The NYC system was an intermittent system.
The Pennsy and subsidiary Long Island Rail Road (and the New York and Long Branch) had a continuous pulse-code cab signal system with a whistle and acknowledger. All LIRR locomotives and EMU cab cars were so equipped.
When approaching a restrictive signal, the cab signal would drop to the appropriate indication and the whistle in the cab would blow (today they use a beep-beep-beep alerter). The engineer then had seven seconds in which to acknowledge the warning by stepping on, and releasing, a foot pedal. If he failed to do so, power would be cut and a penalty brake application would occur, stopping the train. The pedal was small, and was shaped in such a way in held in such a position that it would be impossible to keep one's foot on it and hold it down. It was more like a "swipe" with the foot.
Had the Jersey Central locomotives on train 3314 on September 15, 1958 been equipped with this type of system, the Newark Bay Bridge disaster would not have occurred, because control would have been removed from the (evidently) disabled engineer as soon as he passed the first yellow signal. Ironically, the locomotives did have this equipment but it was only operational on the NY&LB portion of the trip.
The Pennsy and subsidiary Long Island Rail Road (and the New York and Long Branch) had a continuous pulse-code cab signal system with a whistle and acknowledger. All LIRR locomotives and EMU cab cars were so equipped.
When approaching a restrictive signal, the cab signal would drop to the appropriate indication and the whistle in the cab would blow (today they use a beep-beep-beep alerter). The engineer then had seven seconds in which to acknowledge the warning by stepping on, and releasing, a foot pedal. If he failed to do so, power would be cut and a penalty brake application would occur, stopping the train. The pedal was small, and was shaped in such a way in held in such a position that it would be impossible to keep one's foot on it and hold it down. It was more like a "swipe" with the foot.
Had the Jersey Central locomotives on train 3314 on September 15, 1958 been equipped with this type of system, the Newark Bay Bridge disaster would not have occurred, because control would have been removed from the (evidently) disabled engineer as soon as he passed the first yellow signal. Ironically, the locomotives did have this equipment but it was only operational on the NY&LB portion of the trip.
Fairbanks-Morse forever!
