The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-01-11
RUNNING A FAST EXPRESS.
Ebe Train Dispatcher Has More to Do
with 40 Than the Engineer.

sbe Train Dispatcher Has More to Do
with 10 Than the Engineer.
George Ethelbett Walsh contrib
utcs on article on Running the
j3ast Express" to st. Nicholas. Mr..
Walsh says:
The eyes Of the engineer arc ON
the clook and time table before him,
and ho keeps a sharp lookout ahead.
For various reasons he may fall
few minutes behind hand 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 tho road. AT
any moment a danger signal along
the line may confront him. Ho may
be ordered to bring his train to u
standstill at small way station and
thoro receive telegraphic orders to
run on a siding. He asks no ques-
tions, but obcys orders. Five min
utos later a special may rush past
him, and then the signals are set
again, warning the engineer of the
express that lie must make up for
lost time.
TO understand this delay and tho
sudden changes made in the time
table it win be necessary to go back
to the headquarters and to watch
the general superintendent and the
train dispatcher. Although many
trains running on tho line are hun
dreds Of miles away, tho exact posi-
tion OF oyCry one every second in
the hour is known and recorded.
a telegraph operator is working in
dustli0usly in the Office of the train
dispatcher, receiving and sending
orders Ihe running orders of all
tho trains are directed from this
Office. Each engineer has orders to
make a certain run according to the
time table unless other orders from
headquarters interfere.
If an accident happens on the
road, the train dispatcher knows it
almost as soon as the passengers. A
breakdown of some local train on
the main liue may upset all the cal
culations OF the day. Immediately
tho expresses running on that line
must bo stopped before a collision
occurs. i snowstorm may blockade
a train on the northern branch of
the road, and thereby make neces-
sary a change in the regular sched-
ule.
A train from the west is half an
hour behind perhaps and this inter
feres with tho regular running Of
the other trains. Arrangements
must be made to let trains pass
without accident. The express trains
nearly always have the right of
way. a western express may be be-
had time and start out five minutes
ahead Of some special express. In
this instance it must give the spe-
cial the right of way, and it is
forced upon some siding. The spe-
cial eNpIess passes without losing
minute
There arc so trains coming and
going, one behind time, another
ahead, probably, and each orowding
out another The train dispatcher
has TO regulate this tangle and keep
things running smoothly. Thus it
is that the engineer of flier may
suddenly find himself side tracked.
Should tho train dispatcher make
a mistake, or fail to make arrange
monts for two fast moving trains,
the block signal system would prob
ably prevent an accident. The block
towers are connected by telegraph
lines ana a bell code enables the
men to communicate directly with
each other. They can stop a train
ut any moment by means of their
signals, independent of orders from
headquarters. Thus the engineer
depends entirely 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 condition.