The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1897-11-30
RUNNING A FAST EXPRESS.
The Train Dispatcher Has More TO DO
with 1t Than the Engineer.


George Ethelbert Walsh contrib
utes an article on Running the
Fast Express" to st. Nicholas. Mr.
Walsh Gays:
The eyes of the engineer are or
the clock and time table before him,
and he keeps sharp lookout ahead.
For various reasons he may fall q
few minutes behind hand at one
point, but he manages to make uI
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 a danger signal along
the line may confront him. He may
be ordered to bring his train to a
standstill at a small way station aud
there receive Geographic orders to
run on a siding. He asks no ques-
tons, but obeys orders. Five min
utes later special" 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 go back
to the headquarters and to watch
the general superintendent and the
train Dispatch. Although many
trains running on the line are hun
dreds of miles away, the exact posi-
ton of every one every second in
the hour Is known and recorded.
A telegraph operator is working in
dustriously in the Office of the train
dispatcher, receiving and sending
orders. The running orders of all
the trains are directed from this
office. Each engineer has orders to
make 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 line may upset all the cal
culations of the day, Immediately
the expresses running ON that line
must be stopped before a collision
OCCURS. A snowstorm may Blockade
q train on the northern branch of
the road, and thereby make neces-
sary a change in the regular SEIZED
ule.
A train from the west is half an
hour behind perhaps and this inter
feres 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 be-
hind time and start out five minutes
ahead of some special express. In
this instance il must giv6 the spe-
cial the. right of way, and it is
forced upon some, siding. The spe-
cial express passes without losing a
minute. ~-w<z~
There are so trains coming and
going, one behind time. another
ahead, probably, and each crowding
out another. The train dispatcher
has 10 regulate this tangle and keep
things running smoothly. Thus it
is that the engineer of a fier may
suddenly find himself side tracked.
Should the train disparcher.make
a mistake, Qr fail to make arrange
pents for tho fast moving trains,
the block stsnaLsystem would prob
ably prevent an accident. The block
towers are connected 10y telegraph
lines and a bell code enables the
men to communicate directly with
each other. They can stop a train
at any moment By means of their
signals, independent of orders from
Thus the engineer
depends entirely upon, others to
keep the track clear, and he merely
runs his train az near schedule time
as possible and keeps his iron steed
in perfect condition.