Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-05-30
'rhe Railroad Engineer.

The haflrOau EusfutcE'
II is very evident that the whole
course of an engineers career Is not as
smooth as the track he runs over.
Thep are supposed to exercise presence
of mind, never mind what stares them
in the face. The engineers on the
Pennsylvania railroad receive $3.50 a
day, or sll5 a month. Fox instance, a
round trip iom the Broadstreet station
to Jersey City and back, 1872 miles, is
considered days work. Every third
day they have eff. Some engineers get
through their work 10 less tune than
others. For example, Engineer Larl-
son leaves Broad street with the half
past seven O'Clock express in the morn-
ing and gets back to Broad street at
twenty minutes past two in the alter
loon. He takes his engine out TO
Pc welton avenue 10 tue round house,
and then his days work is done, aud
he is free until half-past seven the next
morning. Every steam horse has a
stall 10 The big round stable and it's
'hostlers.' as the men are called who
take care OF and clean the engines.
Engineer Harrison gets Of his engine
much the same as jockey gets Of his
sulkey when the race is over. The
hoslers take charge Of the engine, whic b
has become dirty and tired-iooking
from dashing oyer lS2 miles of road
bed.
When you see an engineer who is
running a passenger train, you can
make up your mind that he has worked
a long time on an engine before be
reaches that important post. First,
there are four Or five years 10 be served
as a fireman, and then several years on
a freight train.
Tse engineers on the Pennsylvania
road are carefully selected by the road
foreman o. engines, and no man known
to drink lieuor would be allowed to run
an engine an hcer. Not only is their
life while on duty carefully scrutnized,
but their movements while of duty are
generally known by the officers. "A
man must have the qualifications OF
clear head and a steady handI' said an
official to the reporter.
If the newspaper express is .detalaec
a single minute on The road the conduc'
Tor has 10 make out detention report
slatpg where the detention coccurret
aud the cause of it. AS soon as the
train arrives at Broad street the report
is telegraphed to Trainmaster Adams,
at Jersey City, so that Immediately al
ter the trains arrival here be knows
exactly the whole history OF its run.
The tram leaves Jersey City at $40 u.
% =. and the great disadvantage in max
ng a fast run with it is that the engIn
ee= has not daylight to do it in. excep
in midsummer, and then it is often very
focgy, Fog IS an engineers wors
enemy. They dare not fun so last al
in clear weather, and have 10 slow VI
frequently 10 see if the signals are al
right. Rain maEes the tracks more
slippery than snow. and necessi1ate'
slowing up sooner or approaching
station, which means lest time. Sno"
always gives an engineer the blues, ant
next to fog IS dreaded worse,than any
thing else. Many engineers are parli'
cularly cheerful when they have
bright moon, and claim they can make
better running time than without It.
while many feel happy aud contentet
with the company OF clear sky iull o.
stars:
Some engineers handle train more
gracefully than others. Some stop
train gradually By applying the air and
then allowing it TO exhaust, repeating
the manipulation two or three times
which stops the train by degrees and
prevents the jerking of the cars and
shaking the passengers up, while other
engineers, who have not the knack,
stop the train frequently with one ap'
plicaton of the air brake.
Charles Dickens told a friend on
alighting from train during visit to
this country, that his first thought on
stopping on the platform was. Thank
God and the engine err A close obser'
yer will notice that travellers seldom
look at the engineer as they pass down
the platform from the train when they
bave reached their journeys end.
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