Union Switch & Signal
Encyclopedia
Union Switch and Signal (US&S) was a supplier of railway signaling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...

 equipment, systems and services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. As of January 1, 2009, US&S is known as Ansaldo STS USA
Ansaldo STS
Ansaldo STS S.p.A. is a multinational technology company which produces signalling and automation systems for use by rail and rapid transit operators. The firm also acts as lead contractor and turnkey provider on new rail developments...

.

History

George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...

 founded Union Switch & Signal in 1881, consolidating the assets of the Union Electric Signal Company (founded by track circuit
Track circuit
A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...

 inventor William Robinson
William Robinson (inventor)
William Robinson was an American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and businessman. He invented the first track circuit used in railway signaling, a major development that improved railroad safety and efficiency....

) and the Interlocking Switch & Signal Company (which had pioneered interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...

s). In 1925 US&S acquired the Hall Signal Company
Hall Signal Company
The Hall Signal Company was an American manufacturer of railway signaling equipment in the 19th and 20th centuries. Hall's equipment was widely used by American railroad companies. The company's founder, Thomas S. Hall, was an inventor who developed several important devices in the history of...

, primarily to obtain the latter company's patents for searchlight signals.

Corporate management

US&S operated as an independent company until 1917, when it became a subsidiary of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company
Westinghouse Air Brake Company
The railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...

 (WABCO). In 1968, American Standard
American Standard Companies
American Standard Companies, Inc. was a global manufacturer of air conditioning systems and services, bath & kitchen products and vehicle control systems. The company divested all but the air conditioning business in 2007, and renamed itself Trane....

 purchased WABCO and reorganized US&S as a separate division.

In 1988, Ansaldo
Gio. Ansaldo & C.
Ansaldo was one of Italy's oldest and most important engineering companies, existing for 140 years from 1853 to 1993.-From foundation to World War I:...

 purchased US&S from American Standard. In November 1993, US&S became a publicly traded
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...

 company with shares listed on Nasdaq
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...

. In December 1996, US&S merged with the other signaling investments of Ansaldo. As a result of that merger, US&S is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Ansaldo STS
Ansaldo STS
Ansaldo STS S.p.A. is a multinational technology company which produces signalling and automation systems for use by rail and rapid transit operators. The firm also acts as lead contractor and turnkey provider on new rail developments...

, a global supplier of signaling, control and automation systems. The company was renamed Ansaldo STS – USA in January of 2009.

Throughout its history, US&S has been in the Pittsburgh area. Located in the borough of Swissvale for most of its history, US&S moved to new facilities in 1995 on Technology Drive within the city limits. Other facilities include a manufacturing plant in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina
Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina
Batesburg-Leesville is a town in Lexington and Saluda counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 5,517 at the 2000 census...

, and a service and repair shop in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

.

Railway signalling

US&S built the first power interlocking system in the United States, a pneumatic
Pneumatics
Pneumatics is a branch of technology, which deals with the study and application of use of pressurized gas to effect mechanical motion.Pneumatic systems are extensively used in industry, where factories are commonly plumbed with compressed air or compressed inert gases...

 design, in 1882 at East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...

. Within several years the company developed an electro-pneumatic system, which was widely adopted by railroads across the country.

In 1901 US&S developed the first automatic train stop
Train stop
Part of a railway signalling system, a train stop or trip stop is a train protection device that automatically stops a train if it attempts to pass a signal when the signal aspect and operating rules prohibit such movement, or if it attempts to pass at an excessive speed.- Basic operation :The...

 system for the Boston Elevated Railway
Boston Elevated Railway
The Boston Elevated Railway was a precursor first to the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Massachusetts, now the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, operating rapid transit, streetcars and buses in the Boston, Massachusetts area. It was formerly known as the West End Street Railway.The...

. This system was later adopted by the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...

 and other transit systems. In 1908 the company introduced an electrically-controlled highway crossing gate
Boom barrier
A boom barrier is a bar, or pole pivoted in such a way as to allow the boom to block vehicular access through a controlled point. Typically the tip of a boom gate rises in a vertical arc to a near vertical position. Boom gates are often counterweighted, so the pole is easily tipped...

.

In 1923 US&S developed the first inductive inductive train control system, and coded track circuits, supporting bi-directional cab signalling, in 1934.

The first digital rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....

 control system was built by US&S in 1970, for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway at Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...

.

The first mechanical bell

US&S first patented the Model 15A Highway crossing bell on February 20, 1917. The bell has been commonly referred to as the "Teardrop" bell by railroaders and signal fans alike because of its unique shape and thus the name has stuck. This bell has appeared on advertising literature for railroad signals as far back as the 1920s in non domestic places like Chile and Italy on early wig wag crossings and flashers. There have been subtle variations in the Teardrop bell over the years ranging from different sized electric coils, inclusion of the patent date on the rain hood, as well as a very early version with a less characteristic rain hood that simply read "UNION, patent pending." This is the most commonly seen variation of the Teardrop. This bell is treasured by many for its slow low pitched ring at an irregular cadence. The production of this bell was discontinued sometime by the 1960s, but WABCO carried replacement castings and service manuals into the 1970s.

Wartime production

Union Switch and Signal was one of the five main contractors (including Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...

, Remington-Rand, Ithaca Gun Company
Ithaca Gun Company
The Ithaca Gun Company is a manufacturer of shotguns and rifles originally established in Ithaca, New York in 1880.-Production:Ithaca became famous for building firearms based on expired patents owned by Remington Arms...

, and Singer Sewing Machine
Singer Corporation
Singer Corporation is a manufacturer of sewing machines, first established as I.M. Singer & Co. in 1851 by Isaac Merritt Singer with New York lawyer Edward Clark. Best known for its sewing machines, it was renamed Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865, then The Singer Company in 1963. It is...

) to make M1911A1 pistols during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. The production blocks assigned to them in 1943 was between SNs 1,041,405 to 1,060,000 and 1,060,001 to 1,096,494.

Modern products

  • Grade Crossing
    Level crossing
    A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...

     Signal Equipment
    • Model 95 grade crossing gate mechanism
    • 8" and 12" railroad crossing flashers
    • Railroad Crossing bells*
    • Railroad Crossing Gate Arms
    • Railroad Crossing Masts
    • Gate Arm Counterweights
  • Carborne signaling (Cab signalling
    Cab signalling
    Cab signalling is a railway safety system that communicates track status information to the cab, crew compartment or driver's compartment of a locomotive, railcar or multiple unit, where the train driver or engine driver can see the information....

    ) equipment
    • Automatic Train Control
      Automatic Train Control
      Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...

       (ATC)
    • Automatic Train Protection
      Automatic Train Protection
      Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...

       (ATP)
    • Automatic train stop
      Automatic Train Stop
      An automatic train stop is a system on a train that will automatically stop a train if certain situations happened to prevent accidents from happening....

       (ATS)
  • Wayside signaling equipment
    • DC code systems
    • electronic communication systems
    • electronic interlocking
      Interlocking
      In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...

    • relay
      Relay
      A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled...

      s
    • signals
      Railway signal
      A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...

    • switch machines
    • track circuit
      Track circuit
      A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...

      s
  • Central Control signaling equipment
    • computer-based Manual Control Systems
    • computer-based Traffic Management Systems
    • dark territory
      Dark territory
      Dark territory is a term used in the North American railroad industry to describe a section of track not controlled by signals. Train movements in dark territory are controlled by track warrants or train order operation, with train dispatchers issuing orders by radio communication with train...

       control systems
    • electro-mechanical centralized traffic control
      Centralized traffic control
      Centralized traffic control is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America and centralizes train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system consists of a centralized train dispatcher's office that...

       (CTC) machines


* This is the only company to still make mechanical bells
Electric bell
An electric bell is a mechanical bell that functions by means of an electromagnet. When an electric current is applied, it produces a repetitive buzzing or clanging sound...

. They also are the only company to make 180 degree electronic bells.

Clients

  • Railroad
    • Alaska Railroad
      Alaska Railroad
      The Alaska Railroad is a Class II railroad which extends from Seward and Whittier, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks , and beyond to Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of that state...

    • Amtrak
      Amtrak
      The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

    • BNSF Railway
      BNSF Railway
      The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

    • Canadian National Railway
      Canadian National Railway
      The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....

    • Canadian Pacific Railway
      Canadian Pacific Railway
      The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

    • CSX
    • Ferrocarriles Argentinos
      Ferrocarriles Argentinos
      Ferrocarriles Argentinos was a public company that managed the entire Argentine railway system for nearly 45 years. It was formed in 1948 when all the private railway companies were nationalised during Perón's first presidential term, and transformed into the Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado...

    • Kansas City Southern Railway
      Kansas City Southern Railway
      The Kansas City Southern Railway , owned by Kansas City Southern Industries, is the smallest and second-oldest Class I railroad company still in operation. KCS was founded in 1887 and is currently operating in a region consisting of ten central U.S. states...

    • Norfolk Southern Railway
      Norfolk Southern Railway
      The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

    • Union Pacific Railroad
      Union Pacific Railroad
      The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....

    • RailCorp (Rail Corporation New South Wales) and its predecessors
    • ARTC
      Australian Rail Track Corporation
      Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...

       (Australian Rail Track Corporation) and previous operators of its network

  • Transit
    • Dallas Area Rapid Transit
      Dallas Area Rapid Transit
      The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...

       (DART)
    • Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
      Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
      The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...

    • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
      Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
      The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...

    • Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
      Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
      The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...

    • NJ Transit
    • New York City Transit Authority
      New York City Transit Authority
      The New York City Transit Authority is a public authority in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City...

    • Port Authority of Allegheny County
      Port Authority of Allegheny County
      Port Authority of Allegheny County is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 11th-largest in the United States. When considering that its service area is the 20th largest in the U.S...

    • Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
      Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
      The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...

    • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
      Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
      The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...

    • Chicago Transit Authority
      Chicago Transit Authority
      Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....

    • Copenhagen Metro
      Copenhagen Metro
      Copenhagen Metro is a rapid transit system serving Copenhagen, Frederiksberg and Tårnby in Denmark. The system opened between 2002 and 2007, and has two lines, M1 and M2. The driverless light metro supplements the larger S-train rapid transit system, and is integrated with DSB local trains and...


See also

  • General Railway Signal
    General Railway Signal
    General Railway Signal Company was a supplier of railway signaling equipment, systems and services in the Rochester, New York area. The company was established in 1904 and became part of Alstom Transport in 1998...

    , the other major US railway signaling company.
  • Safetran
    Safetran
    Safetran Systems Corporation is a US-based supplier of switch machines, railroad wayside signal systems, rail transit signaling and rail-highway grade crossing active warning systems....

    , other US railway signaling company.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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