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 2023 - July - Szacsvay - Dr William Robinson's enduring contribution to railway safety and productivity |
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Paul SzacsvayDr William Robinson (1841 – 1921) named by the Signal Section of the American Railway Association to be ‘the father of automatic block signalling”, is without doubt the most important unknown ‘hero’ of modern day railway signalling. In August 1872 he obtained US patent No 130,661 for his Improvement in Electric-Signaling Apparatus for Railroads, an automatic block signalling system based on the detection of trains by ‘closed track circuits’. That system, with minor enhancements made shortly afterwards, has become the basis for most signalling systems through to the present day, due to its inherent safety, operational efficiency, adaptability to a changing environment and versatility in application to emerging operational needs. It also embodied the original expression and application of the concept of Fail-Safe design. It made a quantum improvement in the operating safety of railways, at the same time improved productivity of rail operations by improving line capacity in conjunction with major reductions in the numbers of operational staff required.
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