The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-01-11
RUNNING A FAST EXPRESS.
She Train Dispatcher Has More to DO
with "a Than the Engineer.

She Train Dispatcher Has More to DO
wish It Than the Engineer.
George Ethelbert Walsh contrib
utcs an article on Running the
Fast Express 60 st. Nicholas. Mr..
Walsh says:
The eyes of the engineer are on
the clock and time table before him,
and he keeps Il 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 danger signal along
tho line may confront him. He may
be ordered to bring his train to
standstill at a small way station and
thero receive telegraphic orders to
run on siding. He asks no ques-
tions, but obeys orders. Five min
utes later Il 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 tho
sudden changes made i'll the time
tablo it viii be necessary to go back
to the headquarters and to watch
the general superintendent and the
train dispatcher. 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 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 line may upset all the cal
culations Of the day. Immediately
the expresses running on that line
must be stopped before collision
occurs. \ snowstorm may blockade
a train on the northern branch of
the road, and thereby make neces-
sery 4 change in the regular sched-
ule.
A train from tie 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-
hind 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-
ciul express passes without losing a
minute,
There are so 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 flier may
suddenly find himself side tracked.
Should tho train dispatcher make
a mistake, or fail to make arrange.
ments for two fast moving trains,
the block signal system would prob.
ably prevent an accident. The block
towers are connected by telegraph
lines aud bell code enables the
men to communicate directly with
each other. They can stop a trair
Rt any moment by means of theil
signals, independent of orders from
headquarters. Thus the engineer
depends entirely upon others tc
keep the track clear, and he merely
runs his train as near schedule time
as possible and keeps his iron steet
in perfect condition.