The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-10
RUNNING THE FAST EXPRESS.
The Train Dispatcher's Important
Part In 1t.

George E. Walsh in ST. Nicholas
The eyes of the engineer are on the
clock and timetable before him, and he
keeps a sharp lookout ahead. For vari-
Gus reasons he may fall few minutes be-
hindhand at one point, but he manages to
make up the loss at another. He has Ger
tain stops to make, and he makes all
speed possible between them But he Is
not master ol'the road At any moment a
danger signal along the line may con-
front him. He may be ordered to bring
his train to a standstill at small station,
and there receive Geographic order to run
on siding. He asks no questions, but
obeys orders. Five minutes later "spe-
cial may rush past him, and then the
signals are set again, warning the engi-
neer of the express that he must make
UP for lost time.
To understand this delay, and the sud-
den changes made in the timetable, il
will be necessary to go back TO headquar-
ters and to watch the general superintend-
ent and the train dispatcher, Although
many trains running on the line are hun
dreds of miles away, the exact position of
every one, every second in the hour, is
known and recorded. A telegraph opera
tor is working industriously 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 a GER
tain run according to the timetable I'M
less other orders from headquarters inter-
fere.
If an accident happens on the road, the
train dispatcher knows 1t almost as sool
as the passengers. A break down of some
local train on the main line may upset
alpIrE of ha 4 Tv,avs, lataf
ately the expresses running on that line
must be stopped before a collision occurs
A snow storm may blockade a train on
the northern branch of the road, and
thereby 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 10 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 spec
ial express. In this instance she must
give the special the right of way, and she
is forced upon some siding. The special
express passes without losing minute
There are fifty trains coming and going,
one behind time, another ahead, probably,
and each crowding out another. The train
dispatcher has to regulate this tangle and
keep things running smoothly. Thus it is
that the engineer of a f1Ier may suddenly
find himself sde-tracked.
Should the train dispatcher make a mis-
take, or fail to make arrangements for
two fast-moving trains, the block signal
system would probably prevent an acct
dent. The block towers are,connected by
telegraph lines and bell code enables the
men to communicate directly with each
other They can stop a train at any mo-
ment by means of their signals, independ-
ent of orders from headquarters Thus
the engineer depends entirely upon others
to keep the track Gear, and he merely runs
his train as near schedule time as possible.
and keeps his iron steed in perfect condi-
ton. ht