Automatic train control - Shenandoah Division

Wed Aug 21 12:32:37 EDT 2019

Reprinted from Railway Age December 17, 1956

The Norfolk & Western has been granted Interstate Commerce Commission permission to discontinue automatic cab signaling on 225.3 miles of single track and 12.8 miles of double track between Roanoke, Va., and Hagerstown, Md. 
This territory was equipped with automatic block signaling in 1924 and 1925. The continuous inductive train control and cab signaling system was added in 1925 and 1926. In 1933 the train control was removed leaving the cab signaling. Between 1944 and 1953, centralized traffic control was installed. 
Excerpts from the commission order authorizing the N&W to discontinue the cab signaling read as follows: 
"The petitioner estimated that the cost for inspection and maintenance of cab signal equipment on its 84 locomotives used on its district during 1955 was $85,375 and about $20,000 for wayside equipment, or about a total of $105,000. During that period there were 120 cab signal failures." 
"The N&W has ordered and expects delivery in February 1957 of 50 diesel locomotives to replace its present steam locomotives. Unless it is permitted to discontinue its cab signals it will either have to install the present type of equipment on its new diesels at a cost of about $342,000 and continue to contend with its present cab signal problems or replace the present system with a modern coded system at a cost of about $1,400,000 for wayside equipment and $304,000 for locomotive equipment. This expense, it contends, is not justified because cab signals are not required for safety of train operation in this territory." 
"It is believed the discontinuance of these cab signals, and operation under a centralized traffic control system in this instance, will materially reduce safety and will add greatly to flexibility of petitioners train operation as well as result in reduced maintenance expenditures.”

To add to what Glenn said:

There is an article in the Arrow, Volume 1, Issue 5 that is a reprint from an N&W Magazine article from January 1927. I’m considering a redo of it with more material for a future Arrow. As we have a lot more on the subject now.

Basically, to answer your question, the ICC issued in order 13413, dated June 13, 1922 that, of course, is more complicated than easily explained, that a number of railroads should have a district installed with Automatic Train Control equipment on one operating district. The N&W probably chose the Shenandoah Division as it was operated under train order and block system, and the installation of signals and train control equipment was probably the easiest there. 

Ken Miller

> On Aug 21, 2019, at 11:15 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
> 
> Due to a number of deadly passenger train wrecks, the ICC in 1922 mandated that some form of automatic train control be installed on at least one passenger division.  In 1924 the N&W installed a continuous three-speed inductive train control system with cab signalling on the Shenandoah Division between Hagerstown and Shenandoah.  With the ICC permission, the entire Shenandoah Division adopted a two-speed system in 1926.  Unfortunately my notes do not indicate when the ATC was removed from the division.
> 
> Glenn Fisher
> 
> Cornwall PA
> 
>> On August 21, 2019 at 4:58 AM NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote: 
>> 
>> Rick Morrison stated: 
>> 
>> "No, [the 611 (or other J class locos) have never operated on the Shenandoah Valley line in revenue service] except for one occasion according to Louis Newton. He wrote that 603 ran Roanoke to Shenandoah once with special permission from the Division Superintendent. Permission was required because none of the J's where equipped with cab signals. I don't remember that he mentioned why a J made this trip. Five K2a's, 127-131 were equipped with cab signals for Shenandoah Division operation. 60 Roanoke based locomotives were so equipped. Steam operation officially ended on the division February 19, 1957. The crew for train 1 was called before midnight on the 19th, but the train actually departed Hagerstown at 1:15 am February 20th." 
>> 
>> I'm sure this topic has been discussed in a book or ARROW article, but I don't have that information source handy. Why did the other N&W Divisions not use Automatic Train Control or cab signals --or, inversely, why were these systems installed on the Shenandoah Division? When were ATC and cab signals systems retired on the Shenandoah Division? Either an summary or a reference to an information source will be welcomed. 
>> 
>> Thank you, 
>> 
>> Frank Scheer 
>> f_scheer at yahoo.com <mailto:f_scheer at yahoo.com> 
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