GRS - History
GRS - History
1904 – 2004
Main Office and Manufacturing Facilities of the General Railway Signal Company, Rochester, NY (1902-1992).
Administration and Engineering Office, Brighton, NY (1993-2003). Manufacturing and Office Facility, West Henrietta,
NY (1993-Present).
The past presidents of the General Railway Signal Company and its successor companies, SASIB/GRS and
ALSTOM Signaling Inc., are as follows:
INTRODUCTION 6
DIVERSIFIED ACTIVITIES 35
World War I 35
Commercial Castings 37
G-R-S Products, Inc. 37
Prison Cell Door Locks 38
Air Traffic Control 38
World War II 39
Vehicle Traffic Control 39
OTHER DIVERSIFICATIONS 40
FOREIGN BUSINESS 41
STANDARD
PNEUMATIC TAYLOR-SARGENT
RAILROAD SIGNAL CO.
RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. SIGNAL CO.
Arlington, New Jersey
Rochester, New York Chillicothe, Ohio
Established in 1896
Incorporated June 1897 Established about 1898
Moved to Troy, New York in 1899
AMERICAN
INTERNATIONAL PNEUMATIC AUTO-PNEUMATIC FEDERAL TAYLOR SWITCH
RAILWAY SIGNAL CO.
RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. RAILWAY SIGNAL CO. & SIGNAL CO.
Cleveland, Ohio
Rochester, New York Rochester, New York Troy, New York Chillicothe, Ohio
Established in 1904
Incorporated March 1900 Established about 1891 Established in 1905 Established about 1889
Combined with Federal,1913
Pneumatic Railway Signal low pressure pneumatic interlocker installed In 1900, the Pneumatic Railway Signal Company
in 1900 at Jamaica, NY on the Long Island Railroad. expanded its sales territory to include outlets in England
by forming the International Pneumatic Railway Signal
Company with headquarters in Rochester.
With the expansion of the Rochester plant in 1907, all operations were consolidated on West Avenue.
A “meet” on the world’s first APB installation in 1911 on the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway.
On July 25, 1927, the first centralized traffic control Today, instead of manually operated lever-type control
system in the world went in service between Stanley and machines, GRS provides minicomputer-and microproces-
Berwick, Ohio, on the Ohio Division of the New York sor-based control consoles which enable one man to
Central Railroad. This system, invented by Sedgwick N. efficiently control an entire railroad.
Wight of GRS, was a tremendous stride forward in
improving facility and economy of train operation.
1912 GRS advertisment for 400 lever and 360 lever interlocking
machines for Grand Central Terminal on GRS factory floor.
GRS’s computerized, fully automatic system is in control at Hinkle A GRS CLASSMATIC™ Analog Computer used in 1950’s
Yard, Hermison, Oregon, on the Union Pacific Railroad. and early 1960’s Yard Automation Projects.
A modern day
Light Rail Project,
Hiawatha Metro Transit
(2004).
Early Highway Crossing Signal using a AURORA LED Crossing Signal and Gate Arm Lights (1997).
Model 2A Semaphore mechanism (1910).
Starting in 1970, GRS began the development of a For many years, GRS supplied systems and equipment
personal rapid transit system (people mover). This to mining and industrial railways. In 1962, GRS devel-
system was designed to transport people to points in a oped and installed a control system for the world's first
limited area, such as central business districts, airports, fully automated, driver-less trains on the Carol Mine
and college campuses. Railway in Labrador.
In one outstanding project, GRS provided the automatic In 1963, GRS introduced a radio remote control system,
control system for the Airtrans vehicles operating at the which enabled a locomotive engineer to control his train
Dallas/ Fort Worth Regional Airport. The fully automatic from the ground and at distances up to one-half mile.
system includes vehicle protection, automatic operation More than 257 units were installed on 13 industrial
over predetermined routes, scheduled operation, and railroads, 33 units in eight car classification yards, and
automatic vehicle merging. 1 unit on a mainline railroad. When the market for this
style equipment became stagnant in the mid-1980’s GRS
exited this market.
One of the AIRTRANS vehicles at the Dallas/Ft.Worth Airport which GRS radio remote control enables the operator
transports passengers between terminals in 1973. to control his train from the ground.
The Model 2 Switch Machine was introduced in 1900 The Models 55 E and G, initially released in 1964,
by Taylor Signal Co. and featured integrated throw and were designed specifically for rapid transit service
locking functions. W.K. Howe who joined Taylor in late featuring a low profile and weighing approximately
1900 designed a higher power motor (Model 3 motor) 500 pounds making installation easier than that of the
for this mechanism in 1902. railroad standard machines. GEC/GS, a forerunner of
ALSTOM in the United Kingdom, was licensed to
The Model 4, 4A & 4B Switch machines designed by manufacture this design in the early 1970’s in the UK
Howe were a lower profile machine integrating the and Australia. This machine known as the model HW
switch circuit controller (point detection) , throw and became an industry railway standard in these countries.
locking functions and was initially released by GRS in
1910. This machine has been the basis for most of the The most recent development in switch machine technol-
switch machine designs for the next ninety years. ogy has been the Grandmaster line of machines initially
released in 1997, featuring a universal power-brushless
The Model 9B Switch Lock introduced before 1916 motor, a restorable or non-restorable latch-out mecha-
evolved from the earlier Model 9A Switch Lock released nism, split link cam bar, and a footprint supporting easy
in 1911 and its predecessor, Model 1 Switch Lock change out in existing layouts of both the GRS and
initially released in 1905 by GRS. Union Switch & Signal (US&S) switch machine types.
These features were included to satisfy the current
The Model 10 Handthrow Lock initially released for requirements of rail and transit customers. Most recently
production in 1943 remains the standard on RR proper- the Grandmaster has been further updated for improved
ties to this day. performance, robustness and reliability and will serve
ALSTOM Signaling Inc. as the flagship of its switch
The Model 7J and 7K Switch circuit controllers were first machine line, promising a continuation of its reputation
released for production in 1927 and still remain the as a leading Railway Signaling technology innovator.
standard for railroad and transit customers today.
Earlier notable products are Model 3 Form D and Model
5 Form A switch circuit controller released in 1911.
The 1889 East Norwood interlocking plant also used With the advances in opto-electronics, GRS released the
electric motor driven semaphore signals designed by Aurora Highway Crossing Signals in 1997. LED
Taylor. The Model 2 Semaphore was a much improved technology is quickly becoming the standard in Color
design by Taylor and appeared in the late 1890’s. Light Signaling featuring improved visibility and system
W.K.Howe redesigned the semaphore signal which was reliability.
known as the Model 2A and that was released in 1908
and became an industry standard. Over 24,500 With ALSTOM Signaling Inc. beginning a new century,
Model 2A Semaphore units were produced in the a newer Line of Color Light Signals utilizing state of art
first ten years of production. LED Technology is now a key component in the latest
signal product offerings.
Listed below is a summary of many popular models
of signals released since the founding of the company in
1904.
• Types V and VA Dwarf Color Light Signals Model 2 Electric Semaphore Signal (ca. 1900).
were introduced before 1937.
ALSTOM Signaling Inc. Pamplet #1364 – Revision: June 2004
29
Model 2A Electric
Semaphore Signal (1908).
• AC Vane Relays Type C single element were Taylor Track Relay (ca.1900).
introduced after 1920. Double Element AC Vane
Relays Type N and Type L were introduced after
1930. Today’s Type B2 AC Vane Relay was first
introduced in early 1937 and has remained an
industry standard for electrified track.
Model 9 Shelf Relay (1908). Type K Size 4 Biased Neutral Relay (1926).
Three years later, on February 1, 1908, the Federal During 1915 and 1916, GRS manufactured small
Railway Signal Company was reorganized under the gasoline engines for Cyclemotor Corporation of Rochester,
name of the Federal Signal Company. This company New York. The single cylinder air-cooled engines got up
was located in Albany, New York. In 1913, Federal to 100 miles to a gallon and, together with their rear
took over the American Signal Company, which had wheel belt transmission drive system, weighed only 21
been started in 1904 in Cleveland, Ohio. pounds. They provided a top speed of 25 mph on a level
road.
On November 1, 1923, the business and properties of
the Federal Signal Company were purchased by GRS. WORLD WAR I
At the time of the merger, GRS was doing approximately
30% of the total signaling business in the United States, Before the declaration of war by the United States on April
and the Federal Company about 14%. The consolida- 6, 1917, the J.P. Morgan & Company of New York City,
tion permitted increased production with greater acting as agents for the British Government, placed an
economy, both companies having heretofore maintained order with GRS for artillery shells amounting to about
practically duplicate engineering, manufacturing and $7,000,000. This was, at the time, the largest single
sales organizations, having sales offices in New York order ever secured by a Rochester corporation. This event
City, Chicago and other points. was directly responsible for increasing GRS stock by 33
points in a two-week period.
Left crippled by government intervention during World By 1925, with a general upswing in business and GRS
War I, the railroads were financially unable to resume stock taking a jump from $100 per share to $400 per
their signaling improvement programs for some time. To share, the production of household appliances went
keep its skilled forces available, GRS turned to the into full swing, and national distribution was being
production of castings for commercial purposes and the considered.
manufacture of major household appliances.
Quoting from an article in the Rochester Democrat and By 1926, the tide had turned, and it was felt necessary
Chronicle, dated June 13, 1920: "The magnitude of the to direct the company's efforts toward its rapidly grow-
business of the Signal Company impresses the visitor at ing signal business. As a result, G-R-S Products, Inc.,
the Lincoln Park Works. He finds that a large number of was liquidated. Concentrating on the signal business,
the leading industries of this city and country are its the year 1926 showed the highest net income in the
customers and that it is an important cog in their manu- company's history, reaching almost four million dollars.
facturing wheels. It is plating parts of one of the
country's most luxurious automobiles (the Cunningham).
Castings of aluminium, brass, iron, and other metals are
made by it in raw and finished form for industries
requiring the finest of work...."
In 1940, GRS developed, in cooperation with the In 1941, GRS engineers directed their attention to
Federal Bureau of Prisons, a control system for prison applying the basic principles of safety engineering to air
cell door locks. This system provided for the locking, traffic control. As a result, a GRS approach control
unlocking, opening, and closing of cell doors as well as system was installed in 1945 at LaGuardia Airport in
for indicating the positions of the doors. New York. In the early 1950's the company furnished
several airports with a system which provides joint
During 1941, three installations were made: Federal altitude control of airway traffic control over a "fix," or
Prison, Alcatraz, California, and penitentiaries at intersection, in the air.
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and Petersburg, Virginia.
For more than 5 years prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, In the late 1950's, GRS started the development of
GRS had been designated by the Ordnance Department systems for the detection and surveillance of vehicular
to manufacture 105 mm, M1 shells for the military in the traffic. In 1959, the company introduced the first
event of an emergency. In February of 1940, the first ultrasonic detector for highway traffic signal control. The
contract was awarded for the machining of 1,250,000 detection element, commonly referred to as "green
shells. turtle," was suspended over the roadway in advance of
a traffic signal; the electronic portion of the system was
By purchasing additional plant facilities, the company housed in an aluminium case mounted on the detector
was able to increase output by 200% after production mast near the ground.
had started in 1941. This new plant was the first in the
country to be completely power- conveyorized from raw Subsequent developments by 1964 led to the installation
forgings to the painted shell. The top production of ultrasonic detectors used for traffic surveillance on the
reached 500,000 shells per month in June 1942. The Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, the John Lodge
Ordnance Department stated in 1945 that the Expressway in Detroit, and the New Jersey Turnpike.
company's shell plant was generally considered to be GRS also supplied systems for parking garages, which
one of the most efficient in the country. This was in large used ultrasonic detectors for check-in, check-out pur-
part due to the new manufacturing processes developed poses.
by GRS engineers.
In 1966, GRS supplied a computer-controlled traffic
The company received a contract from the Air Corps, in signal system to the City of Buffalo to improve traffic
1942, for the production of remotely controlled turret flow on Main Street.
systems for B-29 long-range bombers. By August of
1945, when the contract was terminated, the total With strong competition from long-established suppliers
production was 2100 completed sets of this ingenious of vehicle traffic control devices, GRS withdrew from the
and complex equipment. field in the middle 1970’s.
Remote control turrets for B29 bombers Typical ultrasonic detector installation on an urban street.
were made by GRS during World War II.
OTHER DIVERSIFICATIONS
HISTORY OF PATENTS
ALSTOM Signaling Inc.
(formerly General Railway Signal)
Inventors and Number of Patents Issued
Abendroth K W .............
10 C olemanC W ..................
3 G ri
ffith L..........................
2 Lager E P .......................
1 Parker J W ......................
5 Sexton E J Jr..................
1 W iskon H .............1
Albri
ghton R F ..............
13 C oleyN B .....................
39 Langdon A ....................20
G roce G H ......................
1 Parker W L .....................
1 W iegand F B ...........
Shahbaz Z ......................
1 1
AlexanderW C...............
1 C olwellC E .....................
1 Langdon J Law renece ....
1 Parsons E B....................
1 Shook C G .....................
2 W ight LW .............1
All
en W P .......................
1 C onkli H agen R A......................
n T A .....................
1 5 Langdon J LeD roit
..........
1 Patterson H W ................
1 S ibley H C Jr................
66 W ight SN .............
92
Anderson R F .................
8 H agenbach GO ..............
C onnellR ........................
1 1 LaPoll a A .......................
1 PaulJ N ..........................
3 S imm en PJ....................
4 W ilcox 15
C S .............
Andreasen C E ...............
2 2 H ager M .........................
C onrad R........................ 4 Larry E C .......................12
Pearce H J......................
3 S imm en PS ...................
1 W illia
m s R E...........
1
Applem an L ....................
3 H ail
C ook R G........................
1 es W D ...................
56 Lavole SD .....................
1 Persson S .......................
1 S luisM H ........................
1 W illia 2
m son E B..........
Archiba ld R E.................
1 C rai H albleib EA ....................
g F S ........................
9 1 Layton C . E....................
1 PetitW A ........................
6 W illin
S m ith BL .......................
6 g J E.............
26
Auer J H Jr...................
93 C rai H all
g R W .......................
2 F N..........................
3 LeafW B ........................
1 PetittW G .......................
7 S m ith EK .......................
1 W ion G H............. 4
C rai H aner R B Hr
g C R ........................
1 ................
12 Leake R C .....................49
Phelps S M...................
12 W olfe R J.............
S m ith J H.......................
2 2
Balcaen R G...................
1 H ardwick ........................
C rossR K .......................
1 1 Linde r J C .....................13
Phinney R M .................
30 S m ith PW ......................
8 1
W orkma n W H ..........
Balli
etH S ......................
1 H artungR M ...................
C urran J W......................
1 2 LisuzzoF C....................
1 Pickell AC ......................
7 W ormsbecherR P .......
S m ith R R.......................
1 1
Balli
etJ B.......................
2 H eer H W .......................
1 Litt
leR J.........................
8 Plank R ...........................
4 S m ith W R....................
35 W rege W R ............4
Banner F H .....................
3 H eimbach K N................
D alyF A ..........................
5 1 Livingston W L................
9 Plogsted W . J.................
1 W uerpelM .............
Snell AJ.........................
6 4
Barker W M .................
15 D ansbach D J.................
1 H enry W S ....................
22 Lizzard...........................
1 1
Polsky L M...................... W ynn H S.............
Sn yder H O ....................
1 8
Bechto ld R H ..................
2 D asburg A V ...................
4 H entz R..........................
1 Locke W C.....................
1 Polster M A .....................
4 Sn yder J E.....................
1
Belange r E A..................
2 D avis H ewe s R W ..................
on G W ...................
7 19 Poor C O ........................
Luhrs AG .......................
1 1 SouleR M Jr..................
2 Young SM .............12
BenedictF ....................
11 D ay S M........................
20 H eydweill erJ ..................
1 Lundy B A......................
1 Port eousC F ..................
1 Spri ngett LR ..................
1
Bennett J ........................
3 D egen D S ......................
1 H eywood T .....................
1 Zaffarano F P...........
5
Lucarelli AV Sr..............
1 Port er J W ......................
1 S taffordC F ....................
4
Bir
nbaum D .....................
2 D eKrame r A I ..................
5 H itchcock F B...............
31 Post EK .........................
1 S tephenson J ............
E 17
BlaisdellD ......................
4 D eLong C I......................
1 M acano SJ ....................
H ochm an R ....................
1 4 Post H B.........................
1 S tevens O E ...................
3
Blodge tt E O...................
5 D eLong D F ....................
7 H oelscher J R .................
5 M ackey SJ ....................
6 Pow elW T ....................
25 S tevensonC E ...............
1
Bloechi LJ......................
1 D ePalma J A ...................
1 H offM E r M acomber W ..................
J.....................
2 7 Prescott C W ...............
12 S tillman N A ...................
1
Bodde T ........................
4 D icke O H.....................
29 H oltJ ..............................
1 M aderer G G ..................
1 Preston N . D.................
88 S tri
ghtB M .....................
1
Bolton N A....................
24 D inge r R W .....................
3 H oppe W H ...................
10 M aenpaa W K ................
7 Pulverenti . J....................
1 Su tton P.........................
1
Brady T W ......................
2 D iPaolaJ J......................
4 H orma ts M......................
2 M annellLG ....................
1 S wane P H.....................
2
Bram erD W ...................
4 D odge L E.......................
4 H oven M H.....................
1 M arpie T P.....................
1 R ees F X.....................
21 S wanton C ...................
L 8
Branson E H ..................
7 D odgson F . H owa rdJ Y .....................
L................
37 7 R efici
M arsh D B......................
3 R J .......................
1 S vet F .........................
A 1
Bri
xner F W ..................
20 D orschelC H..................
1 H owe W K ..................
191 M arsh G E ......................
6 R eichS ...........................
5
Brockman L ....................
8 D rake C ..........................
1 H uffman J P..................
16 M atthews W J ................
6 R eicha rdW H ...............
42 Taft B.............................
1
Brow n D .........................
1 D ryden G H .....................
1 H ughson J .................
D 25 M aynard W D ................
15 R eid AE .........................
1 Taylor HB ....................
20
Brow n N C L .................
29 D udleyS W .....................
1 M cCauleyD R ................
5 R ekers G ........................
5 Taylor JD .......................
6
BryantS C ......................
2 5 Il
lenberg C J...................
D uffy G E Sr.................... 2 M erkel J R enshaw A H..................
F .....................36 2 Thom son A G.................
1
BuchananJ P .................
1 D urand PH .....................
1 M ersereauD W ..............
4 R enshaw P.....................
1 Towe y M ........................
1
JachinoC .......................
1
Buck R C........................
2 R ice P X .........................
M oore EW ....................12 2 Town sendF .................
10
Jack
Eblovi R..........................
2 son AJ Jr
................
1
Burke J...........................
2 Jackson C T...................
3 M orcom T H R
...................
2 ice W B ........................
1 Town send J J.................
1
Burnett J . Eggebrecht C..................
H....................
3 3 M organ W V ...................
2 R ichm ond C A ................
3 TurnerD E .....................
2
Jacobus JJ ....................
EstwickC F.....................
9 3
BushnellC S.................
98 M orse C W.....................
4 R ossellJ.........................
1 Twit chell C M ..................
3
Johanek G J...................
5
Butler W .........................
2 Fair banks E B.................
2 Johnson SG ...................
1 M urphy D J
. R oss
....................
1 L A
.........................
6
M urra Vande SandeG ............
R oss O A........................
y J R .....................
1 6 10
Cade J T........................
1 Judge T J.....................
Ferm G O ........................
9 54 VanWo rmer R P .............
2
R udd ..............................
1
Fiel
CarrollEJ......................
1 d O S .....................
104 Nilson F C ......................
2 Vaughn J ......................
I 3
Karl et J G .......................
1 R usick J H ......................
2
CarswellLG ...................
1 Fodge A J.......................
1 V inea l l
E G .....................
1
Kem pst er EB Jr..............
4 R uthe rf
o rd D B................
5
FordH C .........................
Carter A T .......................
8 2 O’Brien J C ....................13
Freehafe KendallH C ..................
r J E ..................
4 27 O’Neil J ..........................
1 W aldron LF....................
2
CasperF T .....................
2 Saint S P........................
3
FreemanS W ..................
6 Knapp J W .....................
3 Ober H P ........................
5 W alleyE D .....................
1
Chappell CV ..................
1 Kovalcik VP ...................
6 Salmon W W .................
12
Christofferson C A ..........
1 FrielinghausK H ...........
28 OhiauH ..........................
1 W ebst
Sarvey J L ......................
1 er O B ...................
1
Kubala R ........................
1 OrpinL H .......................
3 W ells R . F......................
7
Churchill .........................
1 Scheg M A ....................
18
Garber A R ......................
1 Kunde D A......................
1 Osborne J L...................
3 W enholz W W ..............
12
Clarke G E .....................
1 Geer M F ........................
9 Kure L J..........................
1 Schumann LW ...............
1
Clarke J A .......................
1 OvermyerR A................
1 Schwab C E....................
1 W estJ F.........................
1
Gendreau C J..................
1 W etmore AW .................
6
Cloud W D ......................
1 LaForestJ P...................
3 Schwarz PD ...................
4
George F ........................
1 Palermo J J ....................
1 W hitehorn A R ................
5