Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-06
RAILWAY wRECKING CREW.
How They Do Their Work In These
Modern Times.

| HOW They Do Their Work in These
Modern Times.
| From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
| In the last few weeks a series OF wrecks
has occurred within short distance Oh
Pittsburg While there has been no serious =
| loss of life, considerable valuable mer-
| chandise was irretrievably ruined 10 cope
with this leak in the revenues of the trans
portation lines the several railroads nave
equipped q certain number of cars Win
all the modern hosting and lifting devices
and a trained crew of wreckers. Inc
| wrecking crew is always within call. for
their services may be at any moment most
important
The derrick car with it's huge projecting
beak reaching far beyond the boundaPles
of the car frames, stands always ready TO
assist in throwing over the bank derailed
cars containing the most valuable or COM
modities When a wreck occurs on the
lines leading out OF Plttsburs the Tram
master of the road on which the accident
happens to be is at once notified. The first
hot engine is pressed into service and the
wrecking crew ASSEMBLIES in haste. 1t may
be that the accident is caused by two
engines on the same track, but going in
opposite directions, trying to pass each
other, or a washout may have torn up the
track ahead of the fast mail train. What
| ever the cause, the wrecking crew is dis
patched to the location of the accident.
| The wreckng department of railroad
resembles the fire department OF a great
| city in many instances The men compoS-
| ing the crew all picked mechanics.
whose versatility has commended them for
| the wrecking service. Engineers and con-
ductors out on the road seldom call for
| the wreck car unless the wreck Is serious.
The locomotives and cabooses are equipped
with heavy chains, lifting jacks and other
appliances for retracking deralled cars.
and when only a single car flies the track
the train crew replaces 1t without the aid
of the wrecking force.
Accidents that demand the wrecking force
are plenty, and when they occur, the con-
ductor sends out a flagman ahead to pro-
| tect other trains, and notifies the train
| dispatcher OIL the need Of the wrecking
crew.
| Each railroad has its own system of
| handling wrer 1t is usual for railroad
company to have stationed at the terminal
| of each freight 'ivision a wrecking crew.
Sometimes, as in the of branch lines,
| this wrecking outfit may only consist Of
] one derrick car with two derricks it,
| one of which is operated by small hoist
! ing engine Where hand power Is relied
on the heavy hosting is performed with
| the assistance of the regular locomotive,
| which pulls on a cable working the hoist
| ing arrangements on the derrick car.
In addition to the derrick car the train
! is made of a tool car and a "shanty'' car.
The latter is used sleeping quarters for
the men composing the wrecking crew,
] when out at a wreck for any length of
| time. The wrecking crew are engaged
when not at wrecks on work in the several
| round houses. If member Of the wreck
ing crew desires a day off he must notify
| the foreman of his intention, and in many
| cases furnish an acceptable substitute
| that the wreck train may if called upon
| for duty be at It's full strength. Some
| roads have the houses Of their wrecking
| crews equipped with electric call bells or
| telephones, but the ordinary method of
summoning them for wreck duty is by the
+ call boy, who wakes the engineers and con-
! ductors on the regular runs.
| L. F. Loree, general manager of the
| Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsburg, in
| making a comparison between the city fire
| department and wrecking crew on the
| railroad said: 1.-The value of service Is
greatly dependent upon the quckness with
| which the apparatus is gotten to the place
| of accident. When the wrecking crew are
| notified every man hastens to his place
| and the first engine and crew obtainable
are placed at their service. They are given
| a clear track to the point Of obstruction,
other trains making way for them. much
| as the street pedestrians and heavy teams
| seek the curbs and sidewalks at the ring
| ing of the gong to make way for the APP
preaching fire engine.
| ARRIVING at the wreck the first thing to be
| done is to set up telegraph office. which
gives direct communication with headquar-
tiers. A man Is placed in charge Of the tool
| car to issue the tools needed at the wreck
and to care for them when they are re-
| turned. He also keeps coffee boiling and
serves lunch of biscuit and canned meats
| when the men require it. The wrecking
| crew 90 not aim as much to save damaged
freight cars to clear the road for the sus-
pended traffic. The obstructing cars are
1 usually rolled over the bank, to be picked
up the following Sunday. The trainmen
calling for the wrecking train have given
| the trainmaster a description of the situa-
| ton and an estimate of the probable time
| required to open the road. If the time re-
| quired to- obtain a clear track exceeds four
hours freight trains not sent out from
| terminals. The trains are, however, made
| up and the yards cleared for the move
ment of the concentrated traffic that fol-
| lows the removal Of the wreck.
| LESS than four hours detention trains
| are moved as close convenient to the
| point of wreck and stored on sidings for
rapidity of movement when the line is open.
| Where the road is closed more than four
hours in all probability arrangements are
made to defect the mail trains over for
| eign lines or around the obstructed point
| by transfer from train to train"
| The wrecking crew is supposed to be COM
| petent to do anything pertaining to the
| maintenance or operation OF tine railroad.