Traffic Control.

Traffic control is being developed to an everincreasing degree on the Home railways. The Londonn, Midland and Scottish Railway leads in this activity, but now the London and North Eastern line is extending its control plan to cover almost the whole of its Anglo-Scottish main-line.

With the working of the control plan, as favoured on the Home railways, most New Zealand railwaymen will be familiar. There is, however, one feature of the control system operating on the London, Midland and Scottish Railway which may not be widely known, and that is the coal traffic control which operates in the London area. In regulating the flow of the millions of tons of “black diamonds” annually consumed in the metropolis, elaborate supervisory methods are involved. Through the control scheme, the London operating authorities are kept advised daily-one might almost say hourly -of every wagon of coal standing on the system lines for the metropolis, and of the progress of unloading operations at the various coal depots located throughout the city. Only coal which can be accommodated in London is permitted to come forward from the collieries or marshalling yards, and normally a three days' supply of coal is kept standing in the London stations.

The London coal traffic control plan is well worth careful study on the part of the New Zealand railwaymen interested in operating affairs. It provides innumerable pointers for all who are concerned in the bulk movement of traffic of any kind to any big centre.