Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-13
Running Trains by Signal.


hasn't changed much since quit it, ex-
cepting that it is easier now that they
have double tracks where they used to
have single. No, there's no secret about
it; I don't mind telling you how
it is done, but I'm afraid you Il find it SO
simple it viii not make very interesting
reading matter for your paper. First,
you know, there are divisions of a rail-
road. For instance, the main line of
the old Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
road, where l used to work, is divided
into three dispatchers' divisions-the
first from Chicago to Mendoza; the sec
ond from Mendoza to GaleSbur9, and the
third from Galesbprg west to Quincy
and Burlington. I used to work ct Au-
rora, and we had charge of the first, or
east division. When a regular train
was ready to leave Chicago on its sched-
ule time it started without orders, each
telegraph operator on the line reporting
to US when the train passed his station.
This report we entered on a sheet kept
always before us, and at glance we
could tell where every train on our divi-
sion was at any time. If a train was
not ready to leave on or near its
schedule time it lost its right to the
road, and had to run as an extra. An
6AIi6 GLdln always 4ldNl 10 nave OIOCIS
before it could leave the Chicago yard.
''How do trains get those orders?"
''Well, when Conductor Smith, say,
is ready to pull out OF Chicago he goes
to the telegraph Office and asks for his
orders. The operator tells the dispatcher
at Aurora that the train is ready to start,
and the dispatcher sends a regular tele-
gram to the conductor and engineer of
the train. If the train is to run wild the
telegram reads:
''ETo Conductor and Engineer Train No Is
for instance): Run to Aurora as wild train.
''This is signed by the chief train dis
patcher. Then the conductor sends an
answer to the chief dispatcher, thus:
ct understand I am to run to Aurora as a
wild train. John Smith, Conductor, No. 10
1.-The dispatcher replies thus:
ITO John Smith, Conductor No. Is: Youl
understanding is correct
The conductor now delivers a copy OF
the order to the engineer, and the train
is ready to start. OF course, abbrevia-
tions are used in much of this telegraph
ing. For instance, the conductors I'M
Outstanding OF his order is sent over the
line thus; ID, run to Aurora as a wild
train'-13 meaning 1 understand and
the dispatcher's reply to this is simply:
i o OOnl SLllID, COuuICUOE 40 1Os "
e. with the dispatcher's initials. y
What is wild train?"
GA train that has to look out for moth
ing on the road but regular trains. It
keeps out of the way of all trains tight
have schedule time, that's all. -"
Suppose there are extra trains on the
road for this No. 10 to meet, how do
you give orders then?'
Simply add where he is to meet
extras. AS Run to Aurora as wild
train, meeting extra, Brown conductor,
at Hinsdale, and extra, Jones conduc-
tor, at Naperyille. "
But do you never hold regular trains
for extras?''
ooh, yes, often. If wild train can
gain more time than q regular train
would lose we sometimes hold the regu-
lar train at a station until the wild train
gets there.
'.How do you do that?''
''Well, suppose Smiths wild train
was coming west and I should see that
it could reach Hinsdale five minutes
later than the regular eastward bound
trains time for leaving there; I would
rather delay the regular train five
minutes than have the wild train wait
twenty or thirty minutes at Riverside, so
[ send q telegram thus:
"'To the Operator, Hinsdale: Hold train No.
II until 10 :55 o'clock for No. 10
''Then to the operator at Riverside I
send thus:
To Conductor and Engineer No Is. River
side: You have until 10:55 o'clock to make
Hinsdale for No. H.
There you see I have one train held
while another train is on the road"
GLOW does the operator at Hinsdalo
stop No. 12.''
Gas soon as he receives orders to
hold the train, he shows a green flag or
lantern which always means that there
are telegraphic orders for the train
''That seems very simple" said the
Daily Nea0S representative, but often
there are many accidents attributed to
the dispatchers.
Yes, but most of the collisions that
are so attributed are results of careless
ness on the part of the line operators
Sometimes an operator receives an or
der to hold train and forgets to show
his green signal. If the train does moi
happen to stop at that station regularly
it may 90 whining by and get away
from the operator before he can catch
it. That is one cause of accidents, fol-
of course the other train thinks it has a
clear road and comes right along. An
other cause is the failure of engineers to
see the green light. This is not of very
frequent occurrence, however, for en-
gineers are the most wa1chful men on
earth, [ believe. I often wonder how
they manage to see everything along
the road and keep watch of their ma
chinery and clocks and steam-gauges
and time-cards all at the same time.
How do dispatchers keep this record
sheet of which you speak,"
They have sheet ruled into squares.
The lines across the sheet indicate the
stations on the road and the lines up
and down show the trains. Every time
train is reported as passing station
the dispatcher marks the time in the
square that indicates both that train and
that station. Thus, if train No. ID
leaves Riverside at 9:lO the dispatcher