Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-26
Railroad Men Always at School.

On the railroad men go TO school all
their lives. They never get too old TO go.
Whenever there comes into use any inno-
walton that requires technical knowledge
such as the air brake. whenever there
is a change in any Of the commonly used
codes such as the hand signals used b.
tranmen, the men are divided into
squads and sent to division headquarters
for special instruction These places are
known among railroad men as schools.
The methods employed combine those in
use in the kindergarten. the primary de-
partment and the high school.
Perhaps the most interesting ra lroad
school is the one sent out by the West
inghouse company 10 confer upon rail-
road men the final degrees in the process
of learning the air brake. This school Is
on wheels. and in the three years that :
has been in service IL has travelled more
than twice the distance of the circumfer-
iiiicateS to nearly 21S.W) railroad men.
The instruction car is packed full of ev-
cry kind of appliance and fitting and
model that will be found in any train of
thirty ears. The car is in charge of COM
peient lecturers. and every IA lroad en-
ployee who has anything to do with the
actual handling Of engines or cars IS re-
uuired TO attend. Engineers, Hremen,
conductors. tranmen, salvanizers and
hostlers al have their separate classes.
and the conditions in the car are as near
| ly as possible like those they meet every
| day. Here in the car, however, the diff
ferent parts are so arranged that they
can be taken apart and viewed in sec
| lion, and used to illustrate the lecture.
The men who conduct these lectures
speak the vernacuar Of the railroad, and
| their talk is not always n model of good
grammar and rhetoric: but what they say
| Is practical and easily understood. More
| over, the men feel that the lecturer has
| actually sat in an engine and gone down
| a long grade with heavy train, or that
he has crawled around on the ground 20
fit hose. After the lecture is over the
tntn- I'M a p X
| amined. There is something strangely
! familiar about the way these big-bearded
| fellows hitch their shoulders anu wrisgle
| when they are called upon to recite.
| This school. by the way. has engage
| ments that will require three years to fill
| There is now on its way 10 this country
n band of German mechanics who are
| coming over TO learn the air brake. and
| il is probable that they will take their de-
| grees here.
In an item headed "Murphy's; Lantern
| perintendent w. j. Murphy Of the Gin
| cinnat New Orleans and Texas Pacific
| examines his trainmen on their pro-
| ficiency in the train rules He uses q
| stereopticon to show pictures of life size
| signals OF all kinds-semaphores and
| other fixed Signals. trains with markers
| classification signals. and in fact almost
| anything else that the men will ever be
| called upon to translate Various mer
| have various methods although 1t is
1 doubtful if many superintendents go &c
| the length OF helping the men out witt
| lantern slides. When it comes to ex
| aiming the men in hand signals the SUI
| perintendent usually calls in n subordi.
| nate and says: Here. Jim, take these
/ them out in the yard, gives them trair
| to break up in dozen different switches
| and soon has them waving themselve.
| wild. Their engineer is extremely literal
| he keeps his eyes glued on them takine
| nothing for granted. The men get M
help or sympathy from Jim. and alto
| gether the test is apt TO be more sever,
\ than anything they will ever run VI
against in actual service.
Almost all of the operators OF the blocl
I signal serv ce. which has come into us,
OH most of the big roads. are youngsters
and wherever one of Them happens to b,
stationed he manages TO attract a con
| siderable body Of youthful admirers. !,
bright boy in a tower will pick up teleg