PANAMA RAILROAD COMPANY. z 18

Complete plans have been prepared and drawings made for the
- new station building now under construction at Panama. |
Studies have been made and plans developed for the permanent
terminal yards at Balboa. ,
The regular routine work of preparing progress reports, etc., for
the dock work, and drawings for vairous maintenance of way struc-
tures have been carried on.

SIGNAL, DEPARTMENT,

During the year automatic signals have been installed from Mindi
to Corozal, with the exception of 4.18 miles between Caimito and
Gamboa Cabin, where the main tracks are not exactly on permanent
erade and alignment. |

‘The building of additional tracks between Pedro Miguel and Corozal
and abrupt changes in Isthmian Canal Commission traffic through
this territory caused the removal of all automatic features between
these points in February. oe, |

Within the territory between Mindi and Corozal there are now in |
service 58 automatic and 4 semiautomatic signals, with track circuit
controls ranging from 0.48 to 2.78 miles. These signals are three-
position and operate in the upper right-hand quadrant. The current
is furnished from gravity and caustic-soda batteries. The night
indications are given through red, yellow, and green roundels in the
spectacle casting.

There are also in service within this territory 9 power-operated
home signals and 13 power-operated train-order and manual block
signals; these operate two-position from horizontal to vertical only
and night indications are red and green. Current is furnished from
caustic soda batteries and the controls are actuated by circuit break-
ers on levers or through special apparatus when required. )

Power-operated signals are of two types; designed as bottom-post
and top-post signals. The bottom -post signal is self-contained, hav-
ing two compartments with sufficient space to accommodate the
relays, battery, and mechanism. The top-post signal is clamped to
an existing signal mast and separate shelter must be provided for
relays and batteries. Of the 84 power-operated signals in service on
the relocated line, 68 are bottom-post and 16 top-post signals.

The general design of apparatus and typical circuit schemes are in
accordance with the latest standards and recommendations of the
Railway Signal Association of the United States. The usual scheme
of control has been carried further in this installation, as trains are
brought up to all stop aspects, including train-order signals, at limited
speed at all times when traffic is operating under normal conditions.

Some deviations were made in aspects from the general practice in
the United States, in order to simplify both the night and day indica-
tions, and to meet local conditions peculiar to the Isthmus.

In certain territories where traftic is exceedingly heavy during cer-
tain intervals it is possible to inaugurate a manual block system and
use the automatic signals as an adjunct to this method of handling
trains. In this event, their most restrictive aspect is limited speed;
allowing the spoil trains to follow each other at the minimum spacing.
The entrance of trains to the main track from crossovers and turn-
outs (other than passing track) is governed by switch indicators;
these are miniature signals inclosed within a cast-iron case and sten-
-Ciled northward and southward.