Dear sirs.

In the old times there was in Brazil a system of controlling the the traffic of trains between two stations called "electric staff". By the system a train only could leave the station "A" after receiving the "staff" (a bar of metal that was taken from a device) after the next station "B" had unlocked it by an electric current. Was there a similar device in your country? If so, could you tell me where can I get a photo of the device and details about how it worked?
Please, send the answer to
jatveiga@terra.com.br

Thanks

Julio Augusto Toledo Veiga
Piracicaba (SP) - Brazil

jatveiga@terra.com.br

> Dear sirs.

> In the old times there was in Brazil a
> system of controlling the the traffic of
> trains between two stations called
> "electric staff". By the system a
> train only could leave the station
> "A" after receiving the
> "staff" (a bar of metal that was
> taken from a device) after the next station
> "B" had unlocked it by an electric
> current. Was there a similar device in your
> country? If so, could you tell me where can
> I get a photo of the device and details
> about how it worked?
> Please, send the answer to
> jatveiga@terra.com.br

> Thanks

> Julio Augusto Toledo Veiga
> Piracicaba (SP) - Brazil

Julio,
The Colorado Midland used such a system in their Hagerman Tunnel near Leadville, CO. The line was abandoned about 1918 or so. Follow the link and scroll down. It refers to the staff
system for controlling movement through the tunnel.
http://www.netreach.net/~rphillips/_pg3_16.html

Don C.

old_fxrs@msn.com

Southern Pacific used the electric staff system on Donner Pass from circa 1911? until double-tracking was completed in the 1920s. Engines were equipped with an automatic staff-exchange "catcher" on the side of the cab, below the window. It was similiar to a miniature mailbag catcher. This is clearly visible in pre-1930 photos of cab-forwards, etc. (this eliminmated the need to stop at each staff-exchange station.) Once "the hill" was double-tracked, the staff system was replaced by automatic block signals. More info is available in Signor's excellent book "Donner Pass".

I believe that Northern Pacific Railroad had a similiar system for the single-track Stampede Pass tunnel during the same time period. One oldtimer referred to the staff as "the pickle".

doug.w.debs@fcimg.com

I seem to recall that the Pacific Electric used a staff system on a portion of the San Bernardino line. It was a portion of the line that utilized trackage rights on a SP branch line between near San Dimas and north Pomona.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net