The Railway Signal and Permanent Way Engineer's Pocket Book
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY 656.25^ : . TYER & CO. LTD. ESTABLISHED 1851 Electrical and Mechanical Railway Signalling Engineers, HEAD OFFICE: ASHWIN STREET, DALSTON, LONDON, E.8. Cables: 'Phone No. Code: "Switchmen, London." Dalston, 2479. A. B.C. 5th Edition. Bentley'?. British War Office, Admiralty, and G.P.O. Lists. Crown Agents' List. India State Railway List High Commissioners —New Zealand, South Africa, etc. RAILWAY SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT. " Armco " Wire and Strand for Signals, Telegraphs, Telephones, Train Signalling Instruments, Track Circuit Bonds, etc. " Armco " Stay Wire for Stays. " Signalite " Long Burning Signal Lamps (9 days). " E.C.L." Acetylene Locomotive Searchlights. '* E.C.L." Cast Aluminium Acetylene Motor Lorry Lamps. "E.C.L." Cast Aluminium Acetylene Generators. " Terrells Castle " Metallic Packing for Locomotives, also other Packings for Locomotives and Sta- tionary Engines. ALL KINDS OF RAILWAY MATERIAL SUPPLIED, SUCH AS Locomotive Head and Tail Lamps, Guards' Lamps, Signal Lamps, etc., Signal Pulleys, Stakes, Thimbles, Split Links. Bond Pins, Chain, Wire, and all kinds of Point Rodding. Glass, Coloured Signal Glasses, Bull's-Eyes, etc. Rope and Cordage. Galvanized Flexible Steel Wire Ropes. Belting, Balata, etc., for Conveyor and other uses. Netting for Carriage Racks and Canvas, Cells, Leclanche, etc., and Porous Pots. INSULATORS, " CORDEAUX," "SHACKLE," "SIN- CLAIR," etc., etc. TYER & GO. LTD. ESTABLISHED 1851. Electrical and Mechanical Railway Signalling Engineers, HEAD OFFICE: ASHWIN STREET, DALSTON, LONDON, E.8. Cables : 'Phone No. : Code : " Switchmen, London.'" Dalston, 2479. A. B.C. 5th Edition. Bentleys. British War Office, Admiralty and G.P.O. List. Crown Agents' List. India State Railway List. High Commissioners —New Zealand, South Africa, etc. MANUFACTURE : ELECTRICAL. TABLET INSTRUMENTS for Single Line Working. Absolute, Permissive, .\utomatic, Intermediate and Single Operator Instruments, to suit all conditions of traffic. Crossing Instruments to work with above. ONE-WIRE, THREE-INDICATION, BLOCK INSTRU- MENTS for Double-Line Working. LOCK AND BLOCK for above. 3- Wire Block Instrument for Absolute and Permissive Work. Permissive Indicating Block Instrument. Train Indicator. Distant Signal Control. Gatehouse and Platform Indicators. Signal Repeaters ; with and without Light Indicators. Commutators for above. Reversers. Rail Contracts for above. Occupation Boxes. Shunting and Bank Engine Tokens. Switches. Track Relays, Bells and Bell Relays. Electric Train Control. Track Circuit Installations. And other Railway Signalling Instruments. MECHANICAL. INTERLOCKING APPAR.\TUS, Catch Handle or Lever Locking. Ground Frames with or without Tablet Locks. Ground Frames with or without Annett's Locks. Throw-over Levers. Annett's Locks. Tablet Locks. Midway Release Locks. SIGNALS. Straight, Bracket and Bridge. Wood and W.I. Lattice of all descriptions. Ground Discs. Point Indicators. Signal Reversers. Facing Point Locks of all kinds. Detectors. Cabin Discs. Point Rollers and Connections. Level Crossing Gates and Gear. And other ^Mechanical Railway Signalling Materials. THE RAILWAY SIGNAL AND PERMANENT WAY ENGINEER'S POCKET BOOK. London : THE LOCOMOTIVE PUBLISHING CO., LTD. 3, Amen Corner, E.C.4 New York ; SPON & CHAMBERLAIN, V 123, Liberty Street. Calcutta : THE INDIAN RAILWAY GAZETTE, 6, Mangoe Lane. ^ Preface to the Second Edition. The success attained in the first edition of the Signal and Permanent Way Engineer's Pocket Book has been so marked that the Publishers have pleasure in bringing out a second edition, and it will be noted that several additional features have been included. The Publishers would like to state, however, that it is very difficult to bring within the limits of a Pocket Book detailed methods of operation with regard to the Construction of Permanent Way and instal- ling of Railway Signalling, as this must necessarily depend upon the exigencies of local circumstances that obtain in each specific instance. 653904 — — — — CONTENTS. Development of Fixed Signals Page Early Types . 8 Interlocking of Points and Signals 9 Evolution of Block Telegraph 9 Working of Single Lines . 10 Board of Trade Requirements in regard to Signalling of Railways Documents . 12 Block Telegraph 12 Signals 12 Points 13 Interlocking 13 Level Crossings 14 Modes of Working Single Lines 15 Description of Various Types of Signals, and Purposes for which used Signal Posts 16 Signal Arms .... 17 Spectacles . 17 Signal Lanterns 18 Fixed Signals 18 Distant Signals 18 Interlinking of Distant Signal with Bloc 19 Telegraph Circuit . 19 Home Signals 20 Starting Signals 20 Banner Signals 21 Electrical Repeaters (Signal and Light) 21 Arm and Light Repeater 21 Circular Expander.. 24 Route Indicating Signals . 30 " Three Position" Signals 30 Electrically Worked Signals 30 Duplicate Arms 31 Hoisting Gear 31 Subsidiary Signals : — Calling-on Arms 31 Siding Signals 31 Backing Signals 32 Shunt Signals 32 Ground Disc or Dwarf Signals 32 Fog Signalling : — Detonator Laying Machines . 32 Detonator Economizers 33 Detonator Placing Machines 33 Signal Boxes General Considerations 36 Signal Lighting- 7 Cab^Signalling and Automatic Train Control- ' Prentice" System DEVELOPMENT OF FIXED SIGNALS. In the earliest days of the railways the trains, which were few in number, were run according to time-table, with the additional protection of the flag or lamp signals exhibited by the policemen whose duty it was to patrol the line and protect the various stations and junctions. As the trains ran strictly to schedule, the drivers always took it for granted they had a clear road unless they had a "Danger" signal shown them by the policeman or station staff. As traffic developed, hand signals were superseded by fixed indications and lamps on posts at the more important stations, until in course of time these fixed signals came into general use. The day indications in the early stages were numerous and of curious design. At the opening of the G.W.R. in 1838 the " ball" and " kite " signals, shown on diagrams 1 and 2, were in use. The former consisted simply of a post, to the top of which a ball was hoisted to indicate " safety," an ordinary stable lantern being used at night instead of the ball. The " kite " signal consisted of a light iron frame fixed on the top of a post with a movable canvas screen mounted on rings. By means of a double string, the canvas could be spread out like a curtain on either side to indicate " Danger " or " Caution," or reefed entirely to indicate " Safety." On some other lines flags hoisted on poles were used, while on the Eastern Counties Railway baskets on poles were utilized. In the course of a few years, how- ever, these makeshift appliances generally gave place to the better known movable crossbar type of signal. Illustrations 3 and 4 represent an early form of this type of signal, which consisted of a disc (4 feet in diameter mounted on the top of a movable post with a crossbar 8 feet long and 1 ft. wide) fixed at right angles below it. The presentation of the crossbar to the driver indicated " Danger," and the disc denoted " Safety." Although not shown in the illustration the disc was usually sur- mounted by a lamp furnished with white and red lenses to correspond with the daylight indications. At Branch line junctions double arms and double discs were sometimes provided to govern the Branch line trains (Nos. 5 and fi). On the G.W.R. down line signals were subsequently distinguished by end pieces (Nos. 7 and 8), and level crossing signals were provided with double end pieces to indicate danger to Up and Down trains when the gates were across the railway. The practice was for the " Danger " signal to be ex- hibited after the passing of a train for a specified number of minutes according to the distance to the next station. In some cases the arrow signals (Nos. 13 and 14) were also used. The red " Danger " side was presented for five minutes after the passage of a train, then the green " Caution " side was shown, and after five minutes more the signal was txirned " edge on." In 1842 the " Semaphore " type o£ signal (Nos. 9 and 10) —now in universal use—was introduced on the Croydon Railway, and very rapidly adopted. It is interesting to note that soon after it came into general use and until the 'seventies it was worked as a three-position signal, an intermediate or " Caution " position being given in addition to the " Danger " and " All right " indications illustrated. A white light at night was the universal " all right " indication until about 189", when the green light was made standard. Electrical arm and light repeaters appear to have been introduced in the 'seventies. INTERLOCKING OF POINTS AND SIGNALS. The necessity for working switches and signals from a central position gradually became felt, and the "concen- tration " of signal and point levers at important stations was taken in hand prior to 185^1. It was not until 1856, however, that the lirst interlocking frame preventing the contradictory movement of signals or points was con- structed by the late Mr. Saxby and installed at Brick- layers Arms' Junction. This was a great advance, and was speedily followed up on all the leading railways, although it was not until 1889 that the adoption of inter- locking was made compulsory by Parliament. Facing point locks and bars were introduced in the late 'sixties, and facing point detectors added some ten years afterwards EVOLUTION OF BLOCK TELEGRAPH. The first actual working electric telegraph of any length was Cook & Wheatstone's installation between Padding- ton and West Drayton on the G.W.R. opened in 1858, and soon afterwards extended to Slough. Mr. Edwin Clark subsequently modified Mr. Cook's method and introduced on the North Western Railway that mode of signalling known as " The Block System." Mr. (afterwards Sir) W. F. Cook's system was actually applied on ths Norfolk Railway in 1844, and on the G.W.R.