St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-11-05
Running the Past Express.

George Ethelbert Walsh contributes
an article on Running the Fast Ex-
press" to the November St. Nicholas.
Mr. Walsh says:
The eyes of the engineer are on the
clock and e.table before him, and
he keeps sharp look out ahead. For
various reasons he may fall few
minutes behindhand at one point,
but he manages to make up the loss
at another. He has certain stops to
make, and he makes all speed pos
sible bet een them. But he is not
manager OF the road. At any mo
ment a danger-signal along the line
may confront him. He may be or
dered to bring his train to a stand
still at small way-station and
there receive Geographic orders to
run on siding. He asks no ques-
tions, but obeys orders. Five mir
utes later Especial" may rush past
him, and then the signals are set
again, warning the engineer of the
express that he must make up for
lost time.
To understand this delay and the
sudden changes made in the time
table, it will be necessary to 60 back
to headquarters and to watch the
general superintendent and the train
dispatcher. Although many trains
running on the line are hundreds of
miles away, the exact position of
every one, every second in the hour,
is known and recorded. A telegraph
operator is working industriously in
the office of the train dispatcher, re-
ceiving and sending orders. The run
ming orders of all the trains are d.
rected from this office. Each engi-
neer has orders to make certain
run according to the timetable, un-
less other orders from headquarters
interfere.
If an accident happens on theroad,
the train dispatcher knows it almost
as soon as the passengers. A break
down Of some local train on the main
line may upset all the calculations Of
the day. Immediately the expresses
running on that line must be stopped
before collision occurs. A snow
storm may blockade a train on the
northern branch of the road. and
thereby make necessary change in
the regular schedule.
A train from the West is half an
hour behind, perhaps, and this in
.terferes with the regular running of
the other trains. Arrangements
must be made to let trains pass with
out accident. The express trains
nearly always have the right of way.
A Western express may be behind
time, and start out five minutes
ahead of some special express. In
this instance she must give the special
the right of way, and she is forced
upon some siding. The special ex-
press passes without losing a minute.
There are fifty trains coming and
going, one behind time, another
ahead, probably, and each crowding
Out dbOlbSls uS u ain uCSDdICI
has to regulate the tangle and keep
things running smoothly. Thus it
is the engineer of flier may suddenly
find himself side-tracked.
Should the train dispatcher make
mistake, or fail to make arrange
ments for two fast moving trains,
the block signal system would prob.
ably prevent an accident. The block
towers are connected by telegraph
lines, and bell-code enables the men
to communicate directly with each
other. They can stop train at any
moment by means of their signals,
independent OF orders from headquar-
tiers. Thus the engineer depends en-.
tirely upon Others to keep the track
clear, and he merely runs his train as
near schedule time as possible, and
keeps his iron steed in perfect condi
ton.