N&W in 1910--Signal

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
February 27, 1910

ELIMINATES DANGER
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Novel Switch Arrangement in Use at Big Stony Junction

    One of the most interesting switches on the Virginian and Norfolk and Western railways from a railroad safety point of view is the automatic arrangement which has been installed at the junction of the Virginian Railway and the Big Stony branch of the Norfolk and Western.  The Virginian Railway crosses this branch at Big Stony Junction and at that point the tracks are always cleared for the Virginian.  In case the Norfolk and Western wishes to use the tracks, a switch must be thrown and to do this the Norfolk and Western man has to enter a small house which is always kept locked.  He unlocks it and enters and the door automatically closes on him so that he cannot open it to leave the building until he has again thrown open the switch so that the Virginian trains have the right of way.  Of course he cannot do this until the Big Stony branch train has left the switch.  As soon as the train has gone over and the switch is again opened for the Virginian then the door automatically opens and he can leave the building, the door of which is again automatically locked and cannot be opened until the proper key is again inserted in the lock.  In this way there is positively no danger of a wreck at any time, as the track is open for the Virginian at all times except when a Norfolk and Western train is crossing.
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[This is a strange attempt to eliminate human error, but there is no mention of any signal to let an approaching Virginian crew know that the crossing ahead may be blocked by the N&W train.  Also, I wonder how long it was before the automatic locking door got out of order in some way--maybe by a human who did not like the idea of being confined on a hot day.]

Gordon Hamilton
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