The Van Buren press., 1897-12-11
RUNNING THE FAST EXPRESS.
The Train-Dispatcher Has More to
Do with Ii Than the Engineer

TO
DO with Ii Than the Engineer.
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 minutes
behindhand at one point. but he man.
ages to make up the loss at another.
He has certain steps to make, and he
makes all speed possible between them
But he is not master of the road. 4.
any moment a danger-signal along the
line may confront him. He may be or.
dered to bring his train to a standstilI
at small way-station, and there re-
eeive telegraphic orders to run on
siding. He asks no questions, but obeys
orders. Five minutes later special
may rush past him, and then the sig
mails are set again, warning the engi-
neer 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 see
ond in the hour. is 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
Jiraa.a1 fr,r,, tbic Df1fpp
Each engineer has orders to make
certain run according to the timetable,
unless other orders from headquarters
interfere.
II an accident happens on the road,
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 block a train on the north
make necessary a change in the regular
schedule.
A train from the west is half an hour
behind, perhaps, and this interferes
with the 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 behind time. and start out five
minutes ahead of some special express
In this instance she must give the spe-
cial the right of way, and she is forced
upon some siding. The special express
passes without losing minute.
There are 50 trains coming and gong
one behind time, another ahead, prop
ably. and each crowding one another
The train-dispatcher has to regulate
this tangle and keep things running
smoothly. Thus it is that the engineer
OF flyer may find himself suddenly
side-tracked.
Should the train-dispatcher make d
mistake, or fail to make arrangements
for two fast-moving trains, the oloch
signal system would probably prevent
an accident, The block towers are con,
nected by telegraph lines, and pei'
code enables the men TO commitment
directly with each other. They can
stop train at any moment by means OIL
their signals, independent OF orders
from headquarters. Thus the engineer
depends entirely upon others to Keep
the track clear. and he merely runs h''
train as near schedule time as possloie'
and keeps his iron steed in perfect cor
dition.-George E. Walsh, in st. Nicn-
rloc