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From: tommy meehan tmeehan0421 AT gmail DOT com
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2017 12:27:54 -0500
Subject: Erie Installs Automatic Gates in Passaic
"Ry_Sig_July_1953_p489.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1003x1324 (24bit)

With the recent photos of the Erie in the Passaic area back in the 1910s, I
immediately thought of this list when I found a related article on line.
I'm attaching the page images.

In July 1953 the trade journal RAILWAY SIGNALING and COMMUNICATIONS ran an
article about Erie's recent conversion of twelve main line crossings in
Passaic from manual protection to automatic, with gates, bells and warning
lights. One statement that interested me was that Erie had employed both
gatemen and groundmen at most of the manual crossings. What were groundmen,
I don't think I ever heard that term before. Flagmen?

I also found it interesting the way the automatic crossing protection was
modified in places to minimize delays to vehicle traffic. An example given
was eastbound trains stopping at the Passaic station. On p489 it is
explained that there was a short track circuit located at the east end of
the station which the engineer was instructed to stop on. When this short
circuit was occupied for more than 15 seconds this released the gates at
the next grade crossing to the east, Jefferson St. Upon starting the train,
the engine would enter a second circuit which would reactivate the crossing
protection. The engineers were instructed to make sure the gates were down
before entering the crossing. A fairly common procedure, I know, but
clearly explained here.

Another interesting feature was the speed controls used to regulate the
crossing activation. The example given was at Summer St where a train
traveling over 40mph triggered crossing protection 3,000 feet in advance
while a train traveling under 40mph triggered the crossing protection at
2,000 feet. This was accomplished through the use of timing relays which
measured the elapsed time of the approaching locomotive's front wheels
traveling between two points on the circuit. This was also done to minimize
delays to street traffic.

tommy meehan


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