Basic Railway Signals

Safe operation of freight and passenger trains requires a system of signaling. To inform the locomotive and train crew of the position of other trains in relation to their own, signals installed at frequent intervals give indications which are visible both by day and by night. Wayside signals installed along railroad tracks are called fixed signals.

The semaphore is considered to be the earliest type of the signal. The relative position of the semaphore arm constituted the signal.

To indicate “stop” a horizontal arm was used. “Proceed” was indicated by vertical arm. To give restrictive indications the arm was inclined¹ up or down.

Color lights give the indications at night. The semaphore mechanism is equipped with lenses illuminated by a lamp, so that a red light shows when the semaphore is in the ‘stop’ position, a green light – when the semaphore is in the ‘proceed’ position, and a yellow light – when the semaphore is in the restrictive position. The color-light signal sometimes used is known to have semaphore arm and give both day and night indications by means of red, green and yellow lights. We know some signals to be operated by hand, others to be automatic.

On some railroads locomotives are known to be equipped with apparatus located in the cab, which gives a continuous indication² to the engineman identical with that shown by wayside signals.

By cab signals the engine crew is supposed to be always informed of conditions ahead regardless of the weather which could prevent the driver from seeing wayside signals. Locomotive cab signals are equipped to give audible warnings whenever the aspect changes to one more restrictive position. A protective device is installed on some railroads to apply the brakes automatically and bring a train to a stop if, for any reason, a “stop” signal is passed. It is called automatic train control. The earliest signals were hand-operated, usually by station employees.

Notes: 1) to incline – наклоняться; 2) continuous indication - непрерывная выдача показаний.

Ex. 10. Choose the correct variant to complete the sentence. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Safe operation of freight and passenger trains requires (a system of signaling; an attractive design; double-deck coaches). 2. A (semaphore; color light signal; flag) is considered to be the earliest type of railway signal. 3. The semaphore mechanism is equipped with (glasses; software; lenses). 4. Railway signals can be operated (manually, automatically, both manually and automatically). 5. Cab signals inform locomotive crews about (the weather; political news; the state of the track). 6. A protective device is to (apply the brakes automatically; increase the train speed; increase the volume of freight and passenger traffic). 7. The color-light signal is known to give (vowel and consonant sounds; day and night indications; computer images and pictures). 8. Fixed signals are considered to be (highway area; road signs; wayside signals). 9. The “proceed” position means that the light is (red; yellow; green). 10. Cab signals are identical with that shown by (wayside signals; alarm signals; emergency signals).

Ex. 11. These are the answers to questions about text A. Write the questions.

1. A system of signaling.

2. Both by day and night.

3. Fixed signals.

4. Yes, they are. They are the earliest type of signals.

5. A horizontal arm.

6. When the semaphore is in the ‘stop’ position.

7. When the aspect changes to one more restrictive position.

8. On some railways.

9. It is called ATC.

10. Station employees.

Ex. 12. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English:

1. Семафоры, как известно, раньше были самым распространенным сигналом. 2. Железнодорожные сигналы устанавливаются с определенной частотностью интервалов. 3. Известно, что световые сигналы – красный, желтый, зеленый – дают показания, как в дневное, так и в ночное время. 4. Сейчас, как известно, многие сигналы являются автоматическими. 5. Локомотивы оборудованы локомотивной сигнализацией, которая подает машинисту такие же сигналы, как и путевые. 6. Это устройство называется поездной авторегулировкой. 7. Раньше сигналы подавались вручную станционными служащими. 8. Предохранительное устройство, установленное на некоторых железных дорогах, дает возможность применять автоматические тормоза для остановки поезда.

Text B. Scan the text and write down all the unknown words. Read the text trying to guess the meaning of the unknown words. Retell the text in Russian.

George Stephenson (9 June 1781 – 12 August 1848) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives and is known as the "Father of Railways". His rail gauge of 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm), sometimes called "Stephenson gauge", is the world's standard gauge.

Stephenson designed his first locomotive in 1814, a travelling engine designed for hauling coal on the Killingworth wagonway, and named Blücher after the Prussian general Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. This locomotive could haul 30 tons of coal up a hill at 4 mph (6.4 km/h), and was the first successful flanged-wheel adhesion locomotive: its traction depended only on the contact between its flanged wheels and the rail. Altogether, Stephenson produced 16 locomotives at Killingworth.

The new engines were too heavy to be run on wooden rails, and iron rails were in their infancy, with cast iron being too brittle. Together with William Losh, Stephenson improved the design of cast iron rails to reduce breakage.

Stephenson was hired to build an 8-mile (13-km) railway from Hetton colliery to Sunderland in 1820. It was the first railway using no animal power.

Lesson FIVE

Ex. 1. Practice the reading of the following words and phrases:

comply, cause, accident, eliminate, emergency, obstacle, identify, semi-automatic, continuously, freight, feature, apply, virtually, prescribed, research;

traffic capacity, trunk route, permissible speed, complete the circuit, consequent indication, approaching train, appropriate distance, guided radar, double-track lines.

Ex. 2. These are the key words to Lesson 5. You are to copy them and memorize their meanings.

Word-box:

fixed ground equipment - постоянные (стационарные) сигналы; performance – рабочие характеристики; a guided radar – радиолокационный сигнал с дистанционным управлением; a classification yard / marshalling yard – сортировочная станция; to shunt – маневрировать, a shunter – маневровый локомотив, shunting operation –маневровая работа.

Ex. 3. Copy the following words and memorize their meanings:

to be under way (something) - находиться в процессе (чего-либо);

to comply (with) – подчиняться (каким-то правилам);

a cause – причина,

to cause – являться причиной, вызывать;

to eliminate – исключать, устранять;

an emergency – критическое положение, авария;

an obstacle – помеха, препятствие,

to overcome an obstacle – преодолеть препятствие;

to set – устанавливать;

a survey – исследование, изыскание,

to survey – наблюдать, изучать.

Read and translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. Every law passed by the Parliament must comply with the Constitution. 2. On this dangerous section trains must comply with the permissible speed. 3. Suddenly there was a power cut, causing the whole computer system to shut down. 4. The cause of the accident was a broken brake lever. 5. You can set the armchair in the corner over there, please. 6. The heating is set at 18 degrees. 7. The railway operation company hopes to eliminate needless deaths in fires by using more fire-resistant materials. 8. Make sure your children know what to do in an emergency. 9. In an emergency dial 911 for police, the fire department or an ambulance. 10. Bridges and tunnels are constructed to overcome natural and artificial obstacles. 11. The fact that nobody was able to translate this contract in time was a serious obstacle for the negotiators. 12. To get to Harvard she had to overcome the usual obstacles facing someone from a poor background. 13. The work on the project is under way. 14. The subject under investigation is of great theoretical and practical importance. 15. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident. 16. The new automated control system will eliminate all types of accidents which can be caused by the driver error. 17. Experts surveyed the situation that had brought about the crisis. 18. The company carried out a survey of the people’s attitudes to housework. 19. A basic understanding of car engines can be very useful, especially in emergencies. 20. We can never eliminate crime from our society.

Ex. 4. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense form and translate the sentences into Russian:

1. Those drivers who (not to comply – Present Simple Active) with traffic rules must be fined. 2. Heavy traffic (to cause – Present Continuous Active) long delays on the roads. 3. Engine failure (to cause – Past Simple Passive) by careless driving. 4. After a long investigation faulty warning lights (to find – Past Simple Passive) to be the cause of the accident. 5. I (to set – Present Perfect Active) my alarm clock for six o’clock. 6. Under the agreement all trade barriers between the US and Canada (to eliminate – Future Simple Passive). 7. The staff (to train – Past Simple Passive) to deal with any emergency. 8. Before moving into the territory we (to survey – Past Simple Active) it carefully. 9. A survey of the area (to give - Past Simple Active) no information. 10. We (to force – Past Simple Passive) to join a technology company to do a research. 11. Diesel locos (to use – Present Simple Passive) for shunting operation because it is no economic to electrify a marshalling yard. 12. When a switch (to operate – Present Simple Passive), any train whose leading car or locomotive is on the track circuits affected (to bring - Future Simple Passive) to an emergency stop immediately. 13. On-board equipment (to check – Future Simple Active) the train’s actual speed against the allowed speed and (to slow or to stop - Future Simple Active) the train if any section (to enter – Present Simple Passive) at more than the allowed speed. 14. Engineers (to work – Present Perfect Continuous) to bring about two revolutionary changes in the field of communications and control.

Ex. 5. Many words in English can be either nouns, adjectives or verbs. Fill in the blanks using the correct forms of the words in brackets. You may have to change verb tenses or make plurals.

1. The … of the wind is strong enough to knock down that building. They … to give them my money. (force) 2. This button … the temperature in the building. Generally, her driving is OK, but her clutch … isn’t very good. He managed to gain … over the company. (control) 3. Can you find … for this piece of wood? Someone … my knife to open a can of fruit. (use) 4. This is … where we had the accident. He … his hat carefully on the table. (place) 5. He’s lived here for the … two years. The good weather won’t … . (last) 6. He gave me a watch as a … . What is your … address? When he retired, the company … him a watch. Which computer … at the exhibition would you like to buy? (present) 7. I bought her an Elvis Presley … for her birthday. He … his speech on his pocket tape recorder. (record) 8. He has an apartment in the city and … in the country. The state government … the homeless people in the high school. (house) 9. The train goes through without a … . Let's … at my granny for two days. (stop) 10. In spring we usually … the clocks ahead one hour. A complete … of the author’s works consists of twenty-seven volumes. (set) 11. He … the button to turn the TV on. The accident was reported in the local … . Give it a slight … . (press)

Ex. 6. Pay attention to different meanings of the words state, statement and order:

A. 1. The house isn’t in a very good state. 2. His state of health is getting worse. 3. The electricity industry is owned by the state. 4. She was active in state and local government. 5. A problem must be stated in order to be solved. 6. The device was in the state of operability. 7. State your name and address. 8. Your room is in a very untidy state. 9. He stated his opinion on the matter. 10. The latest figures reflect the horrible state of the steel industry. 11. Much of the world engineering industry is in a state of depression. 12. The airline is 53% state-owned. 13. He made a statement to the police. 14. Bank statement is the paper showing how much money you have in your bank account. 15. The punishment for making false statement to the tax officer can be severe. 16. You will receive a customer statement at the end of each month. 17. The new luxury car model is a statement of intent of where the company is aiming to go.

B. 1. He gave an order to the soldiers. 2. If you can’t obey orders you shouldn’t be a policeman. 3. We have a large order of machinery from Japan. 4. The waiter brought him the wrong order. 5. The names on the list are in alphabetical order. 6. The elevator is out of order. 7. He ordered the school to be closed. 8. I don’t like being ordered around. 9. He ordered a hamburger and a can of beer. 10. If you pack everything in order, you won’t forget to take anything. 11. All the films were in the wrong order and took her hours to find the right one. 12. “Drop your gun and put your hand behind your head!” McBain ordered. 13. Bicyclists wear expensive tight-fitting suits in order to cut down wind resistance. 14. Most people play sports in order to relax, have fun, and keep in shape. 15. The company has just won an order to supply engines to a French business airline. 16. The engine is now in perfect working order. 17. I can’t phone you, my cell phone is out of order. 18. This equipment can be ordered direct from the manufacturer. 19. You can order our product on the Internet.

Ex. 7. Translate the following sentences paying attention to different functions of the infinitives.

1. Modern railways are completely automated to provide high-speed mass transportation. 2. High-speed traffic requires signaling to be widely used on railway lines. 3. The automatic train operation is expected to increase the traffic capacity of lines, making two tracks do the work done by four today. 4. Signaling is used to control and regulate the movement of trains. 5. To drive a train strictly to schedule and at a high speed, an engine driver should always look ahead, size up the situation quickly, set the necessary engine operation mode, use braking devices. 6. When the new CTC is completed it will be used to control the entire trunk line. 7. As for local station panels will then be used only for shunting movements when required and to act as a reserved control system. 8. To go for a walk was the only thing to do. 9. He’s got a headache. He claims to have been working on the computer all day. 10. I would sooner be hungry than ask him for a piece of bread. 11. To ride with a careless driver is dangerous. 12. Is it difficult to operate this machine? 13. This story is easy to believe. 14. I demand to know who is responsible. 15. It’s not a question to be discussed now. 16. To do well is better than to speak well. 17. To help the driver get information while concentrating on the road the most important data will be projected on the windscreen.18. Signals to be measured must be strong enough.19. In order to understand this phenomenon the laws of motion should be considered. 20. To understand this problem you must read this article. 21. To understand this problem is impossible. 22. To answer this question we studied a lot of publications. 23. To make this experiment without special equipment is absolutely impossible. 24. The method to be chosen in any particular case depends on many factors. 25. The term “radar” is known to be composed of the first letters of “radio detection and ranging”.

Ex. 8. Match the words and word combinations in column A with their Russian equivalents in column B.

A	B
1) to generate frequency	a) допустимая скорость
2) in an emergency	b) надежный
3) push-button switches	c)экран телевизора
4) fail-safe	d) МПС
5) research institutes	e) полуавтоматический
6) a screen of a TV set	f) в случае аварии
7) permissible speed	g) с этой целью
8) Railways Ministry	h) опознавать себя
9) semi-automatic	i) замыкать цепь
10) for this purpose	j) читать вслух
11) to identify oneself	k) вырабатывать частоту
12) to complete the circuit	l) кнопочные переключатели
13) human error	m) научно-исследовательские институты
14) to read aloud	n) человеческий фактор

Text A. Read and translate the text using a dictionary if necessary.