The Winslow mail., 1898-04-02
RUNNING THE FAST EXPRESS.
The Train-Disp pa tcher Has More to Do
with 1t than the Engineer.
George Ethelhert Walsh cont


George Ethelbert Walsh contributes
an article on Running the Fast Ex-
press" to the ST. Nicholas. Mr.. Walsh
says:
The eyes of the engineer are on the
clock and timetable before him, and he
keeps sharp lookout ahead. For vari-
Gus reasons he may fall a few minutes
behindhand at one point, but he man.
ages 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 the road. At
any moment danger-signal along the
line may confront him. He may be or
dered to bring his train to a standstill
at small way station, and there re-
ceive telegraphic orders to run on a
siding. He asks no questions, but obeys
orders. Five minutes later special
may rush past him, and then the sig
nails are set again, warning the en-
gineer of the express that he must
make up for lost time.
To understand this delay, and the
sudden changes made in the me-table,
it will be necessary to go back to head
quarters and to watch the general SUI
perintendent and the train-dispatcher.
Although many trains running on the
line are hundreds of miles away, the
exact position of every one, every sec
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 runnlng-orders of all the
trains are directed from this Office
Each engineer has orders to make a
unless other orders from headquarters
interfere.
If an accident happens on the road,
the train-dispatcher knows 1t 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 a collision occurs. A snow
storm may blockade a train on the
northern branch of the road, and there
by make necessary a change in the reg
ular 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 ex-
press. In this instance she must give
the special the right of way, and she
is forced upon some siding. The spe-
cial express passes without losing a
minute.
There are fifty trains coming and 60
ing, one behind time, another ahead,
probably, and each crowding out an
other. The train-dispatcher has to
running smoothly. Thus it is that the
engineer of a fiier may suddenly find
himself side-tracked
Should the train-diSpatcher make a
mistake, or fail to make arrangements
for two fast-moving trains, the block
signal system would probably prevent
an accident. The block-towers are con-
nected by telegraph lines, and 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 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 con-
dition.