The Colfax chronicle., 1896-02-01
MAKING UP A TIME TABLE.
The Movement of Trains Plotted Out ou .
Blackboard.


blackboard.
To the average man a railway time
table is more or less prepleXing thing.
from which the desired information can
prly be wrested after much careful
study. Even when all seems plain salt
ing little asterisk often carries ths
traveller to the bottom Of the page with
diabolical glee, and there informs hlm
that the train upon which he has set
his heart runs only Sundays, or does not
run Saturdays, or i'm some other way up
sets his plans. Railway men say tina.
timetables are simpler than they were
ten years ago. Americans have an adj
vantage over their British cousins in
this matter, for no more fearfully and
wonderfully compiled books exist OH
this earth than Bradshaw's Guide"
Where an American would get time
table issued by the road upon which lie
wishes to travel, an Englishman always
flies to Bradshaw's.
The operation of making up time
table is a comparatively simple one as
pursued by most roads. As rule, the
passenger timetable is made up twice
a year, for the summer and winter sea-
sons. In the general superintendent
room in the Grand Central station there
stands huge time board, which has
made up a great many tables for the
New York Central & Hudson River rail-
road. 1t occupies half one side of the
room, and extends from the floor to the
ceiling. Upon it are ruled vertically "a
heavy black lines, the space between
each of which represents one hour. Be-
tween these are smaller black lines.
which cut the hour up into spaces of
five minutes each, the quarter-hours be-
ing green and the half-hours blue.
From the bottom of the board, extend
ing upward, the names of all the sta
tions on the line are printed along the
side. They are at varying intervals.
corresponding to the distance i'm miles
between each station. From each sta
tion heavy black line runs horizontally
across the board. When table is made
up, pin is stuck in the interval at the
bottom of the board, representing the
exact time at which each train starts.
Another pin is placed at the interval
representing the time at which it will
arrive. A string is then stretched from
one pin to the other, and represents the
passage of the train. The points at
which the string intersects the hori-
zontal lines leading across the board
from the different stations represent
the time at which it will pass each sta
ton.
Trains running into New York are
represented by strings running from
left to right, and those going out
are shown from right to left. Suppos-
ing it is desired to start train from
New York at four o'clock which will
arrive at Albany by eight o'clock. pin
is placed at the four o'clock line at the
bottom of the board and another on the
eight o'clock line opposite Albany. All
the horizontal lines cut by the string
which stretches from pin to pin will
show the time of arrival at each station
on the route. The faster the train the
nearer to vertical is the string, while
the slower it is the greater angle will
the string make with the horizontal
lines across the board. When the trains
are all placed on the board it presents
perfect network of strings. Intricate
rs it appears, finger can instantly be
put upon the time of arrival of a train
at any given station. The movements
of all trains are thus shown for the
whole "a hours, and any discrepancy is
Immediately apparent, such as trains
running dangerously close together.
The simplicity is only found on roads
with four or six tracks. Where there
is only single track, the board is much
more complex. AS soon as the tables
are shown on the board, and everything
is seen to be all right, the results are
printed in the Timetables, aud the
board is rarely used until another table
is made up. Where there is only one
track the strings are always kept on
the board, which is in constant use.
Freight trains are not often run on
regular time. They are generally sent
out by the train dispatcher as soon as
they are made up and the road is clear.
Some freights are, however, run on req
ular time, while the others, called ex-
tras, have to get along when they can,
sidetracking when they would be in
the way Of passenger trains.
All the calculations on the big time
board are made upon the assumption
that the train travels at uniform
speed throughout. When the rate of
travel is not the same, owing to heavy
grades or the like, allowances have to
be made ut those points where the speed
is lessened. The use of the board is not
necessary when local trains are tenn
porarily put on or off, and it is fully
strung up only twice year.-N. Y.
Tribune.
Queer Kinds of Spectacles.