back |
ana re-enters the traffic lane through |
he second opening in the dividing
vail.
II have spent about is years spec
Hating on how to overcome traffic
crashes at grade crossings" Mr.. Gillian
stated, land have finally worked out
. plan which has not only met with 1
he approval of the patent office but l
which has gained the endorsement OF
;uch safety experts as John L. Board I
nan, head of the Anaconda company
bureau Of safety, and several others. /
II have submitted my plan to q I
humber Of railway men and to stu
tents Of the safety problem as well as
q several engineers. have had Moth
No but expressions Of approval-as to
Is Efficiency and practibility as well
IS its deslrability from the standpoint
II low cost"