Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-12
RAlN-DISPATCHING.
HOW PASSENGER AND FREIGHT
TRAINS ARE HANDLED Bv WIRE.
. Reporter spcrds IN Interesting Hear In
the @. a o. Train Dtspstcher's OMEGA
wonderful system snsurtnx safety.

essential feature connected with this great
.o,,road era The average traveller rs he
= uh,rled over the rail reposes confidence
4, the rusty engineer and the reliable con-
socsor. ana while his mind may possibly
ooc.slonally advert to the supposed safe
addition OF the road-bed and rail how very
,aw have any intelligent conception OF
~, stationary power, so TO speak, which,
ss.5ie NOT on the engine or tho train. Is In
ccr.ain and important sense ever follow
,oe and watching the movement Of the
10 through the fundamentally OF the
loctric wire As the essential principles
"a t,ain.dispatching are the same on all
Ia Indeed there is q standard code of
-eseral rules used by nearly oil the great
.,,IuaVs) the introduction of the reader
,,,ctcal workings will serve TO convey q
lomnrcbensiye idea OF the scope and
y. .,,s oDera,aii OF the train-dispatcher.
AMoyo THE TELEoaApHyRs.
Ton o'clock A. NJ, then finds the re-
.,,rr IN the spacious Pace building, and
r. h ushered into the dispatcbers' Office
:, tbe merry and lively ticks Of the various
.,.,rnments. There sits Chief 4. p Good
a., A. his desk. Above his head tho huge
standard clock which ~ kept properly regu-
i,,ca and is the time standard for the va
ms divisions centring here. In the
middle Of the floor sits large table con-
,rirr many saunders" and keys"
III, compile Of train sheets.n the use OF
rbch latter viii be given further on. On
one sidc Of the table sits Mr.. Witt. who
handles trains from Gladstone to Rich
,Dond. and opposite this gentleman Is MIR.
iErEers who handles them from Char
i,,trsyille 10 Fortress Monroe. ALI hands
eve iusy. including tho faithful operator
,ho,s NJ another table upon which many
'r.,ruments are merrily clicking.
ROW ARE THE TRAIssS
Inst now the superintendent sends his
,sssauger into the chief TO ask "how is
n and No. T." The chief calls out to
80 dispatcher and he answers mo. 8
orly five minutes late; reached Richmond
~ time. No. 4 reported TO us by other
cent sends up TO say; Twenty passen-
ccr, in Old Point parlor-car leaving WASH
,rrtop on n. o. a. P. route" Now gentle
80, comes IN 10 order ears" to be
LACED al some station for his use. The
Lef takes the order and orders the cars.
Nov one Of the dispatchers is giving No.
81 and No. ~ an order TO meet" while
lie other Is giving No: rs time order"
Uu No Sc. In few minutes other trains
INST be looked after and then others, aud
M ou al iafaiflD,, for this Office never
rlosss-day nor night, Sunday, Fourth of
Jrlg or Christmas. There are three dis
Iq.cters for each division and there is q
relief every eight hours.
KEPT ON THE 90.
The chief does no actual dispatching.
in, is The head of the Office. from whom
emapate al special instructions and who
must see that everything is kept ION the
ro.n And now as TO the plQdus operdndt.
Zach emplove is provided with code OF
4 Ia f,1i ftc g
CHING connected with the trains This is
supplemented by q time table" which is
,be general law governing the arriving and
leaving time of all trains at all stations.
SOME OF TIE RULES.
Each tranman, operator. and dispatcher
must have this time-cRrd before him and
he figures in mind all the time. Trains
NE divided into three classes-through
passenger trains being denominated first
class-and have priority OF right of track
according 10 this classification. Then east
bound trains have the absolute right of
trtek over all opposite direction trains of
-le same class. Now, il will be clearly seen
that il all trains were invariably on time
tAe necessity OF train-dispatching would be
greatly reduced. But no road in the world
ENJOYS an immunity from late trains, and
lust here comes in the beauty and efficacy
oi dispatching.
CASE IN POINT.
Let US. then. suppose that No. 2, east
bound passenger, is carded TO meet No.
g. wes,-bound passenger, at b No. 2
from some cause becomes late. Without
orders No. 8 must remain at B." But
'le dispatcher advances No. 5 west of
p" and makes a special meeting point
ana be also is enabled 20 advance freight
trains Ia both directions, which would be
tied up for delayed. No; 2. How is this
done? Each telegraph-offiee is provided
with a rain-order-signal and books of
order al one station for No. and at an
other for No. 8, thus: order No. 35-No.
sand No. 2 will meet az RoIbury; No. 2
will take side-track,n and for the benefit of
freight trains adds: mo. will run
thirty minutes late Roxbury TO Lee Hal"
for Just here the dispatchers are not al
lowed 10 make positive meeting poin.s be-
tween trains Of different classes, but must
Use the time order" and all trains re-
celying the time order " merely add that
much time 10 the time-card figures and
proceed until they have to sIde-traek by
virtue Of the expiration Of the allotted
time. variation being made in the rules
Tor possible difference in watches.
TRpLIcATE ORDERS.
The order is sent simultaneously TO all
concerned. is taken IN triplicate, and each
operator in turn repeats it, the dispatcher
comparing each response with the copy in
bis book 10 insure accuracy and similarity.
When repeated the dispatcher " Ok's" the
order, II Is signed for by the respective
operators. the conductors of the respective
trains sign their names on manifold,
they are repeated 10 the dispatcher, VINO
completes the orders when q copy IS given
,onl. parties concerned and the trains pro-
coed
INsURINa SAFETY.
But note this point insuring safety and
otylaIlug the risk of an operators forget
tng 10 display the proper signal; the train
Of inferior right will not be allowed TO OBJ
tain an order until the train of superior
night has acknowledged receipt of 1t: And
il., D, q great improvement over the old
system Of depending on the operator EN-:
ufely. Under this rule, II the tram OF
superior right gets by the office at which
hls order is placed the only harm done Is
.ay out" 70 the opposing train, which VIII
still BE- avoiding theformer on card figures.
"a LAYOUT"
The same may be said as TO misfailures:
No harm can possibly result other than q
dtay,n or, IN train parlance, layout.
Il Will be recognized as an essential part |
q The programme that the dispatcher must |
b. kept posted all the time as TO the where |
atou,s Of his trains. To do this the train |
Sheet heretofore adverted TO comes In;
4ls contains the names Of all stations ana
al tram numbers their engines, crews,
d.. 49,, and each Office along the road
Promptly reports the passage OF each tram, |
which is promptly entered on this train |
s-es., and the dispatcher is all the whiIe |
recording these reports, figuring out pro-
FSuegting points, and sending and CON- |
pelng orders. Extra trains" are run |
1'uslyely by special orders
EVERY SAFEGUARD.
The entire method of handling trains. o
nsie synopsis Of which is here. outlined.
.'inces the fact that every safeguard Is
brown around them and no loopholes are
.et In fact. II looks like perfection,,
IaA, accidents sometimes occur on al
ta1s ls no reputation Of this fact. Ihis Is
lie case IA all the avenues OF life.
ARDUoUs DUTIES.
But who will gainsay that the train-dis-
pitchers duties are not arduous, taxing, |