The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-26
TRAIN SCIENCE.
How n Vast nusiness IL Done on n Single
Track-The Train Dispatcher watching
the Whole Road Day and Night.

the "hole mona Dhy hhu Ntpht.
From the ST. louis Post. Dispatch
"No. sir" said wcl-known railroad man
OF this city recently, 1t would be utterly i'm
possible to conduct the railroad traffic of to-day
without the telegraph, Unaided. our roads
they now do; and that is about equal to saying
that without the telegraph railway transit
day" Although the railroad ante dated the
telegraph. yet its workings up to the introduce
tI9n of the latter were exceedingly restricted;
into fair shape he had acquired II highway
which was too fast for him. All he could do
him 90. Ii the horse had to meet other horses.
he took his chances Of u smash up. or else pro-
Noise harnesse s, W. slettrrty to " run ahead On
q wire and pilot the horse and ever since cleo
tricity has been largely engaged in this kind Of
work. No railroad OF any length can exist with
out Il telegraph.
What an exceedingly nice and accurate task
it is to hurry fifty trains over road with fifty
more to meet them. To construct a time table
Of q road for every train and every point is "a
difficult thing TO do at leisure; yet the whole
then must be Immediately reudjusted.
But while We sleep or thoughtIessly pass the
who Is watching US. and watching every
other train, too upon the road. He knows
finger upon US at each and every minute
Of the day or night. II our train gets into any
delay, he will be informed OF the fact and take
charge OF US by wire. and also take charge of
all other trains which can possibly approach
dispatcher and he has his Office generally at
that point OF the line where the main Offices Of
the road are. Upon him far more than any
conductor or engineer may depend the safety
Of the traveller \ few careless ticks with his
right hand at critical moment may cause
fearful collision. Every station agent or opera
tor IS MS agent to INFORM him OF the time of
the passage of every, train. Even IL one or
time at which they each left their last station.
and consequently at what time they
Rs e Of t. sar TS9 AZ ihvI nsas r
eeived from N the road is. OF course.
filed for reference AS long as every
agreed-up9n limit the train dyspatchcr has
only machine labor 10 perform, But sudden!i
comes from Station % Of II delay or a small ac-
cident there. Now is the time lor the ;iain de-
the road to see what trains are near Station 80
ii there are any such they must AT once be
given orders, So that they may avoid all
Ii the accident is one which 1t will take several
hours to repair then. OF course greater NUN
Der OF trains Will have to be attended 10. The
dispatcher must know where all switches are
and their capacity.
The work is not very difficult when there is
trouble at only one point. suppose there is
trouble at two or three points. SO that in u few
hours every, train each way is, thrown out OF
into prominence. He has every train under
orders and he is in communication contin-
the best disposition possible u all the
track that is, open, move along AZ trans that
can De moved The reader can well understand
that the situation may become extremely com
piicatcd. Nevertheless. the sklfuI train de
bIrring, OF course. some delay 10 passengers
and merchandise. Mr.. Warder CummIngs,
now Division Superintendent OF the Missouri
Pacific, boasts that years ago, when he was
train, dispatcher on the line between Pitts
burgh and Crestline, O.. lie, once had seventy
trains on the road thirty five each way and
each AMI every train out OF time. yet he
brought them all through slick and sound and
without unnecessary delay. There. are, OF
have had similar experiences.
When station Operators lose their connection
trains on their division OF the fact, and con-
Iurtors and engineers have ~ Tse great eau
never allows himself TO think Of such II cause
~ thus when he finds the train creeping along.
ming !!aphaznrd. and feeling for a train known
TO be approaching from the opposite direction.
In sending SO many dispatches 20 SO many
points and giving such diverse directions. there
is, OF course liability to error, both on the part
q the train dispatcher and the station operator;
Even when the order IS correctly received and
the conductar tagged and presented W I'll il.
there is sun a Possibility that the conductor
provided against. The station operator, when he
receives an order" Immediately trle.raphs it
back 70 the train dispatcher and receives his
y. X; that II Is right. de receives II in
manifold in the first place. Two copies he
gives TO the conductor and one hc Hes in his
10 the operator to see If ii is understood.
Then he takes copy to the engineer and asks
the engineer TO read 1t. and state wha. he
thinks 1t means. If the conductor and en-
Einccr do not agree upon the meaning they
must AT once telegraph to the train dispatcher
for more explicit instructions. In short, the
train can't move until operator conductor. and
engineer are perfectly agreed upon all orders
Received. Eng incrrs are always authorized to
refuse 10 obey & conductor when they think il
dangerous to do so. On well-lnGnnGed road ii
may be said that all train regulation is con-
Quoted with equal care. All OF this may cause
a delay and j. sure II enrnra the passeng. -
but Il j. for their own immediate good. and IL
they Knew the circumstances they would be
NOR" anxious to have everything correct than
the train men are.
Il is commonly supposed that special trains
nav" the right OF way over nearly all others,
but this Is worry rarely tho case. On great occa-
Sons special time table Is pre- yAlcd Tor the
extra train. and then the others give way t. II.
For Instance. once Year the directors II the
l"uusy.rania Haiiruad com. Nest over al
thtlr lines 20 Chicago ana -. Louis. Months
b'forch9ni n special time table Is mad" gu: Cor
them. If. however. at any time they iall brh nd
IN the time ii their own special schedule, they
NJ pnce pass into the hands of thu train de-
spQtchcr, the same rs any other tram.
Enough has been said 70 SHOW the impOr-
tanre.of the Ollie" Of train despatch = To- great
raj road. II j. one Of the most particular jobs
i'll the world. Railroad mon always spell il with
big I and Il bi. u,