AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1910, 19 November 1913, Page 7

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

So limc'l'i attention has, lately been giveii to.devices for.the prevention of railway collis-'ons aiid the ovor-running of .danger signals that it iiiay bo of interest,, remarks tho "Mbniinjg fost,'' to give ■§, _ description of: oho of thS most striking Appliances of tlio kind yet invented.. This is known- as ttia "'Detroit' 1 i'Autouiati.c Train .Control. ..System, : iipd .has been tested with''mbst Siiobpssful .'results on tho Canadian. Pacific' ■Railway.. It cp.mbin.e.s .s.b 'inany fbiituros that its adpptibn should ct.ini'iri* ate a very large proportion of accideht'd caused by a liiinibbr bf widely' varyi'ttg bon-ditioiis.

Before describing; 'ho* tho appariikii vifo.rks, it's function's! may bij. referred to. An ap.pli.aiicS in. the locomotive; ■ ir qtib" informs the, dfivorbf tho position, of tho signals-, fiiying both a visual .and an 'audible indicatioti, and also bmbod'yini a noyoi fcaturo in .tho sha-po. bf indicating "caution''' signals. The train'dispatobei'f i; 6,, tho offiGial who ■eoiitrdls tho train ■mpvemcntsj has tbbsb hidioatKjnss repeated t<j Mm, 3114 'when the signal is at Bangor tlio. cngina brakes are automatically applied withoiit tho ktoi'ventiOii of tho driver, while tho ■display of. a qaution signal causes tho train to run at a reduced 'Speed. Puri tlicfmorO) Jiho, system Is of tho socalled "positive I '' typo; if any, part of : the mechanism should got out of ■o'tdo.p tiip signal imniosate.ly''. assume's tho "danger"' position and tho brakes are? applied, \Vji,oiro 'this system is 'installed ths line is divided into block sections of ■frbin IfiQft. to GOOOft. in length, aceordt irijg to traffic con'ditibiisy and the- (customs ar'y. track circuits' iayo ompldyodj sido circuits," consisting of wires %ii parallel With, tho 'track., .arc •-■used" tcr convoy a .high-freq'Uouoy ; onrrent, and a I 'receiving .apparatus' Js'-installcd on the : locomotive. So loii'g as Jho \signals i'iir cl'icate -safety, a current flow is'induced' ■tarn tho triam wayside .circuit,., 'which oiiViseS a gfcdii liglrt to show in tho Joco■/iiioti.yo cab-. ■' As. .Sobn': as- tlio signal ■goc's'to..tlio daiigeV'poßition, thiJ-.curront ecas.es to ilo.W',...:a..rbd'.:',light is '.exliibitcd jin Uie .locflijiotiV6i a, Avhigtlo begins Jo 'liWi and tiio Wakes ,a-r6 siinnltauoously applied;.. Should anothef. train he in this saiiio. blook seetiQ.'n, or the track :oi.fenit lip bfokcii by ■such a canst? as a brokbit rail ■.of Tor ittvy reason, tho train brakes are also a.pplle'l,, as the brakes ..aro so balanced that- tiio,:Cossatirtii: of tlie cloc* ■trio cur.i'bn't causes .tho brake apparatus to drop i by' it's ojvri-' 'weight.■" i'Porhaps' tlio ln'ost ihtbj*s'ting .foatm'o Of tlio whole' -s.ys'Mn i? tho flrfiiiigQnife'nt that .permits trains, to proceed "nndfep •control, s ' The inct.hoi.i is as follows;-— "When tlio train has lipen stopiwd by. the a.ppli'cat'ioit o.f ,-tlicy ljfAl;o.Ss''.a>n.diti6iiG. iiiay be sncii tliit it will .b.6...safo' .to adivaiicb a short distance nt rednic'c'd spped.. To effect this,' tho looomb.ii'vos■ .is :.t>m- ! tided' with t\b, switches, which unlpek thft hjakess 'Tboso .sivitciics., must. :bo. ■ operated ■ sirtiu'ltaiieously., and a fur'tlior .rofiii'oms'nt is ' that they arc so 'placed that tlioy caniibt ' both be ac'tn'afed % pno nva.n f 'tho driver being thus obliged to ha"vo the as.sjs'ti aiico of iho.Jirojjijm pi - soino bthe'r 6ni- : jiloyoo. AyiieU'tho brakes iro -releasod ; by. ).nQans of flip t\yb ■switches,, tlio train may pr : ocpbtl biit it caftiiot moYjs faster ! thart'a predotormincd limit., siich as ■■.?!* ■miles aii hoiiri for' instance., -MtaoWsr, \<:W[(s it is ''liiidor conttb.!'' the ma fight is cnKti'niibiisly exhibited in tlio loconiotivo cab, and this, indication is roiiifpwic'd hy- th:o warning wiiist'le. .If tho train should, exceed tlffi predete> rfiinod:.spebdthe bfaljes. aro .'ilga'in a\itbina'&atly appiibd. Wlicii a train iriider ebntmi roaches tlio end of tho block section, the tthistlp coasfiSj and tlio .g.fcon \liglit hp.poars in tho ibCQinbtiyo' if tlib jiiib ahead 'bo cloar, thus je.habllng tbb to proceed again at fiill speed.. Onb bf tho most va'hmWb ■characteristic's.bl the control B.vstenl is that, it ennbloa tho speed bf ttains to ho r.cducfed a'j).to» mati'ealiy at any point, such as in the neighbourhood of.' sharp ou'rves. This, is effectod in, a Very :'i>iniptc marin.br. Tho wayside -circuits aro so arranged tiiftt tlio path of tho electric cufrent is' diverted for tl» required distance. When tlio locomotive enters such ;a Section of track tho brakb,is gradually apiiliftd', thus tbducinp! Speed, and is rp leased' at tho end of the section. This joaturo nlbivo wpidd make tho Potent sysiem worthy of adoption ohn largo'' Scato, since, it ivould bliminatp nceWbiiw due to derailment owing to bxepssivb speed .on curves, a ■baHse respo'lisihlb for siic'h disasters 'as thbs.o nt '.Shrewsbury', Graiithani. and 'Sa'lis'b'ut.y,' each .attended by irreat loss pf life.