670 



PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION H. 



a train was in a section, "line clear'" (or permission to enter the- 

 section) could not be given to a tollowing train. In view, however,. 

 of the speed at which many trains travel, even this system was found 

 insufficient, owing to possible overrunning of signals, and hence for 

 years past the rules have been modiiied so that " line clear" cannot 

 be given unless the line is clear for a quarter of a mile ahead of the- 

 home signal in advance, and (as regards British practice) the pre- 

 ceding train is either shunted to one side or pi'oceeding on its 

 journey. 



Australian railway practice in the matter of precautions for 

 securing safe working of trains follows generally on that of British. 

 Hnes, as distinguished from the American train despatcher system. 

 As regards British practice, certain requirements of the Board of 

 Trade have to be complied with, prominent amongst which are the 

 '• block telegraph system" with double line working and the train 

 staff and train ticket system combined with the block telegraph 

 system, or alternately the electric staff or tablet system, on single- 

 lines, except wdiere one engine only is allowed on a line at once, 

 wdiere the train staff system alone is required. Subject to the Board 

 of Trade regulations, British railways are generally worked in accord- 

 ance wnth the rules and regulations drawn up by the Railway Clear- 

 ing House with such modifications as may be adopted on each system. 

 The writer sought to purchase a copy of these rules and regulations 

 from the secretary of the Clearing House, and was refused, on the 

 ground of its being a private publication, the practice differing most 

 markedly in this respect from that of the American railway associa- 

 tions, whose standard code of train rules is sold publicly. Howevei-, 

 thanks to the courtesy of various officials, he has obtained copies of 

 the rules and regulations and working appendix of a leading British 

 railway, and also of the Victorian, New South Wales, and South 

 Australian railways, and has reason to believe that those of Victoria 

 and New South Wales are in practically exact accordance with those 

 of the Kaihvay Clearing House, and tlaat those of South Australia,, 

 whilst differing considerably, mainly follow British lines. 



As stated in the various rules, the object of the block telegraph, 

 system is to prevent more than one train being in the section between, 

 two block signal boxes on the same line at the same time. Whilst in 

 general tei'ms this may be taken as indicating the object, it will be- 

 found that where signal boxes are at stations, trains are commonly 

 permitted to pass them to enter such stations, even if the section 

 ahead bs not clear, and, as already mentioned, the more recent codes 

 of regulations provided that a section is not to be considered clear 

 unless the preceding train has passed at least a quarter of a mil& past 

 the home signal in advance. Hence, for the pui-pose of a careful 

 discussion, it is ]ireferable in cases where sections are from station 

 to station and starting signals are jjrovided, to take boundaries of 

 the sections as being such starting signals in lien of either the liome 

 signal or the signal box, and to provide that such starting signals 

 must always be a quarter of a mile in advance of the home signal. 

 With the section thus defined, the train does not enter the section 

 until after leaving the station in the rear,, although whilst stopping- 



