View of World's Fair station and track layout included the new Fair interlocking to expedite h a n d 1 i n g of s p e cia 1 passenger service

Signaling the Pennsylvania to New York World's Fair

Automatics in East River tunnels are respaced; changes made at two enter New York through tunnels to leave New York every 10 min. approximately 3 miles long, extending Likewise, a train leaves \Vorlcl's Fair plants, and temporary. under the East River from Long Is­ on schedule every 10 min. However, interlocking installed land City to Pennsylvania Station in during rush periods, as soon as a train New York. is loaded at Pennsylvania Station or T'he double-track Port Washington at the V.,T oriel's Fair, it pulls out EIGHT miles in ten minutes for ten branch of the Long Island is located promptly, and extra trains are placed cents, and always a train ready to along the north side of the Fair in service as fast as necessary to depart, is the advertising slogan con­ grounds, and a new track layout and handle the traffic promptly. cerning the operation of special train · station, known as World's Fair, was service on the Pennsylvania between constructed at that point to handle the Number of Trains Pennsylvania Station in New York loading and unloading of passengers City and the Vvorld's Fair near Flush­ and the reversal of trains. These lines At Pennsylvania Station, one en­ ing on Long Island. The Long Island are equipped for electric traction, and tire platform, with Track 15 on one railroad, a subsidiary of the Pennsyl­ service is handled by standard mul­ side and Track 16 on the other side, vania, has various lines serving differ­ tiple-unit cars of the coach type. is used exclusively for trains depart­ ent parts of Long Island. These lines Throughout the major portion of ing for the World's Fair. The stair­ converge at Long Island City and each 24-hr. period, a train is scheduled ways leading clown to this platform

Worlds Fair Siahon Westward main Fair Platform No.A~ ··Excursion irack / No.1 ira.ck 6'J

~ _ To Pennsylvania sfodion New York

Track and signal plan of Fair Toforf Washinqfon- interlocking in c 1 u d in g the station and platform tracks August, 193 436 R AILW A Y S IGNALING 9

View showing the "Fair" interlocking station at left, and a general view of the track layout looking toward the World's Fair passenger station

Each of the four tra~ks is in a ~ep­ arate tunnel, all tracks being signaled for traffic in both directions. Track 3 is for eastward and Track 4 for vvestward Long Island trains, nor­ mally. Only in rush hours is it neces­ sary to diverge from this operating arrangement to run some Long Island trains through Tracks 1 and 2 which are plainly designated, thus eliminat­ pneumatic braking equipment, by are normally used as Pennsylvania ing any confusion. Trains arriving in means of which the brakes on all cars tunnels. Pennsylvania Station from the Fair of the train are applied simultane­ pull in on Tracks 20 or 21 and pas­ ously. Increased Track Capacity sengers then pass up stairways into In addition to the shuttle train serv­ the station. The trains are then moved ice as explained above, excursion Thus, the additional traffic between into a small yard, and again nm back trains on one-day roundtrips from Pennsylvania Station and the World's to Track 15 or 16 ready for departure Philadelphia and other cities are being Fair brought up a serious problem to the World's Fair. A period of 17 operated through New York directly concerning the track capacity on the min. is allowed from the-time a train to World's Fair, where the trains are tracks in the tunnels under the East arrives in Pennsylvania Station until held until departure. Thus, all of this River. Based on recent train braking it is scheduled to depart. extra traffic must be handled in addi­ tests, the signals on these four tracks On arrival at World's Fair, pas­ tion to regular trains ordinarily oper­ were relocated to reduce the spacing sengers pass up stairways and enter ated on the lines between Pennsvl­ between signals, thereby reducing the the station through turnstiles, where vania Station and World's Fair. - headway between trains and thus in­ a clime must be inserted by each per­ creasing the track capacity. The maxi­ son. Likewise, when going from the Problem in Tunnels mum train speed in the tunnels is 50 \Vorld's Fair station to a departure m.p.h. On westwftrd Track 4 the sig­ platform, each person deposits a dime Digressing for a moment, it may nals were respaced in the section near to operate a turnstile. Thus, the sell­ be well to explain that all through the west end, one signal being added. ing of tickets is eliminated, and fares Pennsylvania passenger trains oper­ The lengths of the blocks in this sec­ are collected with minimum delay. ated in or out of New York are tion were reduced from a minimum of Quite obviously, it would be imprac­ cleaned in Sunnyside yard on Long 1,335 ft. to 1,080 ft. In this section, ticable to provide enough collectors Island, which means that these empty which is on an ascending grade of 1.5 to work trains while en route only trains, as well as all regular Long to 0.8 per cent, the trains are reducing 10 minutes. Island trains, World's Fair trains, 10 speed to enter the terminal; therefore, Lehigh Valley trains, and about 12 reduced spacing between trains was Equipment Used New Haven trains which use Penn­ needed. sylvania Station, pass through the Likewise, on eastward Tracks 1 and Eight trains of 12 cars each are as­ four tracks under the East River. 3, in the section just east of the ter- signed to this special service, and each such train seats 944 passengers. Dur­ ing light traffic hours, each train uses only ten cars. These cars, which were completely overhauled and painted prior to the inauguration of this serv­ ice, are all equipped with electro-

Train bound for the W orld's F air passing through "F" interlocking at the east end of the tunnels. Position-light ·signals are used ,August, 1939 RAILWAY SIGNALING 431 rninal, the trains are not as yet up to up too quickly to clear the valve arms in "F" interlocking. Three crossovers normal sp~ed; therefor~, clos~r spac­ on certain types of cars and locomo­ were added to provide facilities for ing is desirable. In this sectwn, the tives. The control as explained, there­ engine interchange to permit reversal signals were respaced and one signal fore was used. moves on westward special trains op­ added. For example, on Line 1 two . In brief, the signaling in the tunnels erated from the World's Fair through former blocks, 1,238 ft. and 1,897 ft., IS arranged for trains to be operated Pennsylvania Station to points south were cut into three blocks 900 ft., 950 on 105 to 112-second headway at run­ and west, and to be made more quickly ft., and 1,283 ft. long, respectively. ning speeds up to 50 m.p.h. maximum to and from the yards. Certain sig­ or at reduced speeds as dictated by nals were moved and other signals Train-Stop System in Tunnels operating conditions when ascending were removed to facilitate train moves. or descending grades, or when enter­ At each signal in the tunnels there ing or leaving the Pennsylvania Sta­ Changes at Harold is an automatic train-stop trip mech­ tion. In normal operation, trains are anism operated in conjunction with scheduled on a two-minute headway, At "Harold" interlocking, one the signaling system. These trips are which allows leeway for slight delays crossover was added to handle trains normally in the "down" position when passing through interlockings. for the North Side route and thus where they will not encounter the air permit parallel eastward movement brake cocks on cars. When in the Changes at Two Interlockings through the interlocking. Several "raised" position, a trip will contact a changes were made to relocate signals lever on a car or locomotive which At "F" interlocking, located at the and also to introduce certain holding opens the air brake pipe and causes east end of the East River tunnels, signals as a means of facilitating re­ the brakes to be set. The control cir­ the four East River tracks connect to versal moves to or from yards. Four cuits for the signaling are arranged a six-track layout extending 0.7 miles automatic signals were moved and two to provide a full block overlap; in to "Harold" interlocking, at which automatic signals added to improve other words, there are always two suc­ point two tracks diverge to the north train operation. cessive signals in the rear of a train side and extend 4.8 miles to the Between "F" interlocking and which display the stop aspect. Re­ World's Fair and 11.4 miles beyond "Harold" interlocking, the World's ferring to the diagram, if a train is to Port Washington. Four tracks ex- Fair trains are handled on the Six-

0.8 H,- 1 J.9 < I SIC 0.7 < From Sunnyside yard. ..,..:<·' \ 1 1095 1.___, ~ Wesfward line 4

1 >----r 2150 I ,...,- 2080 ,_..,Eastward line J'"I- L__, .L...- Westward line 2 .t...._,

I 900 I IE04 950' IEOG 1283 ( JEoB ,_.., Easfward lirte 1 - '~

Track and signal plan of the four tracks in East River tunnels

occupying Block D on the eastward tend east of Harold to Jamaica, L.I., track layout, but from "Harold" in­ Track 1, then Signal 1E08 will dis­ for the Long Island main line trains, terlocking eastward, two tracks are play a "stop and proceed" aspect, and two tracks for New Haven trains used exclusively for the line extending Signal 1E06 will also clispla y the "stop over the Hell Gate Bridge. east through World's Fair to Port . and proceed" aspect, and Signal 1E04 Also at "F" interlocking, connec­ Washington. In the section between will display the ''approach" aspect. tions from the two Pennsylvania tun­ Harold and World's Fair, the auto­ The trip at Signal 1E06 is raised and nels extend to the Pennsylvania Sun­ matic block signaling already in serv­ the trips at the other two signals are nyside coach yard, to Borden Avenue ice was adequate to handle the traffic down. In all instances each block is yard and to various industries. In without changes or additions. This long enough for a train to be brought view of the increased number of line is equipped with continuous cab from normal speed to a stop within through trains to be handled, certain signaling, which necessitated that the block. The trip at the signal at the track and signal changes were made (Continued on page 452) entrance of an occupied block is pur­ posely held in the "clown" position. If the trip were raised when the head end of a train entered the block, the trip would stop that train. If the con­ trol were arranged to raise the trip when the rear of a train cleared the track circuit in approach to the signal, the trip in some instances might come

The desk-lever control machine and illuminated track diagram in the "Fair" interlocking tower 452 RAILWAY SIGNALING August, 1939 3-channel _circuit operating at this Signaling to the ~nd oper~ted by .an electr?-pneumatic frequency ts. only 5.25 points, which mterl?ckmg, . u~mg an mterlocking 1~ not suffin~nt to give efficient, re­ New York World's Fair machme cons~stmg of desk-type con. liable operatwn. A similar calcula­ (Contintted from page 437) trolleyers. F1ve levers control signals tion for eastbound transmission eqt~ipment be installed at the World's and etght levers control switches or would indicate that the range in this crossovers. direction is also inadequate. There­ Fair to test the car equipment before each train departs. The control lever units are as­ fore, consideration must be given to sembled. on a .bed which includes reducing the transmission losses and Track Layout at World's Fair mechamcal lockmg. The levers ar inc~easing the operating ranges if we equipped with electric locks, and th~ destre to operate the circuit at 60 At vV?rld's Fair station, the east­ ?tan0arcl ar~·angement of electric lock­ words. mg .ts prov:ded. Each signal lever is From an examination of the data ward mam track was moved south to allow space for four new station eq~tppe_d W_Ith a block indication lamp included in Table 1, we learn that the whtch ts hghtecl when the route is excessive loss is in the Reno-San tracks and four new platforms as shown in the diagram. Ordina'rily, clear, in other words, when the lever Francisco section and is due to the can .be ol?erated to clear a signal. On high breakover current rather than to trains arriving from New York are routed ta. one of _the tracks served by the tllummated ~rack diagram, a green e_,~cessive. repe~ter section length. Platform C. Trams depart from one lamp, I~epresentmg a signal, is lighted Sm~~ th1s. section is equipped with of the tracks served by Platform B. t? mchcate when the corresponding ant1-mduct10n sets which minimize ?tgr:al .clears. On switch levers, the the crossfire, further measurements However, the switches and crossovers are arranged so that trains can· arrive mdicatwn lamp is extinguished when are advisable to determine the cause route locking is in effect. of the high breakover. at or depart from either of these platforms; therefore, in rush periods, Therefore, the repeater section Instrument Racks should be carefully analyzed by the as soon as a train is unloaded, it can method . previously described to de­ be loaded and depart. Eastward trains to Port Washing­ The relays, rectifiers and other con­ termine the magnitudes of each of the trol instruments are located in a rack various components of interference. ton use Platform D and westward trains from Port Washington to New along the wall of the building at the York use the south side of Platform rear of the control machine. Control Table 2 A. The track on the north side of circuits are fed from a set of storage At battery on floating charge from a San Platform A is used by Pennsylvania Francisco Reno one-day excursion trains from and to Total break over 32 28 points su~h as Philadelphia, Wilming­ Crossfire 14 14 ton, Baltlm

Let us assume that this analysis has The track layout at the west throat been made and that the results are as of. World's Fair includes 5 single tabulated in Table 2. s:"ntches, 3 crossovers, two 2-arm high The 180-cycle currents indicated stg~als, and 7 dwarf signals. These here may be most economically elim­ swttches and signals are controlled inated by applying resonant reactors to the telegraph circuits. The 60- cycle induction, as previously dis­ cusse~, may be reduced by the in­ stallatiOn of two supply line trans­ positions. VVith the interference level reduced by these measures, the operating r~nges between Ogden and San Fran­ Switches located on the station platform cisco would be increased to 6.8 points. are used to test cab signaling Thus we see that, in the co-ordina­ tion of ·power and communication copper-oxide rectifier. The track re­ lines, consideration must be given not lays are of the a-c. vane type. only to the components of power in­ The switch machines are the 1\.1odel duction present, but also to the other A-5 with C.P. valves, and each switch types of extraneous current, and to is equipped with a point detector. the characteristics of the line wires Co!llpressed air for operating the as well.. This complete picture must switch machines is furnished from a be obtamed, not only within the ex­ set of duplicate compressors which ~osure limits, but throughout the en­ are operated from the 650-volt d-e. tlre length of the communication cir­ proJ?ulsi_on line feed. The interlocking ~uits affected. Only when all of this statwn 1s of sheet metal construction mformation is available can we vis­ on a concrete foundation which forms ualize the effect of an increase or de­ a basement. ~r~ase in any of the components, and The signaling and interlocking ex­ 1t IS only with this information that plained in this article was planned and the best engineering solution can be The relay rack is constructed of angle­ installed by signal forces of the Long reached. iron and asbestos boards Island Railroad.