The new control machine, in addition to the sig­ nal, switch and lock lev­ ers, has levers for con­ trol of highway cross­ ing gates and flashers • New Interlocking ID Louisville Madison Street, and "JN" inter­ locking, at L. S. Junction, 12th Street. At Virginia Avenue, a single­ All-electric installation on the Kentucky & In­ track branch leaves the main line, diana Terminal Railroad Company includes panel­ and extends west to the Kentucky State Fair Grounds, in the vicinity type machine for control of signals and switch­ of which there are many industrial es, as well as highway crossing protection plants. The layout as a whole is in the heart of Louisville's industrial district which, consequently, neces­ sitates numerous switching move­ AS part of an extensive signaling crossing, in addition to the signals ments. There are approximately 120 modernization program on its entire and switches of the interlocking, switching and through freight and railroad, the Kentucky & Indiana are controlled from a new panel­ passenger train movements daily Terminal-a 125-mi. belt and ter­ type machine at Virginia Avenue. through the plant. · minal line in Louisville, Ky.-has placed in service a new all-electric Lot of Switching Trains Expedited interlocking at Virginia Avenue in The Kentucky & Indiana Termi­ At «FG", there are two power-op­ that city. The track and signal nal is owned jointly by the Balti­ erated crossovers, one power switch, layout of the plant, known as "FG", more & Ohio, the Southern, and the four electrically-locked hand-throw is shown in the accompanying dia­ Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville switches in interlocking limits, and gram. (Monon), being the home terminal 10 home signals. As a means of ex­ of these railroads in Louisville. In pediting and facilitating through Crossing Protection Included addition to being a belt line, it also northbound train movements in par­ Of interest in the installation is includes an extensive network of ticular, the two power crossovers that four ·highway grade crossings yards and tracks which connect shown are located approximately are involved in the layout. As part with all other roads entering Louis­ 400 ft. apart. The reason for this is of the project, the existing protec­ ville and serve some 285 industries that two industrial spurs are located tion at three of these crossings was in the Louisville area. on the northbound main, and on modernized· by the installation of As shown in the accompanying which considerable switching is new flashers, and that at one cross­ sketch, the layout of the new inter­ done. Consequently, the spacing be­ ing by the installation of short-arm locking at Virginia Avenue involves tween the crossovers now enables electric gates and flashers. The that portion of the K. & I' s double­ through northbound train move­ flashers at two of the crossings and track main-line extending north and ments to be run around from the the. gates and flashers at the one south between "M" interlocking, at northbound main to the southbound December, 1949 R A I L W A Y S I G N A L I N G and C 0 M M U N I C A T 10 N S 793 Southward home signals 16 and 18 at Virginia Ave­ nue, showing Diesel-elec­ tric switcher at work on the northbound main track 32nd street, is a controlled signal. It is normally held at Stop, and dis­ plays yellow for Restricting when cleared. The switch machines, which are mounted on the top of the ties, are the General Railway Signal Com­ pany's :Model 5C with outboard brakes, designed for operation on 110 volts d.c. The power crossovers and turnouts are No. lO's with 10-ft. points. Each hand-throw switch in interlocking limits is equipped with a G.R.S. Model-10 electric switch lock. These locks are controlled in­ main, and back to the northbound, in effect in the territory through the dividually by separate levers on the thereby enabling them to proceed plant. machine; the controls are not group­ ed as in some installations. and switching operations to con­ What Aspect Means tinue without delay to either. Crossing Protection Controls The facilities at "FG" formerly The Restricting aspect on the On Machine Also included color-light signals and K.&I. authorizes a train to proceed pipe-connected, mechanically-oper­ to the next signal, switch or rails The interlocking machine at "FG" ated switches, which were worn of a connecting line at restricted has three switch levers for the con­ and had become uneconomical to speed, expecting to find another trol of two crossovers and one maintain. Thus, in addition to mod­ train ahead. Under the aspect, trains switch, four electric switch lock ernization factors, the new signaling are permitted to follow each other levers, and 10 signal levers for 10 has resulted in reduced signal main­ through blocks, providing due con­ signals, and one spare signal lever. tenance costs and increased overall sideration is given to obscured or In addition, there are 2 flasher sig­ railway operating efficiency and . reduced vision around · curves and nal levers for Beech and Dumesnil safety. In many instances, the new other places. streets, and two gate levers for the gates and flashers at Yirginia Ave­ plant is expediting train movements Hold-Out Signal and saving time. nue. The controls for this protec­ On the branch line to the Ken­ tion, which will be discussed later, Yellow and Red Only tucky State Fair Grounds, there are are straight manual for the main­ The new high home signals are several industrial spurs between line crossing at Virginia Avenue the Type-SA searchlight, and the Dumesnil and 32nd Streets. Con­ and Dumesnil Street, and are auto­ dwarf signals are the Type-MD sequently, a considerable amount of manual for Beech Street, designed color-light. They are wired to dis­ switching is done in this stretch of so that the operator cannot take play aspects not more favorable track and, occasionally, it becomes away the protection so long as the than Restricting-yellow on dwarfs, desirable to hold out a northbound crossing track circuit is not clear. and yellow-over-red or red-over­ train approaching "FG" on this line. The high home signals are con· yellow on high signals-a 15 m.p.h. For this reason, signal 2, which is trolled in two ways, either as semi­ speed restriction for all trains being on a cantilever bracket just west of automatic stick or non-automatic HighwVIy crossing s1gncds on Beech St. J~ cwd Dumesnil 51 +ower conhol lecl 2 from ''F6\ ;:_ iJ ~L 3_z:: ~ s;:- ~ ~ E Beech St. [ ~ 1 lo -:-Wesf "1:5 P'T~'ifc5r:--o-:r; -....... ~eni c: 1.. FC?ir Gro Ucky Sfe? ~ ~ North -to''M"inferlocking. T I J ~ uncfs fe ~ Me~clison St. - -~ - ----, "<- f'·-L . ,. -----Sou-thbound me~in .tJ~ 1 "'~--- 2~~-- ___...;...[_,:_I ·~ \, _:J\ I IB~ I \ 22 =r-25 Nodhbounol me~in South to ''uN' I ~~~ \ ~ - in-terlocking, ll~J . ~JIJ/ -rt-L ~ H1ghwe~y cross1ng signV~Is / / / l';-·Hiqhwe~y crossing qates at · L.S. Jet. on Dumesnil St. con+rollecl ''FG" lnter\ockin' Virgi~io; Ave. ~ontrollecl inclivicl~ally from mach ine at ''F G"interlocking V)rt;Jinia Ave . 0 from 1n-ferlockmg control mach1ne Layout of the tracks, signals and crossing protection in the vicinity of Virginia Avenue 794 R A I l W A Y S I G N .A ll N G and C 0 M M U N I C AT 10 N S De~ember, 1949 View of a typical pow­ er switch machine and two - indication color­ light dwarf signal at Virginia A venue. Switch machines are mount· ed on top of the ties signals. The levers controlling these signals are known as the push-pull rotory type. To clear a signal as a semi-automatic signal, the lever is pushed. To cancel this signal man­ ually, the lever is pulled. To clear the signal as a non-automatic, the lever is turned either to the left or ing of the signal levers, these sig­ it entails in the manipulation of right, depending on the direction nals not being provided with the their control levers (turning), serves of traffic. Signals governing north­ semi-automatic feature like the high as an extra reminder to towermen bound traffic are turned to the signals. as to what they are doing in lining right; southbound to the left. The In the case of signal 22, it is semi­ up routes against the normal direc­ only way to cancel a non-automatic automatic with push-pull lever ma­ tion of traffic or into occupied track signal is manually, and this is ac­ nipulation for a train movement in sections. complished by turning the lever the normal direction of traffic back to stop. The option of making through crossover 25 reversed, and Other Machine Features the signal either semi-automatic or non-automatic with turn manipula­ Each signal lever has a normally­ non-automatic depends on whether tion of the lever for a reverse train extinguished white light in the bar­ a train is being moved into an un­ movement on the southbound main rel of the lever. When the lever is occupied or occupied block through the crossover normal. The manipulated, the lamp flashes until All dwarf signals, except signal non-automatic feature of both the the signal clears, and then it changes 22, are normally controlled by turn- dwarf and high signals, and what to a steady light. Should the signal fail to clear, the lamp will continue to flash.