Hi all,

I have a general question for all you North American train enthusiasts.  In the early days when your prototypes operated on a single line in the days before signalling what system was in place to prevent head on collisions?

Here is Australia we adopted a British (at least I think it was British) systems that was called "Staff and Ticket" Or "Single Line safe working"  I have seen it called "token", "tablet", "ball" and "key" working according to Wikipedia.

In that system there was a piece of metal (called a staff) that was handed to the driver of a train and the fact that he held the staff was permission to enter the next piece of track.  You were not allowed to enter unless you held the staff in your hand.    The staff was marked as being the staff for section of track between station A and station X ad normally had those station names engraved on the staff.   There could have been a number of yards or station in between these two Staff stations but only a signal train was allowed in that section of track.    More often than not the staff had as part of it a key that would unlock the switches that were in the section so a switching train could do their pickups and drop-offs along the way.

The exception was the "ticket" part.   If a driver held the staff and showed another driver that he did in fact hold the staff then a ticket could be written that allowed the "ticket" holder to take his train in front of the staff holders train.

That was allowed to occur as often as required on the proviso that the trains had to be run in such a was as they could come to a complete stop if and when the need arouse.

After the "ticket trains" had departed then the staff holding train could travel the length of the section of track that the staff covered.  However that travel was the end of any possibility for a ticketed train to now travel.   

Trains waiting to go in the opposite direction HAD to wait for the staff to arrive before any movement from their end could occur.  And not train could follow the staff holder train until the staff was available.  I might add that this system of working is still in use in Australia in very lightly trafficked lines were the costs of automation are not seen as being viable.

Is there any equivalent systems in operation in Canada or America?   If so what are they called.   I would like to look up a web site or two and read about them if possible.  

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks

Mark