Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-03

barely averted biunders. in other bust
| nesscs. when so much hinges on the ac
curacy OF employees"
But he Sh( ok bis mead. We can't afford
TO have accidents, he said. There is too
niue al stake. Our men are either perfect
or they won't do, and every few months
they are rigidly examined to he sure that
thcfe is no falling off from the standard.
Their physique, memory, sense of distance
and proportion, and knowledge of color, all
are tested. One morning some years ago
enc of the yard rsines climbed up on the
Top OF a SUBURBAN train here IN the yard,
but very fortunately nobody was hurt.
Since then there has been no trouble.
Number of Trains n Day.
There are 4I3 regularly assigned trains
TO be cared for each day. The yardmaster
has been here over twenty years. He is
equal to any emergency, and has three able
helpers in the foremen Of the three shifts
OF men who work in the tower. The yard
masters plans are never interfered with.
lie is told the number OF trains TO be ac-
COmmoddted and given an idea of the Spe-
cldI work tnat Is apt TO turn up. Then he
goes ahead and plans it all out just Ike a
neld marshal planning a campaign. When
ne mas more moves to make he doubles up
MS forces and puts more watches in the
tower
These switch opera tors are selected from
the hundreds of trainmen. baggage men,
&c, employed about the station No an
piicant raw from the street or habituated
to some other business is ever taken on as
switchman. Familiarity with the yard and
with railroad and engineering matters is a
good foundation for the tower training and
the ambitious employees look forward to a
berth IN the tower force just as the sales
men in shop look forward to being BUYERS
for their departments. The tower men are
We'll paid, and their position has the added
charm of permanency. Although the many
employees accustomed to the workings of
Inc yard apply for the post Of switchman
ana may even begin an apprenticeship at
the task, but few of them are selected or
become expt rl3. The requirements are not
easy to fill, and where applicant might
possess some cf the attributes essential to
success, the failure in any other particular
would render him unavailable. The switch
man must be strong and able to endure IA
tlgue, Tor some of the levers are very heavy
and are used continuously. With his
strength he must have nimbleness and a
retentive memory, and. even with these
qualities, If he has not presence of mind, he
cannot be trusted for the position
The Slack Hours.
The four hours from 12:35 am to 4:35
am. are the slack time in the switch
tower Then the work lessons to a mini
mum. The long-distance runners are away
on the road and the yard locomotives and
those that pull the local and suburban
trains have an opportunity to rest before
the clock morning rush sets in, Slack
as the work is on this late night shift how
ever, 1t Is no time for beginners at the
tower to take lessons: for, with vigilance
in all other departments relaxed the picket
watches must keep close guard
Sunday afternoon is the most favorable
time for the beginner to practice Then
only half the usual number of trains are
listed, and he can try his hand at showing
the less-worked levers and comparing their
movements and results with the combina-
tons learned theoretically from the yellow
text book 1t takes years Of probationary
practice to make a man of use in the tower
before the yardmaster will consider him as
an all-round, responsible helper fit to trust
In unusual situations. The foreman of the
tower gang has generally been al the bust
ness from seven to ten years and has be-
come used to mastering difficulties The
Oldest of them remembers we'll when ali
the switch work of the station terminal,
then new, was done on the ground on a
level with the tracks, just as it is done at
country stations. AS the business grew
and there were more and more trains 10 he
accommodated, the space occupied by the
sWitchmen was needed for roadbed. and the
tower was built and a certain number of
the levers now in use We're established
With increased traffic, more lockings and
interlockngs were instituted and more
sWitchmen Were necessary and at the nres
ent time there are fully thirty experienced
switckmen at the yardmaster's DISMISSAL
Iwenty-1our are employed continuously.
the others kept a relief and emergency
gang. and yet others practicing with a view
to getting place soon as a vacancy oc-
ours.