The problem
A moving train could not communicate with stations or with other trains; dispatchers were working blind between stops.
The innovation
A system that sent telegraph signals between a moving train and the track-side wires by electromagnetic induction, without physical contact.
How it worked
Coils on the train couple inductively with a conductor running alongside the track, carrying signals across the gap.
Why it mattered
Dispatchers could warn trains of obstructions ahead; collisions fell.
The legacy
A direct ancestor of continuous train-control and modern railway signalling.
You use this today
Contactless communication with moving vehicles — the same principle underlies inductive coupling in transit systems.
Sources
US Patent 373,915
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