I was going through microfilm copies of a local weekly newspaper, The Evanston Index.
I encountered the following news item. It mentions "Hall" and "distant" signal tests.
Can someone explain what is meant?

“North Western Road Block Signal Tests, Engine Crews Are Disciplined So That Failure to Obey Signals Never Occurs,” The Evanston Index, Vol. XXXV, No. 32, January 5, 1907:
Everyone who rides on the Chicago & North Western road is interested in the precautions taken for the safety of passengers. When the block signal system was established it was supposed that it would ensure perfect safety, but recent appalling accidents found due to a disregard on the part of trainmen of the block signal regulations have caused some wonder if the block signal really accomplished all that is claimed for it. According to railroad men the block signal is all that it professes to be, but the trouble has been in the disregard of the signal regulations by engineers.
The management of the North Western railroad has just completed a remarkable demonstration showing what can be accomplished in the way of educating enginemen to obey block signals. During the year 1906 the company made a series of “surprise tests” numbering 1,625 and the record shows there was not a single failure to obey the signals and to observe the rules governing block signaling.
The total signal tests were made up of 614 Hall and 1,011 distant signal tests. During the early period other tests were made in various matters of secondary importance with respect to block signaling. These numbered 1,621 and ranged from audible signal tests to the observance of slow and stop signals placed by track maintainers and others. In only 16 cases were the rules not absolutely obeyed. This is 1 percent failure on signal matters of minor importance. “Surprise tests: are made without previous knowledge of the engine crews and consist of every conceivable question which may arise in connection with block signals and their observance.
The management of the North Western began making these tests several years ago, and found that in a certain percentage of cases the signals were not observed. As the result of a series of early tests ten engineers were discharged from the service and others were severely dealt with for failure to obey signals.
In each case the men were told they had done all in their power to contribute to an accident and it was no fault of theirs that an accident had not occurred. It was given out plainly by the management that failure to obey signals meant dismissal from service. The result of the campaign on the North Western shows, according to the officials, that engine crews can be disciplined to the point where failure to obey signals will practically never occur.


hankmorris@earthlink.net

> mentions "Hall" and
> "distant" signal tests.
> Can someone explain what is meant?

Hall was the name of an early signal manufacturer
which was later (1920s?) absorbed by Union
Switch & Signal. When people say "Hall Signal"
they generally mean a Hall Disc signal which was
one of, if not the, first electrically operated
automatic block signal.

A "distant" signal is one which provides advance
warning of the condition of the next signal ahead,
to provide time to stop. In this context, I
believe they are talking about wire-operated or
electric semaphores which served as distants for
the home signals of an interlocking plant, which
would probably have been mechanical pipeline.

Failure to slow down upon seeing a distant signal
at caution could mean over-running the home signal
at stop and fouling the interlocking or colliding
with another train. Likewise failing to observe
automatic block signals could result in a
rear-end collision.

webmaster@bera.org

The testing in question is probably the same as the testing the RR officials do today: they make the signal display a less than clear aspect and observe crew compliance.

BTW a local person was looking at the signal at Emmaus Jct. and remarked it was "clear on the Hall." RDG replaced the Hall signals in 1948.

Electric City Trolley Museum Association

> BTW a local person was looking at the signal
> at Emmaus Jct. and remarked it was
> "clear on the Hall." RDG replaced
> the Hall signals in 1948.

The B&O Museum has one, The RRMofPA has one, and retired Reading Conductor Bob Linden, used to have one (sold it I think).
Does anyone know of any other Hall "Banjo" signals from The Reading, that survived scrapping?

SG
RCT&HS

The Smithsonian (NMAH)had one from one of the approaches to the RDG's Perkasie Tunnel, donated by Thomas T. Taber in the 1960s. It used to stand in Railroad Hall behind the tender of 1401, but I believe it may have been put into storage.

The RRMPA's Hall banjo came from Huntingdon Valley, Pa., on the Reading's Newtown branch and was donated by then-Museum Director George M. Hart in the early 1970s.

K.R. Bell

> The B&O Museum has one, The RRMofPA has
> one, and retired Reading Conductor Bob
> Linden, used to have one (sold it I think).
> Does anyone know of any other Hall
> "Banjo" signals from The Reading,
> that survived scrapping?

> SG
> RCT&HS