The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-03-30

Harlem division, with headquarters at
White Plains, reports under the head \.
which l..aans weather. Cloudy B,
referring TO the movement of passenger
trains, About on time; and d divis-
ions refer to the movement of freight and
stock trains; T. general condition of bust
ness; G, car supply, and so on. With this
report before him, the Superintendent
knows the conditions with which he mnst
contend to get his first class trains through
on schedule time or near it, They have
the right or way over all other trains but
no discrimination is made in favor of one
first class train as against another of the
same class The fact. however that the
Empire State Express. which Is Train 81
West and 30 East, Is a record breaker.
lends to that particular train, even in the
operating Offices more interest than to any
of the Others. If it Is a possible thing >
must be put through on time.
In addition to these division reports.
which contain general reference to the
weather. Mr. Van Etten receives special
weather reports from forty different points
along the New York Central system. He
may come to his office in the morning.
when it is so mild here in New York that
he does not need To wear an overcoat. and
find by his weather reports that it Is snow
ing heavily at Syracuse or Utica. That
may mean delay in running time through
the central part of the State and perhaps
necessitate 4 change in the schedule time
for freight trains or local passenger trains.
An of these details are carefully considered
before the first class trains leave the sta
ton, and there are others.
While the general superintendent is
taking a bird : eve view Of the road by
means of his report and, if necessary.
clearing the tracks for the day rapid transit
traffic. sending an order to clean up wreck
here or tn hold a freight there the flyer
Is being made up in the Mott Haven yards.
/ Engine $40 may be the one selected for
+ the run. Before she leaves the yard the
engineer and firemen inspect her carefully
to see that she Is in good working order
I and ready Ia chew up the track when re
/. quired \ combined baggage and buffet
& tsll. ANN NAN AhNAtlAtNs uAAA a tAAANAat- A'N'AA
ear are TO be coupled to SD They have
4 been inspected and equipped fer the run
/ that Is to end in Buffalo, and when every
thing was ready hauled down to the Grand
{ Central Station and reported 70 the station
master. who makes another inspection.
I The train crew has already reported to this
officer. Engine SIO backs down and cnu-
pies on. and 81 stands on the track ready
TO jump out ON it, long run at the sound
/ Of the starter bell The station master
! has made out his record of the train. the
/ numbers If che engine and ear. aud the
names of the crew High ap in his Office
f al the lower end Of the station Is the tram
starter. He rings has bell at : - and the
f doors of the waiting rVom are clo~cd. the
I last passengers are hustled aboard and the
car steps are clo>ed up. The engine i
/ ready. and a. the starter nugs hi- bell at
/ 5 80 the conductor gives him signal and
( the train dives into the tunnel with IN
creasing speed II ~ accidents happen
I she viii be on schedule time IN Albany.
( The station master sends hi, reports TO the
train dispatcher and from that time until
/ 81 runs Of the division. her cour~e viii BE-
I watched by him.
( The Montreal special Ia. started Out half
/ an hour ahead Of 81 and the engineer 81
I this train knows that be mus, give 81 the
/ right ~ way. Unless some accident occurs
TO delay him, the train dispatcher card
shows in due time that the Montreal spec
Z 1 L l.. ~ Ig..ht,r,s4. -e
/ least five minutes before the time that >
is due 10 pas that station If the engi-
neer finds he cannot make IT, however, he
must run on to any siding that he finds
convenient. lie must give 81 the right
of way
But surprising there l. a wreck GA the
road. how do you get > through Chief
+ Train Dispatcher u W Hampstead was
/ asked.
That depends on the kind Of wreck it
NAV happen TO be, he replied. For
+ instance. enc morning last week came the
news that there was an accident on the
track az BArysown The Empire State
/ was stopped at Rhineelif A special or
/ der was given to her engineer To use the
south bound track from that point To nyoh.
At the same time an order wa sent 20
/ Tivah Ia hold there all south bound trains.
( In this way the flyer 20, through and az
rived in Albany only fifteen minutes late.
Doesn the responsibility Of these DIFF
ierent moves make you nervous at times
Never have noticed any such effect,
said Mr.. Hampstead If man Is feel
Ing well and understands his business II
should no, bother him have been a
train dispatcher now for eleven years. and
/ | never have had any Of the narrow escapes
thar have read about
While he was talking a telegraph oper
ator who sat near was receiving messages
from the different reporting stations along
the division The time Of each train at
the reporting station was entered IN the
column set apart for it on the dispatcher
card. For instance, Mott Haven, which
Is the first reporting station. announced
-5l-S:4l. and few minutes later the
next reporting station announced her. and
80 on down the column until Albany was
reached There were reports from fifty
other trains coming in, and crowding one
upon the other, and each was entered in
It's own column Sitting in the train de
patcher Office and watching this card
filling out one may get some idea u the
complexity of an up-to-date operating office
Of railroad
When all trains are running ON their
schedule time the dispatcher has little
work to do His telegraph operator fills
out his card But when there are delays
or an accident occurs that blocks the track
at any point he is very full of business.
He may have to send out dozen different
orders in as many minutes, and they are
orders that must be obeyed. If the acci-
dent Is a serious one, the general superiu-
tendeut takes hand in Strengthening things
out. If it Is merely a series of delays that
upsets the schedule the dispatcher attends
to it. He plans how he may side track a
second class train here to permit first
class train to have the right of way, and
there he can hold freight, and all the