Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-03-21
Train Disnafchin~
RaiIroaling Reduced to a Science -
How Trains are Handled

1satiFoaiiIS LsSCuCtU 10 ScltGce-
How Trains are Handled.
With the last few years the work
Of running railroads has been greatly
simplifed. Now on every well-reg-
ulated railroad things move like
clock. work. the machinery working
without jar day in and day out.
In the movement of trains much de-
Ponds on the train dispatcher, who
fills a most responsible and labor
Gus position. The latter day .rain
dispatcher sits at headquarters and
with the aid OF a curious chart is en-
abled to see at a glance the exact
Whereabouts of every train on the
road at any minute in the day. He
has the entire line before him in
miniature. Dots and pegs of differ
ent size and shape indicate the differ
ent trains in motion at the same time
and from the chart and an elaborate
time card, the train dispatcher is en-
abled to direct operations by tele-
graph, with rs much intelligence and
absolute knowledge as he could
possibly have were he ubiquitous
and able to give oral commands in q
hundred places at the same time.
The train dispatcher is supposed to
know and does know the size of each
train, freight and passenger, on his
division, the speed and power of each
engine, the grade of every mile of the
road, and where time can be made
up to the best advantage when trains
are delayed. He usually works with
the superintendent or manager of the
road, though frequntly he is put in
charge of his practicular department
and held responsible for the proper
management of the duties assigned
him, being given great latitude and
left wholly unhampered. The train
dispatcher keeps a record of the
time each trash starts from the end
of each division, and from that mo-
ment until it arrives at it's destination
it is constantly under his eye and
guidance, like chessmen in the hands
of skillful player So long as
trains move on time he is not called
upon to exercise his ingenuity much.
1t is when train is ditched or meets
with some other unavoidable acct
dent that the dispatcher shows up to
advantage. Here he finds field for
the exercise OF his full powers. In
such emergencies the regular time
card is OF no earthly account and he
is forced TO improvise one for the oc-
casion. He is called upon to decide
which trains shall have the right OF
way, where and how they shall meet,
where lie on the side track and a
thousand and one other matters that
arise with the emergency. On his
presence OF mind and accuracy OF
knowledge depends the lives OF hun
dreds of train men and passengers.
and thousands upon thousands of
OF dollors worth OF property.
An illustration of his daily duties:
Ten trains all Off Of time and running
by telegraphic orders issued by the
train dispatcher. (such a thing not
unfrequently happens,) put these
trains on "a stretch OF track 60 miles
long, designate where the five going
east shall meet the five going west.
One OF the five west bound is q
through passenger train with no
stops to make, and can run at a GER
tain rate Of speed, another is local
passenger making all stops, aud can
run at a certain rate of speed differ
ent from the first, another is freight
with light load, and another
freight with a heavy load. One has a
part of the road. to run over where
the grades are not heavy, while an
other has large hills to climb. All
these things have 10 be taken into
consideration, plans formed, and ex-
ecuted at once and these trains
started, and kept going without de-
lay and without accident.
The train dispatchers connected
with the Indianapolis railroads ham
die daily about $50 trains-on paper
IA fact that will enable the public to
Judge something of the Importance
of the trust.-Indidndpolis Ne,Cs.