This next update are some photos of Infomat – a Pullman car space reservation scheme developed for the PRR by US&S in the early 1950’s:

Installed on a trial basis in Cleveland, based on this photo – it appears that there were installations in ticket offices at three locations:   City, Pennsylvania, and Euclid (Avenue?).

The PRR logo is a nice touch.

Some close-ups up of the relay apparatus in the back show step-by-step switches, along with cases of type L relays and a KP line relay for the coding equipment perhaps.

To find circuit plans for this would be a real treat – if they even exist anymore?

Note how the bundle of wires in the upper left hand corner grows in size as each row of vertical wires from the front panel joins it.    Imagine how much time and patience it took wire something like this…   All in a days work back then.

I know its a long shot, but if anyone has any details, photos of this system in service, pamphlet U-5134, or even any recollection of how it worked – please share.       Thanks!       -Rich

UPDATE:   More discussion here and US Patent 2622142 info here.   A look at the circuit diagrams reveal those timing relays we all know and love that are common to most US&S relay timecode systems:  1L, 2L, LP, LB …   some things never changed 🙂

Hard to believe the US&S photo site has been online for over a year now.  More photos coming in 2013 … relays, relay cases, signals, switch machines, radio and communications.   Even gas & oil pipeline control equipment.    Stay tuned!

This next update is Remote Control Photos, from Book F.   There’s photos of remote control equipment for  locomotives, tractors, and cranes…  neat stuff.

I’ve seen people with Propellers on their heads… but I’ve never seen a guy with an antenna on his head before.   Poor guy.   I’m guessing, if he stooped over, anyone standing near him would probably lose an eye. 🙂  Oh wait, they should have their safety glasses on….nevermind.  Anyway, its late… my own eyes are bugging out from typing in all these captions… and I’m not really sure what else to say, so…   Enjoy!

Three… Two…One… Zero…  Liftoff…

“The Atlas takes off at Test Center Florida” reads the (US&S) caption.   Being a rocket and spaceflight geek…. I would probably have written, “An Atlas rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida.”    This looks like an early Atlas-D test, based on the payload.

Aviation & Navigation Photos are posted.   Book N-2 is MIA, unfortunately.

Enjoy!

Here’s a sneak peak of Aviation & Navigation photos, from book N-1:

Launching of Martin Matador rocket (US&S built rocket launchers)  Dated 1955:

“Air Traffic Control – Individual Display Panels – for Approach Control of Aircraft at Airports”

Closeup of “C.A.A. Panel”, 1/4/57:R.A.D.C. Air Traffic Control Console:Full album coming soon …  Stay tuned!

This month’s update is the conclusion of Subways, Book R-2, which features: Bay Area Rapid Transit District Equipment,  Montreal Rapid Transit (Skyway), New York Board of Transportation and Shuttle Automation, and a short folder called San Francisco Automatic Train Control System.  I corrected some caption errors in the N.Y.B.T. photos, but I’m sure there are others.

Times Square - Grand Central Station Automated Train

Spring has sprung early here on the East Coast – so I’ve been busy with outside C&S and CTC projects.   Not sure when and what the next update will be – maybe I’ll mix it up a bit.   Here’s another photo, actually a painting?, titled “Expo 67” – Montreal Rapid Transit.                   Enjoy!

This next update is from book R-1, entitled “Subways“.    The three sections are labeled Boston Subway (Metropolitan Transit Authority), Chicago Subway, and Philadephia Subway.   The Chicago section includes photos from the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and its successor, the Chicago Transit Authority.   The Philadelphia section includes photos from the Philadelphia Transportation Company’s Broad Street and Ridge Avenue Lines, as well as the Delaware River Port Authority’s Benjamin Franklin Bridge Line.

Westbound automatic signal on Philadelphia's Ben Franklin Bridge

Another big Thank You goes out to Kendrick Bisset for allowing me to scan this book and present it here for all to enjoy.   I only had book R-2 in the my library and never thought I’d see book R-1.  Many of the CTA photos are duplicated in the UR Interlocking Chicago Rapid Transit Company album, however I’ll leave them in this album since they are grouped together.   Book R-2 coming soon.  Enjoy!

This update is brought to you by the letter “T”, for books T-1 thru 4, labeled “Train Control” and “Cab Signals“.   Photos of Type E, EL, and CY cab signal equipment can be found in the  Cab signals album, as well as several  albums  grouped together by railroad.  To the right is a photo from Southern Pacific’s San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge installation, dated August 3, 1939.

There’s also US&S Shop Photos, including this one, labeled “Exhibition Room display of ‘Union’ Cab Signal & Speed Control System”  –  displaying Type-E Cab Signal equipment and related apparatus.   Enjoy!

This next update kind of  looks like an old high school yearbook … It’s book V-02, entitled “Portraits“, which contains 100 photos of select US&S employees and associates.   Perhaps the  Has-Been community knew some of these people?  Corrections welcome – and if you find yourself or someone you’d like a  Hi-Res scan of, just drop me a line and I’ll see what I can do.    Enjoy!

This weekend’s update is photos from book D-1, titled “E.P. Interlocking”.   A huge THANK YOU goes out to Kendrick Bisset for allowing me to scan these.     Below is the E.P. machine from Cincinnati Union Terminal:While this machine no longer exists – the track model is preserved and on display at the Cincinnati Museum Center.   There’s also a photo of the 72-Unit Push Button E.P machine at Belt Railway of Chicago’s Clearing Yard:  You can read about this installation at Clearing Yard in the August, 1915 edition of Signal Engineer (page 235).   There’s also a great article on the PRR’s Northumberland yard from November, 1911, which also featured Push Button EP machines.  I’m still searching for an online copy of this article.

You’ll also catch a glimpse into the life of a maintainer every once and a while in some of these photos, including this guy, who probably needs a bigger hammer.  If only photos could talk…     🙂

Enjoy – And again, thank you Kendrick for these fine photos.