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Railway interlocking is of British origin, where numerous patents were granted. In June 1856, John Saxby received the first patent for interlocking switches and signals. [2] [3]: 23–24 In 1868, Saxby (of Saxby & Farmer) [4] was awarded a patent for what is known today in North America as “preliminary latch locking”.
Unimog pushing a "Spindle Precision Wrenching Unit" used for automatic and synchronous tightening and loosening of rail fastenings Mabbett Railway Chair Manufacturing Company share certificate (1867) A rail fastening system is a means of fixing rails to railroad ties ( North America ) or sleepers ( British Isles , Australasia , and Africa ).
Conventional "trapped key" pin tumbler locks (held in fixed position by solenoids) are mounted in key-release units set up at each end of controlled single line. The number of locks in each unit is determined by the expected traffic frequency; optionally at times short sections may be combined to reduce the number of stops ( see Long section ...
Signal box and tracks at Deval interlocking, Des Plaines, in 1993 Originally, all signaling was done by mechanical means.Points and signals were operated locally from individual levers or handles, requiring the signalman to walk between the various pieces of equipment to set them in the required position for each train that passed.
The invention of train detection systems such as track circuits allowed the replacement of manual block systems such as absolute block with automatic block signalling. Under automatic block signalling, signals indicate whether or not a train may enter a block based on automatic train detection indicating whether a block is clear.
Automatic block signaling (ABS), spelled automatic block signalling or called track circuit block (TCB [1]) in the UK, is a railroad communications system that consists of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of sections, called blocks. The system controls the movement of trains between the blocks using automatic signals.
A right-hand railroad switch with point indicator pointing to right Animated diagram of a right-hand railroad switch. Rail track A divides into two: track B (the straight track) and track C (the diverging track); note that the green line represents direction of travel only, the black lines represent fixed portions of track, and the red lines depict the moving components.
A mechanical lever frame inside the signal box at Knockcroghery in Ireland Waterloo station A signalbox, LSWR (Howden, Boys' Book of Locomotives, 1907). Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals, track locks [1] and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control.