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the coupling chains. The same observations apply to passenger trains. Moreover, during the time passenger trains are at the stations with only one guard, delays and mishaps often occur through his being overburdened with work, such as sorting parcels, letters, &c., and attending to luggage when he ought to be looking after the flurried passengers. Passenger trains, for the safety and convenience of the public, should never be allowed to run with more than fifteen vehicles, and never with less than two guards. As a rule, and for the purpose of avoiding delays at stations, there should be one guard to every five passenger carriages.
Accidents caused through Proper Intervals of Space not being kept between Trains on the Road.
It is essential, if accidents are to be prevented, that on every railway the “absolute block system of telegraph” should be in use, so as to keep intervals of space between all trains.[1] It often occurs if this system is not in use, where there is a space of six or seven miles between stations, that there are two or three trains following one another at short intervals upon the same line of rails; and, under these circumstances, there is great danger of one train overtaking the other. Suppose a stopping train arrives at Station A, and is timed to shunt at Station B for a fast express to pass, and the distance between the two stations is six or seven miles, as above suggested, there may be ample time for it to run on to Station B with safety, if no mishap occurs on the way. After it has passed Station A ten minutes it will receive no further protection, as far as signals are concerned, until the signalman at Station B has become aware that it has arrived within his
- ↑ Many different kinds of Block Telegraphs have been invented. Amongst the best of those which I have seen are Messrs. Tyer and Norman’s, and Harborow and Spagnoletti’s. [The former’s plan is used very extensively on the leading railways, and an important work will shortly be issued from the press illustrative thereof, as well as descriptive of Tyer’s new Electric Interlocking Signals.—Ed. R.S.G.]
