The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-03-05
RUNNING THE FAST EXPRESS.
The Train-Dispatcher Has More to DO
with II than the Engineer.

with 1t than the Engineer.
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 a sharp lookout ahead. For Vafl-
Gus reasons he may fall few minutes
behlndhand at one point, but he man
ages TO make up the loss at another.
lie has certain stops to make, and he
makes all speed possible between them.
But he Is not master Of the road. Al
any moment n danger-signal along the
line may confront him. He may be or
dered to bring his train to standstill
at small way station. and there re
ceiye telegraphic orders to run on Il
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-
glneer of the express that he must
make up for lost time.
To understand this delay, and the
sudden changes made In the timetable,
II will be necessary TO 90 back To mead
quarters and to watch the general SUI
perintendent and the traln-dlspatcher.
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. telegraph operator is working
industrlously in the Office of the train
dispatcher, receiving and sending or
ders. The running orders OF all the
trains are directed from this office.
Each engineer has orders to make u
certain run according to the timetable,
unless other orders from headquarters
interfere.
If an accident happens on the road,
the ain-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 Il 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-
clal express passes without losing
minute.
There are fifty trains coming and GO
Ing, one behind time, another ahead,
probably. and each crowding out an
other The traln-dlspatcher has 10
regulate this tangle and keep things
running smoothly. Thus II Is that the
engineer of a tiler may suddenly find
himself slde-tracked.
Should the traln-dispatcher make
mistake. or fail to make arrangements
for two fastmOving 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 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
diflOn