The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-06-20
TRAIN-DIsPATcHINe.
How q BaIIrOad OmetsI Has to Run Cars
on Paper.


How Railroad OmetsI Has to Run Cars
on Paper.
Within the last few years the work of
| running railroads has been greatly sim-
| plifed, Now on every well regulated
railroad things move like clock work
| the machinery working without g lar
day in and day out. In the movement
of trains much depends on the train
dispatcher, who fills a most responsible
and laborious position. The latter-day
train-dispatcher sits at headquarters,
and, with the aid eff q curious chart, is
enabled to see at glance the exact
whereabouts of every train on the road
at any minute Of the day. He has the
entire line before him in miniature
Dots and pegs of different size and
shape indicate the different trains in
motion at the same time, and from the
chart and an elaborate tims-card the
train-d dispatcher is enabled to direct
operations by telegraph with as much
intelligence and absolute knowledge as
he could possibly have were he ubiqui-
tous, and able to give oral commands in
a hundred different places at the same
time. The train-dispstcher is supposed
to know and does know the size of each
train, freight and passenger, on his di-
vision, the speed and power of each
engine, the grade of every mile of the
road, aud where time can be made up to
the best advantage when trains are de-
layed.
He usually works with the supeFin-
tendent or manager of the road, though
frequently he is put in charge of his
particular department, and held respon-
sible for the proper management of the
n to T., hi n
great latitude and lett wholly upham-
psrsd, The train dispatcher keeps a
record of the time each train starts from
the end Of the division, and from that
moment until it arrives at its destination,
it is constantly under his eye and guild
ance, like chessmen in the hands of q
skilltul player, So long as trains move
en- time he is not called upon to exercise
his ingenuity much. It is when q train
Is ditched, or NESTS other unavoidable
Academia, that the dispatcher shows up
10 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 impTOvise
one for the occasion. 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 g
thousand and one other matters that
arise out of the emergency. On his
presence of mind and accuracy of knowl-
| edge depend the lives of hundreds of
| of traiumen and passengers, and thou
sands upon thousands of dollars 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 fsuch thing not unfrequntly
hsBpens) put these trains on a stretch of
| track sixty miles long, and designate
where the five going east will meet the
| five going west. One of the five west
bound is a through passenger train with
no stops to make, and can run at GER
tain rate of spssd another is local pas
senger, making all stops, and can run 81 q
certain rate OF speed different from the
rest; another is a freight with light
| load and another a freight with q heavy
| load. One has a part of the road to run
over where the grades are not heavy,
| while another has large hills to climb.
| All these things have to be taken into
consideration, plans Termed and executed
at once, and these trains started and kept
going without delay and without acci>
| dent.
! The train>dispatchers connected with
| the Indianapolis railroads handle daily
about 200 trains-on paper-a fact that
will enable the public to judge some
| thing of the importance of the place
| Indianapolis News.