Handbook of Railroad Construction; For the use of American engineers. / Containing the necessary rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads, as built in the United States.

by George L. Vose

TELEGRAPH.

421. The magnetic telegraph has lately come into use as a means of communication along the lines of long railroads, and nothing serves better the purposes of adjusting the movement of trains, of transmitting orders, and of keeping the general superintendent informed at all hours, of the exact condition in detail of the whole road, and of all its trains. The following is extracted from Mr. McCallum’s Report, before referred to:—

“A single track railroad may be rendered more safe and efficient, by a proper use of the telegraph, than a double track railroad without its aid,—as the double track can only obviate collisions which occur between trains moving in opposite directions, whilst the telegraph may be used effectually in preventing them, either from trains moving in an opposite, or the same direction; and it is a well established fact deduced from the history of railroads, both in Europe and in this country, that collisions between trains moving in the same direction have proved by far the most fatal and disastrous, and should be the most carefully guarded against. I have no hesitation in asserting, that a single track railroad, having judiciously located turnouts, equal, in the aggregate, to one quarter of its entire length, and a well-conducted telegraph, will prove to be a more safe and profitable investment than a much larger sum expended in the construction of a continuous double track, operated without a telegraph.

“Collisions between fast and slow trains, moving in the same direction, are prevented by the application of the following rule:—‘The conductor of a slow train will report himself to the superintendent of the division, immediately on arrival at a station where by the time table he should be overtaken by a faster train; and he shall not leave that station until the fast train passes, without special orders from the superintendent of the division.’ A slow train under such circumstances, may, at the discretion of the division superintendent, be directed to proceed. He, being fully apprised of the position of the delayed train, can readily form an opinion as to the propriety of doing so, and thus, whilst the delayed train is permitted to run without regard to the slow train, the latter can be kept entirely out of its way.

“Note.—In moving trains by telegraph, nothing is left to chance. Orders are communicated to the conductors and engineers of the opposing trains, and their answers returned giving their understanding of the order before either is allowed to proceed.

“Their passing place is fixed and determined, with orders positive and defined that neither shall proceed beyond that point until after the arrival of the other; whereas, in the absence of a telegraph, conductors are governed by general rules and their individual understanding of the same; which rules are generally to the effect, that in cases of detention, the train arriving first at the regular passing place, shall, after waiting a few minutes, proceed cautiously, ‘expecting to meet the other train,’ until they have met and passed, the one failing to reach the ‘half way post’ between stations being required to back (always a dangerous expedient), and the other permitted to proceed; the delayed train being subjected to the same rule in regard to all other trains of the same class it may meet, thus pursuing its hazardous and uncertain progress during the entire trip. The history of such a system furnishes a serious commentary on the imperfection of railroad regulations.

“The liability to collision under the system referred to has prompted the invention of various expedients for suddenly arresting the progress of trains; and which seem to have been conceived under the impression, more imaginary than real, that the difficulties they were designed to obviate, are unavoidable in their character; but which may, by the exercise of ordinary care and the use of the telegraph, be subjected to perfect control. Some of these inventions undoubtedly possess sufficient merit to entitle them to adoption under any circumstances, whilst others, for the above reasons, are entirely valueless—indeed it is questionable whether a reliance on their use may not in many cases lead to danger, by producing recklessness, and thus increase instead of diminish the evils sought to be avoided.”