ATC

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

To: "N&amp;W Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 13:04:50 +0000 
From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject:  Re: 1920 Rural Retreat Wreck Photos

Gordon,
 
    I have no knowledge of the steam locomotives
equipped with the train control.  However, when I
first started with N&W in 1963 as an apprentice
electrician, I remember testing a couple of the
"Redbird" passenger diesels that had what was called
"automatic train control".  We used what looked like 
tuning forks to activate a device under the brake
rigging and it would initiate a penalty application of
the train brakes if not acknowledged.  The train
control equipment was located on the long hood right
side just in front of the cab window at the end of the
walkway and outside the carbody door that opened to
the generator.  I was never told where they were used.
 Were these units used on the "Cannonball" to
Richmond?
 
Skip Salmon
--
Skip and Judi Salmon 
3721 Buckingham Drive 
Roanoke, VA 24018-2448


Hello, Skip and others:

The ACL and RF&P had trackside induction coils mounted
slightly ahead of home signals at interlockings.  A
companion coil was mounted on the right-side forward
truck of the tender.  An example of these is visible
on the Southern 1401 at the Smithsonian in Washington,
DC.  The trackside coil was essentially a big magnet
when energized for a stop and stay signal.  If a
locomotive passed it, an emergency application of
train brakes was set.  The tender truck-mounted coil
is what the locomotives assigned to the Cannonball
were required to have to operate on the ACL's ATC
territory.

Best wishes


=====
Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
f_scheer at yahoo.com
(202) 268-2121 - weekday office
(540) 837-9090 - weekend afternoons 
in the former N&W station on VA rte 723 
117 East Main Street 
Boyce  VA  22620-9639