New-York tribune., 1885-03-15
IN AND ABOUT 42D-sT.
THE DEPoT-RAnwAY CURIOsITIEs-REAL
ESTATE.

sss prcsident yames of the Rank, while was
there and nothing would do but that snouid 9"
across the way to the Grand Central Depot to see
some Of the curosities of that place on Which mao
commented in this paper few days before rather
hesitated should encounter superintendent Toucy
whom had referred grizzly bear In aspect He
was among the first metz but found he had onlv the
Look and hug of the grizzly and that his grow was not at
all fierce.
room In the Office of the Grand Central Depot, pre-
sided over by Mr. Bachelor oted the keeping Of
q curious record OF every locomotive OF the company
There arc several hundred OF these each represented In
this room by peg about inch in diameter, numbered
and painted III various coors the latter indicating the
division OF the road to which the engine belongs These
pegs are stuck In holes In huge blackboard which ~
divided into various columns each devoted to descrip-
tion OF tho condition Of the locomotive. These
of course changeabe In their POSITIONS and any Dne OF
them may be In half dozen different positions In the
course OF as many months. by glance at this b0aru
Mr. Bachelor at his desk ten feet away can tell Pre-
cisey location and the condition OF any locomotive
belonging to the company locomotive is in repair
shop, whether needing light serious repairs, this
tells not ouly Its condition, but the rerair
shop to which it has been sent. The reports on the
condition and changes In the position OF locomotives are
sent daily by telegraph.
al suppose you never have to advertise for lost,
strayed or stolen locomotves"I said to Mr. Duval
leaving Mr. Batcheors room. Oh, no." he said; but
later telling tales out OF school. Mr. James mentioned
tina, some years ago In Overhang repair shop loco
motive In condition found, which had previously
been completely hidden by old scrap iron and other
refuse Mr. Duval evidently with the idea that such
revelation ought not to be published protested against
Mr. Janess statement but the incident as related Ind-
Gated to me the advantage OF just such system as Mr.
Bachelor has devised.
Incidentally Mr. Duval told story about Mr.. Rutter,
Of which give the point only, to tell 1t in detail might
he regarded as too personal Mr. Ritter In England
some years ago. and railway president Tor charmsn ss
they call the chief Of railroad officials there) took
rains to point the beauties and advantages OF
one Of the finest depot structures n London II was
that OF a principal corporation In England Among
other things which were shown to Mr.. Ruter and
pointed 10 by official with pride equal to that OF
Democratic convention in pointing TO the record OF the
rarty was u shaft for the ventilation of the depot
Here IL something" said the O;ficia whch venture
to say you have In no depot In America. No.
said Mr.. Rutter. "that would be regarded as
a novelty In America" with this shaft" said
the English official, do away with the smoke
from the locomotives which nsyour depots and renders
them so di,agreeablc 1t Is IA fine conception. said
Mr. Rutter; "a fine eonception but we have something
which Law. AWAY over this" Indeed" exclaimed his
host what is itr we allow an engine to enter
our depot" the quiet but crushing reply.
Mr. rouccy assures me that this is fact. No engine
either In bringing In train taking OUT is allowed
to enter Central Depot The departing trains
are made up In such a permit the engine to
be outside the northern gate OF the depot Incoming
trains arc detached from the engine about two hundred
wards north the depot entrance and are run " their
plncs by the momentum previously Obtained, while the
locomotive Is run on by side track into shop whero II
can smoke at leisure while busy hands oil its sore joints
and the en- dleer ani reman run OF 10 neignD0rinS
beer saloon to talk about their pride the said engine
The last remark reminds me Of curious story which
either Mr. Batchelor or Mr. Toucey told me regarding
the feeling which engineers nave Tor their LOCOMOTIVES
There ia only engine on the road known by any
name IL l. called the Dolly yar'len y; why. nobody
knows except that the engineer used to decorate IL eh
trayaganty all Of colored ribbons Commodore
observed IL ana asked why 1t was so decorated
lie WAS told 1t because the man who ran II took
great pride In It, short afterward order
issued which resulted In changing the engineers fire.
qucntly that one had particular engine In which
to take pride and which 10 lavish His decorations
said to my informant, There must have been some
policy in that. but | don't see it, "We saw 1t very
soon" was tho reply Instead OF combining his aten
ton and devotion his engine each driver became
critic of the condition of the engine turned over to
him by hIs predecessor. Instead OF having men who
made for their engines when ont or repair and
concealed the fact that they ought TO be in the
repair shop, had force of men who were practically
inspectors OF the engines and who complained constantly
OF tho condition in which they took them You under
standr' Ihave only half an idea tnat do. give
this bit OF wisdom for the benefit OF other roads.
.The Tower" OF the Grand Central Depot IL place
very few permitted To visit. wish, therefore,
could describe it in detail integently hut is imposs
bic. montion it only to adj remark by Mr. Toucey
From this place. not six feet square. young man. with
big clock large time table, and memory bigger than
either directs going Of every train which leaves that
busy depot. And they going every moment. He
watches tho clock aud the time table with his he
touches with fore finger only and seemingly without
looking them. tho buttons or the electric wires
which communicate with the ticket sellers.
gatemen, tranmcn. etc., In the vast space below,
and starts the trains precisely time. said to
Mr. Toucey, such q system could only DO sug-
gested by experience and developed with time" "Oh
MOI" he replied think We have made changes sinoc
The FOYER '".s nsse put up. Have we, --f He
mentioned the young mans name, but nave forgotten
IL. He confirmed what his superior had said, but.
nevertheless distened organs OF visions as expres-
sive Of doubt asked ths young man II his head about
the of the bra did not ache at might when he got
through and learned. from his reply, that he worked
only eight hours day ut It.
was not thereafter surprised to nnd that the in
"The Cabin also worked In relays Of eight hours each
The Cabin Is another almost impenetrabe place. It
structure In the locomotive yard just north Of the
depot from which switches Of the track worked
There only 1913 Of these switches represented by
levers in this cabin" but often the movement Of
single lever moves several switches Three men
constantly gagged in shifting these switches by these
lovers. som switches two hundred aud fifty yards
distant from tho levers. Mr. Toucey says they
can he worked at distance Of two thousand feet
with safety, hut 1t seems at first thought 10 be
impractcable The who engaged In
operating these levers all young and strong fell
lows the chief OF them, who did work. but kept
his eyes glancng every direction first at tho men and
then Mt the trains was comparatively young man.
Non nf them fukel with each other The laYArs