FM & Defense

Radio's usefulness on the battlefield may have suggested the idea of its use on an industrial reservation to engineer-managers at the U.S. Army's new, huge (14,735-acre) Elwood shell-loading plant near Joliet, Ill. In 35 guard stations, 19 guard automobiles, five fire stations and five fire-department squad cars, installation of two-way radio communication is complete. The nine diesel-electric locomotives that are beginning to shunt explosives around on Elwood's 100 miles of track needed, since normal AM reception would be impossible for them, a further refinement. First of these locomotives--and probably the first anywhere--had been equipped last week with a frequency-modulation receiver, loudspeaker and hand phone in the cab.

Keeping constant tabs, if necessary, on each locomotive and its load, Elwood's central control room will be able to do the right thing immediately in emergencies. The system saves money by eliminating block signals, with their miles of underground wire. A check on the system itself is provided by a white light in each cab, blinking every five seconds while the FM set is working, turning red if it goes haywire. The area of the Elwood plant is well within the range of perfect FM reception.

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