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(erielack) interlockings



In an interlocking, pulling up the signal lever locks out the route.  You can't make any opposing or conflicting moves without talking the other train by the his signal.  By the same token, if you can't pull up the signal lever, it means that there is a signal pulled up against it, or that there is a switch lined into the route.  If you talked your train by the signal, he would run through the conflicting switch, spreading the points, or meet an opposing train.Once he got by your signal, he would knock down the signal for the opposing move, which would slow him down.  
Some speedy operators pull up the signal first, and then try to put in the switches; that hasn't worked yet.  You have to get the signal lever back, and then you can put in your switches.  If you put in the wrong switches, have a switch reversed that is supposed to be normal, you have what is know as a "misroute."  The train will go where nobody wants it to go, and you may have to go see the boss for an investigation.  But at least the move will be safe, in the interlocking.  If you got the signal lever up, there woun't be any conflicting or opposing moves.  But if you got the train lined to go the wrong way outside the interlocking, against the current of traffic for instance, then you could make the headlines.  
Other things leavers can do is control the direction of traffic on tracks in an interlocking or between interlockings.  Excee in Cranford had a track in the interlocking, you controlled the direction of traffic on.  On the North East Corridor, when they had towers every few miles, the towers controlled traffic on the two middle tracks, rule 261, signalled in both directions.  With the traffic lever against you, you couldn't get a signal against the eatsablished dorection of traffic.  Where movable bridges are part of an interlocking, such as at HX and DB, there is a lever to lock and unlock the bridge.  With the lock lever normal, bridge unlocked, you couldn't pull up a signal across the bridge.
On US&S machines the levers have knobs with a fin, on the end of them.  To move the lever, you have to twist the knob, which pulls a bolt out of a groove in the machine.  There is a metal cylinder with a groove in that fits on the knob, that prevents you from twisting it and moving the lever.  It is called a blocking device.  Interlocking machines of all types, come with some form of blocking device, to remind operators not to pull up signals to tracks that are out of service, or line switches to such tracks, or to throw switches that are out of service.  To run a train against the current of traffic, the dispatcher has the operator on the receiving end apply blocking devices to the signals leading to route.  The operator tells the dispatcher the lever numbers and the time that blocking devices are applied, marks the block sheet, (Stration Record of Train Movements- technically towers are stations,) BDA numbers and time; and then the dispatcher gives him a hold order for the track.  Then the DS gives a running order for the train to both operators.    On the Pennsy the operator releasing the train would ask the operator getting the train what time the last train had cleared the block, and then get a clear block from him, and give the train a clear block.  On the EL and other roads the operators did not give each other the clear block but  worked with the dispatcher for that. When the move was completed, the operator would remove his blocking devices and mark his sheet BDR etc., and notify the dispatcher.
In my limited experience I've noticed tha the Pennsy and Lackawanna used US&S machines, and the New York Central and Erie used GRS, General Railway Signal, machines.  On GRS machines the levers had pistol grips, and went in and out.  To reverse a switch, or pull up a signal, you pulled it's lever out.  A signal lever could control one signal only, unlike a US&S lever that could controll two signals, in opposite directions, at the same location.
Older US&S machines, such as the one at UN, only had one row of lights under the levers.  They also had brass levers, as opposed to steel levers on the newer machines.  But both levers had the same twisting know on the end.  THE END
Philip Martin

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