US428385A - Terminal facility for suburban railroads - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) I G. B. BMERY.

TERMINAL FACILITY FOR SUBURBAN RAILROADS.

No. 428,385. aatented May 20; 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Utmost CHARLES E. EMERY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TERMINAL FACILITY FOR SUBURBAN RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,385, dated May 20, 1890. Application filed February 7, 1888. Renewed November 23, 1888. Again renewed April 19,1890. Serial No. 348,593.- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. EMERY, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, (office New York city,) have invented certain new and Improved Terminal Facilities for Suburban Railroads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descript-ion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

In the operation of railroads designed to furnish means of communication from the business districts of cities to the residence districts or suburbs a very great concentration of travel occurs morning and evening, requiring the use of long trains at very frequent intervals. The problem of so operating trains that there will be no danger of collision and of providing means to receive and discharge the passengers in the limited time allowed is a very serious one.

The object of this invention is to provide an arrangement of tracks and station-platforms designed to accomplish this object.

hen trains are running at frequent intervals, if a train be stopped at a station on the main line to receive or discharge passengers, the train immediately following will approach the rear of such train a distance proportioned to the speed of the moving train and the time lost by the other train in making the stop. For instance, if trains be running at a speed of about ten miles per hour, or, say, fifteen feet per second, and such trains be started one and one-half minute, or, in round numbers, one-fourth of a mile apart, and the leading train loose one minute compared with average tlme in stopping at a station, the following train will in that time have run one-sixth of a mile, or within onetwelfth of a mile of the head of the train about to start, or when such train is long within a few hundred feet of its rear, so that any of the delays incident to travel will bring the delayed train still closer to its next following train, thereby causing danger, and if speed be checked delaying the whole system.

In carryingouttheinvention it is proposed to provide double tracks at the stations for trains going in the same direction, and three platforms, one between the two tracks to be used by passengers entering the trains, and one on the outside of each track to be used by passengers leaving the trains, and in operation alternate trains in the same direction will be sent to one of the station-tracks and the intermediate ones to the other, so that in practice a train does not stop in the face of the train immediately following it, as the latter will go to the other track, but in the face of the second one following, so that there is a double interval between trains on the same stationt-raok, and as a train enters on one track in the station the train on the other track may be immediately started, so that the interval between trains can, if desired, be reduced safely to the lost time due to an average stop.

Various modifications of the system are available for cases where there are stations only at the termini of the road and where intermediate stations are necessary. In the latter case the three platforms required for the trains in each direction can be reduced to five platforms in all, as the two abutting platforms may be merged in one.

In connection with the system it is proposed to use double single or gauntleted tracks in each direction, which atstations separate to the two starting-points and again run close together between stations, whereby the trains of each system will by means of the double tracks be kept separated throughout such portion of the line as is desirable.

railroad-tracks with double starting-poin ts on a loop at a terminal station and a double start-f ing-pointon each of the tracks at an intermediate station, or a terminal one in which the tracks.

A and B, Fig. 1, represent two tracks for motion in the same direction in a terminal station, in connection with which is a platform D between the two tracks and platforms O and E on the outside of the tracks. It is intended that access be had to the separate platforms from the street either above or below grade.

In Fig. 2, 1) represents the street-level or the level of a platform below the grade of the railroad-tracks. a represents girders to support the tracks, such girders being carried on columns 9, as shown. The level of the platforms is designated (1, and F is one of the staircases leading from the platforms to the street, as shown in Fig' 1. There are necessarily three staircases connecting severally to the three platforms 0, D, and E. The same general arrangement is applicable for an underground or depressed road, in which case, however, the stairs would descend from the surface of the ground to the platforms between the tracks. In the latter case the girders a and columns g (shownin Fig. 2) simply represent the foundation of the railroad, whether elevated or formed of earth. The surface of the street or the platform of the station would be above the tracks at a level represented by c in dotted lines, and staircases, as shown at f,also in dotted lines,would furnish communication from the :platformlevel (1 to the street or station level c.

G and H are double starting-points for trains in motion in one direction at an intermediate station, and I and J similar tracks for trains moving in the other direction.

L is the platform between G and H, and N the platform between tracks I and J, which would preferably be used as loading-platforms, while platforms K, M, and O on the opposite sides of the cars would be used as unloading-platforms, in which case the central platform M would be used for. trains on both of the tracks H and I.

P and P arestairs separately connecting the five platforms with the street-level, so as to obviate the necessity of crossing the tracks.

in operation trains from the direction of Q would alternately move in on tracks I and J, the one on I in general starting out as the train on J entered the station and the train I and J will move around the curves R and S and alternately enter on the starting-tracks A and B, where passengers would be loaded from the central platform D and unloaded on the side platforms 0 and E at the same time, and the effect as to the safety of the rear of the train from collision with the head of the next train be the same, as has already been described. The train would then run out on the curves T, and, having made a complete circle, return along the tracks U an d alternately enter the starting-points G and H of the intermediate station, and leaving the same alternately proceed in the direction W to other stations or to a terminal station. Switches may be applied in a single main track to separate the alternate trains to the double tracks in the depots and admit them again to the main track beyond the depots; but it ispreferred to run double rails over the whole circuit separated to form double tracks at the stations and run nearly together on the main line, as shown in Fig.3, so that there will be double rails close together on each side. each inner one forming with the outer one of the other pair one track. The two tracks thus formed will separate the trains at the stations without switches, where there is danger due to the stop, and bring them one behind the other on single-track width nearly and save space on the main line, though of. course the same method of operation is applicable for complete double tracks in each direction, or four tracks on the whole or any part of the route. Evidently three or more rails may be laid side by side to form three or more distinct tracks on little more than one width of road-bed along the main line, and such rails may spread in pairs to form independent tracks at the stations in the same way that has been described in relation to the so-called double single track separating at the stations, as described. The five-platform system may be used at terminal stations by putting in rear switches X beyond such a station and between it and the actual end of the line, by the use of which the trains on the doublegauntleted tracks on the incoming side may be transferred to the double tracks on the other and be moved in the opposite direction to the starting-points I and J and go on repeating the operation. The rear tracks in such case would naturally connect with a storage-yard, and trains could be either taken out or put in circulation conveniently when propelled to the rear, or the direct line continue to form a longer route for part of the trains. The double tracks may be united at any point in the yard and at any desirable points on the road. One end of each of the four rails of the gauntleted double tracks may be shifted the distance between the double rails, thus enabling the cars to be changed from one set of rails to the other. Such a switch is indicated at X, with the rails thrown to the righ to connect the left gauntleted track with the right. In regular operation these rails would be in line with the rails of the main line. The curves R, S, and T may, with the station, be grouped together in any convenient form. For instance, thewhole terminal may be a curve,

IIO

either shaped like a pear or the handle of a jug,

wvith the platforms and starting-tracks curved as well, or the depot-station may be put in parallel with the main line, or at any angle with it, so long as the principle is kept up of running in on one end of the starting-tracks and out at the other, thus keeping up a complete circulation. A mongrel but very satisfactory circulation is also secured by the use of a rear-switch system similar to that shown at the crossing X, for so long as the trains do not stop any great length of time beyond the switches, but immediately back in on the return-track, there is little danger of collision from the following train, and such an arrangement is a convenience for a terminal station with a storage-yard in the rear. Then, however, double tracks for motion in each direction are used for a terminal station, five platforms are unnecessary. The two platforms L and N between the branches G and II and I and J of the incoming and outgoing tracks, respectively, are all that are required for complete operation, as the .platform N would be used, in connection with the tracks I and J, for outgoing passengers, and the platform L in connection with the tracks G and H for incoming passengers. Two tracks for motion in the same direction with three platforms, as in the upper part of Fig. 1, may also be used as a terminal station by putting in rear switches near S, instead of a rear curve. This arrangement would be represented in the lower part ofthe figure by using the tracks I and J and platforms M N O in connection with the track H alone, or G gauntleted with H, but without platforms K and L, in which case trains coming from the direction U would pass the station to the rear switches without stopping and then reverse direction and come in upon the tracks I and .I alternately, and unload and load at the same time; or evidently the trains on coming in may stop on the tracks G and H alternately, using platforms K, L, and M for loading and unloading, then run to the rear and cross over to a single track 1, or Igauntleted with J, and move on to the next station without stopping, the platforms N and 0 being dispensed with. Three or more tracks may be provided at each station for trains going in the same direction. One additional is shown in dotted lines at Y, Fig. 1. In this case the platform already in position could be used on one side of such additional track, and an additional platform- ,2 for instance, provided for the other side. It is preferred that the platforms between the double tracks for motion in the same direction be used for passengers entering the trains and the platforms outside the double tracks used for passengers leaving the trains. Still, evidently, when conditions require, the use of the platforms may be reversed and passengers enter from the outside and be discharged at the middle platform. Evidently,

also, the passengers may be received and dissystem of operation would be the same.

I am aware that it is common at way-stations on railroads to provide turn-outs on which trains may be run to wait for another train or to permit such train to pass; also, that such turn-outs frequently connect again to the main line, so that the motion of the train may be always in the same direction.

I am also aware that in some cases such turn-outs are used for trains going afterward in different directions, but which in the depots run in the same direction, or even for local and express trains which follow each other on the same track; but it is believed to be novel to provide a series of multiple tracks or turn-outs for trains running in the same direction, with intermediate platforms connecting with the street or surface of the ground off grade, whereby it is unnecessary for passengers to cross the tracks, and the system may be operated in a novel mannerto wit, by running trains moving in the same direction alternately to different starting-tracks at the stations-so that the rear of a waiting train is not menaced by the head of the train immediately following, but by that of the second train after when there are two starting-points, and the third train after when there are three, and so on, thus securing safety in handling trains of any length at very short intervals.

I am aware that gauntleted railroad-tracks have been used on cable inclines, where cars running in opposite directions are connected to opposite ends of the same cable to permit the trains to be run on substantially singletrack width at all points except the middle, where the gauntleted tracks separate to permit the cars to pass when moving in opposite directions. It is, however, believed to be novel to provide for trains moving in the same direction gauntleted tracks separated at intervals to form stations or stopping-points to enable the interval between trains, notwithstanding stoppages, to be reduced to that required for safety on the road.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A series of stations provided with multiple tracks for trains running in the same direction, combined with platforms connected with the street at another grade, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with multiple startingtracks at a station for trains in the same direction, gauntleted tracks 011 the main line arranged to automatically effect the separastation arranged so that the trains on the multiple incoming tracks can be directed on the multiple outgoing tracks, substantially as IO described.

CHAS. E. EMERY.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE C. PENNELL, RoB'r. M. REEVS.

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