The Invention of the Track Circuit: The history of Dr. William Robinson's invention of the track circuit, the fundamental unit which made possible our present automatic block signaling and interlocking systemsAmerican Railway Association
History
The Invention of the Track Circuit: The history of Dr. William Robinson's invention of the track circuit, the fundamental unit which made possible our present automatic block signaling and interlocking systems
It is pointed out that the above illustration of January, 1874, shows
the Robinson closed track circuit, as heretofore described, the relay
R and the track battery I forming a part thereof, the signal actuating
magnet E, the signal C operated thereby, the circuit wires of said
magnet E connected to, and controlled by, the relay R, and the
overlapping or distant signal L, with its circuit H controlled
absolutely by the position of the signal C, the whole showing a
complete closed track circuit overlapping system, with home and
distant signals.
The following sections are from this circular of January, 1874:
"When it is desired to operate a secondary signal thrown forward
or back of the primary, a line wire H is used, attached to the
primary signal C in such a way that the secondary signal cannot
possibly operate unless the primary signal C is first exposed,
thus closing circuit on the wire H. The primary signal battery K
is used to operate the secondary signal."
"To set the signal from an intermediate station a wire from each
rail of the section A is run into the station. When these wires
are connected by a key, the current from the battery I is placed
on short circuit, and the signal exposed as before." (See Fig. 7.)
"The following functions may be embraced in the signals of a
single section. BLOCK SIGNALING, both automatic and manipulated,
SWITCH, DRAWBRIDGE, ROAD-CROSSING, and STATION-APPROACH SIGNALING,
and BROKEN RAIL DETECTING."
"In this system it will be observed that, since the signal is
exposed mechanically, any tampering with the rails or connections,
or failure of the battery, will invariably result in exposing the
signal; any error therefore which may occur from any cause will be
in behalf of safety. _It is impossible to show safety when the
danger exists which the signal is designed to avert._"
During the early seventies Mr. Robinson made other closed rail circuit
installations on the Philadelphia & Erie and other railroads in
Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Visit of the Pennsylvania R.R. Officials
On October 24, 1873, a special inspection train of the Pennsylvania
railroad passed over the Philadelphia & Erie railroad, westward. The
Pennsylvania R.R. officials aboard were: Mr. A. J. Cassatt, at that
time general manager; Mr. Gardner, general superintendent; Mr. Lewis,
controller; Mr. Robert Pitcairn, superintendent western division, and
Mr. Frank Thomson, superintendent motive power.
Mr. Wm. A. Baldwin, general superintendent of the P. & E. road, was of
the party, and Mr. Robinson joined the party on the latter road, and
continued with it through to Erie, which was reached in the evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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