operating conditions as those of double track roads, thus avoiding delays and maintaining the schedule. The experience of steam railroads in the use of signals, their reliability and the confidence now placed in them makes it reasonable to suppose that equally good apparatus will be developed for the vast mileage of electric railways represented by this Association. Different signals for day and night use (as discs or semaphores by day and different colored lights at night) seem to be thoroughly established for any class of signal work, as regardless of the purpose for which a signal is set it should always be easily discernible. All signals will add certain elements of danger due to chances of failure inherent in every piece of mechanism. It is therefore important to select a signal with the chances of failure so slight that only the added safety resulting from its use need be considered. The use of block signals on steam roads has reduced the liability of rear-end collisions, and yet were the signals of such construction as to be unreliable the danger would be greater with than without the signals. In this connection it would be well to note the care bestowed by steam roads on their signals. They employ trained mechanics whose duty it is to see that all signals are properly inspected and maintained. An electric road usually puts its signal under the care of a lineman, or some other man who may know but little of either their principle or mechanical construction. It is natural to suppose that as the use of signals increases more care will be bestowed upon their inspection and maintenance. The first and most essential element to be considered in connection with any signal system is that of safety, and no signal should be considered unless its reliability can be demonstrated to such an extent that it adds to the safety of operation of the road. Among the various types of signals in use we find those depending wholly on incandescent lamps, those depending wholly on semaphores or discs illuminated at night, and those depending on discs or semaphores by day and upon colored lights at night for their visual indication. Another type of signal is that which leaves the trolley wire dead on the entering side of turnout ahead and leaving side of turnout behind, thus preventing a car, from either end of the block, entering until block is clear. Again we find various devices in use for operating the above types of signals. First the manually operated switch, which has been in use for perhaps the longest time and is generally conceded a failure, owing to the fact that the men cannot be relied upon for its proper operation. Second, we have the rail contact devices, which have been very little used, and so far as I can learn are not generally exploited. Third, we have switches operated automatically by the passing of the trolley, which are coming into more general use as the state of the signal art progresses. These may be divided again into several classes. One in which a contact is simply made by the wheel sliding upon a contact surface normally insulated from the trolley wire. Another, operating a switch mechanism by the passing of the trolley, making various connections, selected according to the direction the trolley passes under the switch. Still another in which the mechanical work of the signal is partly done by the trolley in passing under the switch. Each of these types of signals and switches in service may have a particular value for the location to be protected; it would be unwise at this time to make any recommendation covering general conditions. The following is a copy of resolutions drawn up by a committee appointed by the Massachusetts Street Railway Association, on which the writer had the privilege to serve: "The Committee appointed by the Massachusetts Street Railway Association on the 'Recommendation of Electric Signals for Street Railway Service' would make the following recommendations: That a telephone system in conjunction with a proper block system is necessary for a safely and satisfactorily operated suburban single track road. That it is impossible to make any recommendations to cover the needs of general city traffic, the necessities of the same being largely determined by conditions entirely local. That the telephone system should be owned and operated by the Railway Company. That a system of selective signals should be used in connection with the telephone system, to call outside telephone stations. The block signal system should be entirely automatic, should contain a minimum number of parts; should contain some other means of visual signal besides incandescent lamps, should not depend upon incandescent lamps for continuity of circuits; should set at far or danger end first and be locked at danger before it is possible to operate cautionary signal at near end; should not burn out under ordinary conditions of contact with live parts of trolley system. Should be normally at danger and cannot be set at safety unless all parts are in normal working condition; that signal, after being set at danger cannot return to safety until all cars that have gone onto block have gone off again; should be capable of working satisfactorily from 200 to 600 volts; and should be of the best possible construction, mechanically and electrically." The following is a copy of blank sent out to various street railways throughout the country to enable the writer to get a fair idea of the extent of the use of signals for street railway work, a general idea of the defects existing, the economies produced, and the apparent demand for a signal of any kind. Have you signals in use? How long? What kind and make? On single or double track? Are they reliable? What particular trouble have you had with them? Do they affect the economy of operation? How? Are they affected by lightning? In what respect is the signal in use on your road lacking? Do you desire signals on your road? For what purpose? Would they affect the economy of operation? How? What particular requirements are necessary in a signal for your service? The general idea prevalent seemed to be that signals were not required for double track work, but were required for single track work, producing economy where in use, by dispensing with flagmen in some places and as some have stated "by indicating the position of cars and thereby enabling the schedule to be better maintained under extraordinary conditions." The principal defects noted were the fact that signals were not absolutely reliable and were generally affected by lightning. Also, their lack of ability to indicate more than one car on a block at a time, that is the first car passing off the block sets the signal to normal position, giving no indication of any other cars that might be on the block. It has not been the purpose of the writer to go into the details of the different devices, gotten out for use as signals for street railway work, or to criticise or recommend any particular type or make. A number of signals of various types are now on the market and while from the standpoint of the writer they are all in a more or less experimental state, they are deserving of every encouragement, for until the various conditions of our service have been thoroughly brought out and enlarged upon, by both the operators and signal engineers, no satisfactory device can be produced. The street railways generally manifest great interest in the question of signals, and I would recommend to your association that, owing to the present apparent experimental condition, this matter be further followed up and a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Association. I regret that the press of business since my acceptance of the honor of writing this paper has been such that I have been unable to devote the time necessary to obtain and properly work up the data for a paper dealing with such an important subject. I trust, however, the discussion will be free and that my feeble efforts may lead to the bringing out of some points of value to us for further work. Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM PESTELL. President Holmes-I will call on Mr. Ira A. McCormack, of Cleveland, to open the discussion on this paper. Mr. McCormack-The question of signals on suburban roads, particularly as most of them are single track roads, is very important. I have given the question some study, but not having any such roads in charge, I possibly do not fully realize the importance of the subject of signals as other gentlemen who operate single track suburban roads. My opinion is that the suburban roads must go to steam railroad practice in formulating rules and operate signals on the same principles on which the steam roads operate them. Some of the suburban roads running out of Cleveland depend entirely on the train dispatcher. That is, they have a telephone system and at each box the conductor reports the car number and direction in which the car is bound and asks for orders. The orders are given to meet a car at one point and go to another point. The other point may be beyond a substation; a telephone station. The conductor then repeats the order to the motorman, who repeats it back, so as to have a thorough understanding. When the telephone system is disrupted by storms or otherwise, there are delays on account of the fear of making any general rule. to govern the cars when they cannot get the telephone orders. I think, therefore, that rules which would give suburban trains the right of way on the same conditions upon which steam railroads are operated would be necessary for the government and operation of suburban lines. The steam railroads have what is called a time convention, and for some eight or ten years they worked to arrive at conclusions concerning the best rules to govern the operation of trains by telegraph orders and by rules when they could not get telegraph orders. The principle involved is, that a train in one direction has the right of the road. Meeting points are shown at different places along the road and the opposing train has up to that time to arrive there on same class trains. On different classes of trains they have to clear the superior class train five minutes, and if the other train does not arrive, the opposing train proceeds. I think that some rules such as the steam roads have would be necessary for the operation of suburban lines. President Holmes-Mr. Vreeland, will you not favor us. with remarks on the subject? I know that you asked not to be called upon in the discussions, but we think that this is a subject upon which you can give us some information. I Mr. Vreeland-Mr. President, I asked that you would not call upon me, as I have many things to think of in connection with our convention here. As far as the operation of the lines I am connected with is concerned, this subject has no particular relation to them, because our lines all have double tracks. have in mind a gentleman who wanted to originate a scheme of train dispatching by telephone, where each conductor reported at the terminal. He wanted to interest me in the plan. I asked him to go to South Ferry and see the opportunities our conductors had at that point to telephone to a dispatcher. He never came back! There is no question that this matter of signaling is a most important adjunct in the operation of roads where such systems of signaling are necessary. I found roads last year on the Pacific slope very far ahead of any of our Eastern or Central suburban street railways, as to the methods of operation and signal protection. I assume it was because they were among the more recently constructed electric roads, and had the advantage of all that had been done in that direction. found in Vancouver a suburban line, which is operated on the same system as the steam railroads, with the exception that they use the telephone system instead of the telegraph; but the moment the telephone system was out of order, they had a reg I |