230 REPORT—1874. 
For the ‘invention of this interlocking of the points and signals of railways, and 
the arrangement of mechanism designed to prevent the confliction of the signals 
with one another and of the signals with the points, we are indebted to Mr. John 
Saxby, a very ingenious inventor, formerly in the employ of the London, Brighton, 
and South Coast Railway Company, and now the proprietor jointly with his 
partner, Mr, J. S. Farmer, of one of the most extensive and well-arranged manu- 
facturing establishments in the country, employing between 3000 and 4000 hands 
and a large capital mainly, if not entirely, created during the last twelve or 
thirteen years. 
The great originality and ingenuity of the Saxby and Farmer interlocking appa- 
ratus, and its capabilities for adaptation to the most complicated and labyrinthic 
arrangements of railway-lines and traffic-working at the junctions, stations, and 
termini of railways, has been the means of so systematizing the working that 
perfect safety may be relied on, so long as the signals can be seen and the engine- 
driver promptly and thoroughly respects them; but, unfortunately, these condi- 
tions are not at all times observed, and serious accidents frequently occur, as will 
be found on reference to the Board of Trade reports by Captain Tyler and other 
Government inspectors from time to time. 
Whenever accidents do occur from the disregard of the signals by the engine- 
driver, or from his inability to see them, a conflict in the eyidence given at a 
coroner’s inquest, or at a Government or other inquiry, is invariably the result; and 
whilst the signalman states that the signals were “against the driver,” or at 
‘“‘danger,” the driver and his mate (and sometimes others in the train) assert 
the direct contrary. 
In many other ways in connexion with the direction of the traffic and traffic- 
working, that which has been done or that which should have been done, but has 
not been done (but whichever it is or may haye been), has produced directly, or 
has been more or less immediately the cause of, serious accidents, and loss of life 
and property has remained untraced or imperfectly accounted for or explained. 
Such oceurrences, when they take place, are unsatisfactory, and frequently inyolye 
serious injustice to some guiltless or innocent persons. 
The author has, during his experience and practice as a scientific expert, whilst 
engaged investigating the causes of railway accidents, had his attention called to 
the great importance of providing some thoroughly reliable apparatus and arrange- 
ment by the use of, and reference to, which all doubts would be set at rest as to the 
actual condition of the “‘ home ” and “ distant ”’ signals, and the points and switches, 
the level-crossing gates, and other movable portions of the machinery of railways 
and of the trains thereon, at any given period of time, at and near to every signal- 
box, junction, or station. 
To effect these objects, and to do so automatically, and preserve a perfectly 
intelligible and reliable record of every telegraphic direction or signalled instruction 
sent and received for the movement or working of the train-signals, “day” and 
“night,” “home” and “ distant,” semaphore or other, and for the movements of 
the “points” and other portions of the rails or permanent way connected with the 
regulation of the movements or translation of the traffic over the main or branch 
roads and other portions of the system, the author was requested to design and 
provide some reliable and inexpensiye apparatus. Accordingly he undertook the 
task some two years ago, and after an extensive series of experiments and trials, 
under every variety of circumstances connected with the working of railway trafiic, 
he succeeded in arranging a most complete and comprehensive apparatus which 
automatically records :— 
Ist. The directions given and received for regulating the movements of trains ; 
2nd. The movement of every signal of every kind or description ; 
8rd. The movement of the ‘ points” and other portions of the road and way 
affecting or regulating the movements of trains or engines ; 
4th, The passing of trains in each direction ; and 
5th. The time in relation to such moyements &c, All upon the same roll or 
sirip of paper and in a succinct form. 
hese results are obtained by connecting to the reciprocating parts of the point- 
and signal-working apparatus, or to the interlocking gear, a peculiar arrangement 
