The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-11-10
MISCELLANY.
Running the Fast Express.


George Ethelbert Walsh contributes
an article on Running the Fast Ex-
press to The November 81. Nicholas.
Mr.. Walsh says:
The eyes OF the engineer are on the
clock and timetable before him, and he
keeps a sharp lookout ahead. For va
rious reasons he may fall few min
utes 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 possible between them.
But he is not master Of the road. AT
any moment danger signal along the
line may confront him. He may be or
dered to bring TO staDdstil at a small
way-station, and there receive tele-
graphic orders to run on a siding. He
askes no questions, but obeys orders.
Five minutes 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 Timetable =,
it will be necessary to go back to head
quarters and to watch the general su-
perintendent and the train dispatcher
Although many trains running on the
line are hundreds of miles away, the
exact position OF every one, every Sec
ond in the hour, ia known and record
ed. A telegraph operator is working
industriously in The Office of the train.
dispatcher, receiving and sending or
ders. The running orders of all the
trains are directed from this office.
Each engineer has orders to make a
certain run according to the timetable,
unless other orders from headquarters
interfere.
Ii an accident happens on the road
) the train-despatcher knows it almost as
| soon as the passengers. A breakdown
| of some local train on the main line
may upset all the calculations of the
] day. Immediately the expresses run
3 ming on that line must be stopped be-
g fore collision occurs. A snow storm
/ may blockade train on the northern
e branch of the road, and thereby make
r necessary change in the regular SEIZED
a ule.
= A train from the West is half al
a hour behind, perhaps, and this inter
8 feres with the regular running of tn,
d other trains. Arrangements must b
: made TO let trains pass without acct
d dent. The express trains nearly al
:, ways have the right of way. A West
s ern express may be behind time, an,
It start out five minutes ahead of som
special express. In this instance sh
must give the special the right of way
=, and she is forced upon some siding
!, The special express passes without los
~ ing minute.
There are fifty trains coming and &C
- ing, one behind time, another aheaC
A probably, and each crowding out ar
a other The train-despatcher has t
- regulate this tangle and keep thing
- running smoothly. Thus it is that tn
" engineer of fer may suddenly fin
70 himself side-tracked.
. Should the train dispatcher make
- mistake, or fail to make arrangemer
10 for two fast moving trains, the bloc
!. signal system would probably prever
u u an accident. The block-towers ar
u u connected by telegraph lines, and be
~ code enables the men to communicat
!" directly with each other. They Ca
stop a train at any moment by near
= of their signals, independent OF o-del
y from headquarters. Thus the enginee
y. depends entirely upon others to kee
~ the track clear, and he merely runs h
10 train as near schedule time as possibl
~ and keeps his iron stsed in perfect col
~ dition.