Some time ago I was looking at a roster of EJ&E stem locomotives and some engines were footnoted an being “equipped with Miller Train Control for use on the C&EI”. I am guessing that this might have been some form of Automatic Train Stop. Would appreciate any info anyone can supply as to what specifically Milller Train Control was and where on the C&EI it was installed.
Mark
Cant give you a specific answer, but EJE did have trackage rights on the CEI down to Central Illinois to haul coal.
ed
The MTC was installed between Danville & Chicago and Jacksonville & Chicago - per Miller advertisements from 1916.
JMW
There is a photograph of parts of the onboard control box/recorder available here:
http://cdm16038.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15017coll11/id/397/rec/3
Note the links on the right side of the page for 5 additional pages with more info on this system.
The Miller system was notable for the way it was designed – all the other major contemporary automatic train-control systems were punitive, and sold to the railroad management as a check on how the crew did their jobs. The Miller system was intended as an aid to practical engine operation, and the active support of the Brotherhoods was important to them.
One important lesson, that modern developers of PTC could often benefit from, was that an automatic train control that made the crew more assured of safe operation, rather than just dumbly ‘protecting them from themselves’ or keeping them awake with weed-weasel ‘vigilance’ systems, was a desirable design goal.